Mourayan is ready for the Melbourne Cup Field

Mourayan is ready to take his place in the Melbourne Cup field and is not just there to make up the numbers, part owner Nick Williams said.

Mourayan proved that he can handle 3200m by winning the Sydney Cup in the Autumn.

Mourayan proved that he can handle 3200m by winning the Sydney Cup in the Autumn. Photo by Steve Hart.

Williams and his father, prominent businessman Lloyd Williams, have six runners in this year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday and is giving them all a chance.

Team Williams other Cup runners are last year’s winner Green Moon, Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner, Metropolitan winner Seville, high class import Sea Moon and English St Leger winner Masked Marvel.

“I find it pretty hard to split them all to be perfectly frank,’ Nick Williams said.

“They have all shown bits of form and go into the race in great order.”

Even though Mourayan is marked as the extreme outsider of the field at $126, Williams still rates him a chance, adding that the eight year old is a winner over the gruelling 3200m of the Melbourne Cup.

Mourayan ran fourth to Tremec in the Group 2 $175,000 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality (2600m) at Randwick on April 13 before coming out to win the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick two weeks later.

Mourayan has had three runs this Spring without flattering and never threatened when seventh to Side Glance in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday but Williams is expecting a better showing on Tuesday.

“He’s ready for two miles. He puts in those runs every now and again,” Williams said.

“There’s not much difference between that then and his run in the Chairman’s Handicap in the Autumn. He came out a couple of weeks later and won the Sydney Cup. He’ll be right on Tuesday.”

Sydney jockey Brenton Avdulla will be having is first ride on Mourayan who faired the worst of Williams’ six runners at the barrier draw coming up with gate nineteen.

The Gai Waterhouse trained import Fiorente heads the Melbourne Cup market order at $7.50 while English stayer Mount Athos has eased slightly to $9.50.

Caulfield Cup runner-up Dandino is solid in the betting at $11 just in front of French mare Verema at $13 and classy import Sea Moon at $15.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.