The 2014 Melbourne Cup lead-up from of Who Shot Thebarman came into question when he failed to fire in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), but jockey Glen Boss is confident that the tough stayer can return to his best form in the Group 1 event this afternoon.
Glen Boss will ride Who Shot Thebarman in the 2014 Melbourne Cup after steering him to victory in his two previous race starts at Flemington. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Who Shot Thebarman stamped himself as a genuine Melbourne Cup hopeful when he recorded back-to-back wins in the Sofitel Girls’ Day Out Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on September 13 and the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2520m) at the same venue on October 4, but he could finish no better than 13th.
Boss believes that Who Shot Thebarman had plenty of excuses for his poor run in the Caulfield Cup and is expecting an improved effort from the Yamanin Vital gelding, but is unsure whether he is good enough to win the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
“He should run well,” Boss told RSN.
“He may lack the necessary class to win a Melbourne Cup, but he will run the trip strong and put himself in the right spot I would imagine.
“You forgive his run at Caulfield because he was hopeless around Caulfield and he never got around that track at any point.
“There might be a few excuses for his last run and his form was pretty solid before that.
“The horses he was beating at Flemington certainly wouldn’t measure up in a Melbourne Cup.
“He will run well, but he might lack the necessary class to win one.”
Who Shot Thebarman has generally performed at his best when given the opportunity to roll into races and Boss revealed that he will be following the same formula in the Melbourne Cup this afternoon, when the Auckland Cup winner jumps from barrier 13.
“He is a bit of a go forward horse and he just likes to get into a rhythm.
“That is his pattern and he will get into that rhythm and stay in that rhythm for a long way into the race.
“He will quicken, it is just whether he has the necessary speed to keep quickening to the line with some of these horses that might have a better turn-of-foot.”
Who Shot Thebarman has been one of the best-backed runners in 2014 Melbourne Cup betting markets in the past 24 hours and he has been backed into a quote of $19 to deliver Boss a fourth victory in ‘the race that stops a nation’ after his three memorable wins on champion mare Makybe Diva.
