Melbourne Cup Favourites

Fawkner Melbourne Cup Favourite
Fawkner Melbourne Cup Favourite

The Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation is only a day away. That being the case I think I should place a bet tonight, especially as I have to work tomorrow. The problem is which horse to put my money on. I know in my last post which included some tips on how to pick the Melbourne Cup winner, I mentioned that the favourite rarely wins but I think listing theMelbourne Cup favourites will help me to narrow down the selection of horses that I want to back.

I did read somewhere that out of 153 races a Melbourne Cup favourite has run the race 34 times. That’s a 22% chance of actually winning. So maybe renowned punter John Beedle of Ashfield, who I quoted in my last post, wasn’t totally correct. I mean a 22% chance of winning is pretty good. A lot better than picking a horse at random.

Melbourne Cup Favourites 2014

I’ve decided to place my bet using Bet365 for this race so all odds I quote in this post will be Bet365 odds.

  • Admire Rakti: This horse is definitely the favourite, winning the Caulfield Cup last month. They say distance is not a problem. At 6.00 the odds aren’t all that bad for Admire Rakti.
  • Lucia Valentina: Was second to Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup and I read on TheNewDaily that mares have won 5 of the last 16 races. Her odds are 7.50
  • Signoff: The NewDaily also said of Signoff “…snuck into the Cup field with an effortless win in what was a weak Lexus Stakes on Derby Day. There is a sense of timing about this bloke. He is peaking at the right time and gets into the field with just 51.5kg (Joe Moreira will ride 0.5kg over). Odds also 7.50.
  • Fawkner: Owner Lloyd Williams thinks he has this horse primed to win the Melbourne Cup.At 8.00 Fawkner pays somewhat better than the favourite.

So there you have it. I noticed also that Bet365 odds were better than those quoted in most sources I’ve read.

Now comes the crunch. Which horse to put my money on. Seeing as how I didn’t actually place a bet last week, and sticking to my responsible gambling criteria, I actually have $20 betting money up my sleeve. Rather than placing it all on one horse I’ve decided to back two horses.

Melbourne Cup Favourites Bet Of The Week

  • Admire Rakti: I placed $5 for a win at 6.00 and $5 for a place at 2.10. A win will get me $40.50 whereas a place will get me $10.50.
  • Fawkner: Fawkner was my second horse of choice and again I placed $5 for a win at 8.00 and $5 for a place at 2.50. If Fawkner wins I’ll get $52.50 whereas a place will get me $12.50.

If both horses manage a place I’ll be up $3.00. Not much but better than a loss.

Over to you guys. Who are you backing for the Melbourne Cup?