Back by popular demand, the team at Before You Bet gathered around the water cooler to discuss the 2015 Melbourne Cup. It’s the race that stops the nation and our team have stopped for a moment to bring you their best Melbourne Cup tips.
Of course not all of these guys are horse racing pros, far from it, but everyone loves a bet on the Cup so we hope you can find a winner amongst this lot. Our team bring you their top pick and best roughie, while our horse racing expert Tim will have his full race analysis for you shortly.
Johnny Houston (American Sports expert)
Winner: Max Dynamite - Will handle the distance easy and will also handle any track condition. Impressive winner over 3300m in the group 2 Lonsdale Cup. Left Trip to Paris for dead. Seems like they have only just worked out how good this horse can be on the flat. Would also be a great story if Frankie Dettori could add the Melbourne Cup to his amazing career.
Best Roughie: The Offer- Won the Sydney Cup over 3200m on a Soft 5 track. Has had a good preparation and has proven he can back up after a 7-day break. Gai Waterhouse and Damien Oliver provide us with value for our money.
Damien (UFC expert)
Winner: Max Dynamite - From what I've heard, he's an explosive horse with nothing to lose. But most importantly his name is Max Dynamite, surely worth a punt.
Best Roughie: The Offer - looked great in the Bendigo Cup and will be dropping big weight for this race. Also has the Damien Oliver/Gai Waterhouse combination!
Josh (AFL expert)
Winner: Trip To Paris - Going with Trip to Paris here at around the $10 mark. Don't mind the barrier, like the way the horse looks and everything points to being cherry ripe come Melbourne Cup day. Seems like he probably won't mind what the weather does and they tell me he will be better for the Caulfield Cup effort. Has won a couple of times at the distance and don't think too many punters would be disappointed if Trip to Paris was on the winner's podium on Tuesday.
Best Roughie: Red Cadeaux - Hate to be a cliche once-a-year punter who gets on the Red Cadeaux bandwagon, but you just can't go wrong backing this beauty. Clearly there is no horse in the field that knows the 3200 metres at Flemington better. If you're a mug punter like me then this is the one you want to be on come Melbourne Cup day. Truth be told I like Red Cadeaux better than Trip to Paris, but I guess $26-1 makes a horse a roughie.
Callum (Rugby expert)
Winner: Criterion - Finished second in its last start to Mongolian Khan who won't be racing and picked up a win in the race before that, also drew a good barrier.
Roughie: Sky Hunter - Has a great record with a win percentage of over 50%, received a great barrier to jump from and if it gets a good start it could create a massive upset.
Mr.Cricket (Cricket expert)
Winner: Who Shot thebarman – Fame Game is the clear top pick but can’t back at the short price now on offer so Who Shot thebarman looks a great bet. Third in this race last year, so he will go the distance and has had an ideal preparation. Good barrier should settle midfield and swamp them late!
Best Roughie: Bondi Beach – Named after an Australian icon in Australia’s biggest horse race is a great start, but he also has strong form lines in the UK against some tough stayers. Looks well weighted and good value.
Tim (Horse Racing expert)
Winner: Fame Game - Been saying for months that this looks the winner and the only thing that will stop him is if any rain falls on the day. His 2nd behind Gold Ship in the Tenno Sho is by far the best form in this race. On three different occasions in Japan he returned from a spell over 2200m and ran midfield before improving out of sight to win over 3000m+ at his next start. He's the winner if it stays dry.
Roughie: Quest For More - Shocking on his Australian debut in the Geelong Cup but $151 looks a huge price for a horse that has two wins and two 2nd's from 4 starts over 3200m. Previous to his Geelong Cup run he had finished in the top 2 in 8 of his last 9 races, and if you're prepared to forgive him for his poor performance first up then he is definitely one at huge value to include in trifectas.
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
