Mullins' Melbourne Cup dream may have to wait another year An almost bizarre omission of the Cheltenham Gold Cup aside, there is not much left for Willie Mullins to achieve in national hunt racing. However, most of those who follow the fortunes of the legendary Irish trainer will be aware that he has recently seemed to have a more than passing interest in flat racing. Indeed, his dislodging of Dermot Weld as the dominant trainer at the Galway Festival over the last few years has underlined that Mullins is taking the flat more and more seriously. Winning at Galway is one thing; taking on some of the great international races is another. Most agree that Mullins’ best chance lies at Flemington Racecourse and the Melbourne Cup. Last year, of course, Mullins had three runners finishing inside the top 10, including 2015 runner-up Max Dynamite who came 3rd. It’s been overlooked just how good Mullins’ record in the Melbourne Cup is going back to Simenon which finished 4th in 2013. Max Dynamite placed in 2015 and 2017 However, news has broken recently that neither Thomas Hobson (6th last year), who many felt would be entering the Melbourne Cup after winning the Doncaster Cup las month, and Max Dynamite will be heading Down Under for the historic race, and there hasn’t been much talk from Mullins about any alternatives. That has made for a bit of head-scratching among punters who were keen to get some value bets on the Irish trainer’s horses ahead of the 2018 Melbourne Cup. There are still some interesting Mullins’ horses still rattling around the betting markets for Australia’s most famous race. Stratum, for example, is a horse that has been touted for a run at Flemington Racecourse. Available at 33/1 with Betfair (some bookies are as low as 20/1), Stratum has been ultra-consistent on the flat, placing in nine out of 11 races. However, Stratum disappointed in the Ebor Handicap at York recently, finishing 12th despite going off as the 3/1 favourite. If you want to find even bigger value, Bet365 go a massive 200/1 on Mullins’ Ascot Stakes winners, Lagostovegas. However, there are a lot of potential runners that need to be whittled down to a field of 24 for the Melbourne Cup, so perhaps back any selections with a free bet offer at www.aussiefreebet.com.au/melbourne-cup-free-bets if you are taking a chance on a longshot that may not make it into the stalls on 6th November. Magic Circle leading early betting odds Incidentally, the current favourite, Magic Circle, is sitting around 12/1. It’s interesting to see that he is unbeaten (two wins) since Ian Williams took over his training this year, but the odds look a little short for a horse who was uninspiring for most of last season. There is also support for Withhold (14/1), Cross Counter (14/1) and Homesman (16/1), yet no standout candidate has really emerged yet. For Mullins, there seems to be a concerted effort to make the Melbourne Cup his big win on the flat. Will he do it some day? Certainly, nobody would doubt the credentials of the man, nor his desire to reach excellence in everything that he does. But that makes the omission of Thomas Hobson and Max Dynamite all the more frustrating this year. There is a sense that this will be an open Melbourne Cup, certainly one where the favourites carry several flaws. Let’s hop Mullins hasn’t missed his big shot at the prize.
