2020 Melbourne Cup Tip and Preview by Dave Stevos
2020 Melbourne Cup Tip
The race that stops a nation looks as competitive a contest as ever this year. You would almost think you were looking at a race in the UK or Ireland given all the horses involved that have moved or travelled over for the race. We were on Mustajeer for last year’s renewal but the race didn’t go to plan for him. Damien Oliver went far too soon and wide on him and and unsurprisingly, Mustajeer’s effort petered out in the closing stages. However, I am keeping the faith in him as my 2020 Melbourne Cup tip.
However, it may have been more than just the ride that explains that below par run. Mustajeer won the Ebor in August 2019, just a couple of months before the Melbourne Cup and the move Down Under may have taken a toll on the horse. He has been in Australia for over a year now and on the evidence of his last two runs he could be coming to hand at the right time.
Solid Run In Caulfield Cup
Kris Lees’ son of Medicean’s recent form figures read 0098 and that is why he is such a massive price. However, while his first two runs were pretty poor, they came over 9.5f and 10f. That is far too short a distance for this horse and he showed up a lot better the last twice when upped to 12f. He finished strongly in the Metropolitan Cup behind Mirage Dancer at Randwick (12f gd). He was an even bigger eyecatcher last time in the Caulfield Cup.
Drawn 11 and sent off at 100/1, jockey Billy Egan settled Mustajeer in the rear of mid-division. Turning in he was behind a wall of horses. However, when the gap came 300m out and the jockey gave him a flick of the whip he stayed on very nicely. He only finished 8th but he ran through the line really well and he finished in close proximity to a lot of horses that are much shorter in the betting.
2020 Melbourne Cup Tip: Mustajeer Overpriced
In the Caulfield Cup Mustajeer finished just 4L behind the winner Verry Elleegant who is 12/1 here. Anthony Van Dyck was the same distance ahead and he is the favourite at around 7/1. He was 2L behind Prince Of Arran who is as short as 10/1 and 1.5L behind Finche who is 16/1. Mustajeer is available to back at 66/1. Over the extra 4f at Flemington Kris Lees’ charge should be able to get even closer to all of those rivals and it would not surprise me if he turned the form around with a couple of them.
Former Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd is in the plate and he will need to ride with balls of steel. Last year Damian Oliver panicked and came far too wide. This time, from stall 2, hopefully Rodd can secure a decent racing position mid pack and stay closer to the rail. No doubt luck will be required for him to thread a passage in the closing stages, but if the gaps come at the right time this horse has undoubtedly got the ability to play a big part. At odds of 66/1, Mustajeer is well worth backing each way.
