Voleuse De Coeurs is the 2013 Melbourne Cup tip from British Horse Racing Authority chief handicapper Phil Smith.
Voleuse De Coeurs at Werribee trackwork in preparation for the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Mike Moroney took over the preparation of Voleuse De Coeurs for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday from the legendary Irish trainer Dermot Weld after the mare was sold in September.
Weld had nominated Voleuse De Couers for the Melbourne Cup but had decided not to make the trip to Australia but after the Teofilo mare won the Group 1 €200,000 Gain Irish St Leger (2800m) at the Curragh in Ireland on September 15, connections accepted an offer from Macau-based businessman Ting Kong Cheng.
Consequently Voleuse De Coeurs travelled to Melbourne and will give Moroney an excellent chance to win his second Melbourne Cup after claiming the winner’s trophy with Brew in 2000.
Phil Smith, also Britain’s representative on the World Thoroughbred Rankings Panel, said that Voleuse De Coeurs’ win in the Irish St Leger was a very strong pointer heading towards the Melbourne Cup.
“She appeared to show massively improved form when running away with the Irish St Leger in September from a decent field of stayers,” Smith told the Herald Sun.
“The fifth horse subsequently won at Ascot on British Champions day and the third also ran well. She will be having her first run for a new trainer and is very interestingly handicapped if you can believe her one-off run at The Curragh which was 9lbs (4kg) better than anything she had shown before. She stays 2 miles (3200m) and seems to act on any ground.”
Smith’s expert Melbourne Cup tips also include the Luca Cumani trained Mount Athos but added that the seven year old gelding needs firm ground, something he is likely to get with the Melbourne forecast for Tuesday is for a sunny day with a maximum temperature of twenty-four degrees.
“The form of his last run at Goodwood when finishing second has worked out amazingly well as the first, third and fourth from that race have all run really well subsequently and he was giving them all lumps of weight,” Smith said.
“An honourable fifth in the race last year only beaten by three lengths when he slightly missed the start and then was hampered twice before running on late but never really getting in a blow.:
“No problem with trip but might not want it soft as he ran poorly in his only ever race on that ground back in 2010 at Ascot.”
Smith is also keen on Brown Panther who he said has good form on any surface and the 3200m won’t be a problem and rates Dandino a chance on his second to Fawkner in the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19.
But Smith said the 2011 Melbourne Cup quinella Dunaden and Red Cadeuax aren’t racing in the form that saw them win multiples Group 1 races world wide.
Tres Blue hasn’t been discarded by Smith who said his form in France was sound and added that French mare Verema would have no trouble handling the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup while he thought Royal Empire might find it tough against a quality field over the two miles.
“Tres Blue has been very consistent this year and from his last win in Deauville, the second, fourth and fifth have all franked the form. Nobody has a clue whether he will stay further than 12 furlongs (2400m) and he has never run on ground any faster than good,” Smith said.
“Verema will have no problem with 2 miles (3200m). She will be staying on when many have cried enough.”
“Royal Empire is very consistent and acts on any going but has never run over further than 13 furlongs (2600m) and has never run in a field of this quality before.”
Mount Athos is the best of the internationals in the Melbourne Cup market order at $9.50 with the Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente the $7 favourite.
Dandino is marked at $13, Verema at $15, Simenon at $16, Voleuse De Coeurs at $17, Brown Panther at $19, Royal Empire at $21, Tres Blue at $26, Dunaden at $26 and Red Cadeuax at $41.
