The always popular Melbourne Cup Call of the Card was a typically competitive affair on Monday, but one thing that came to light was that the Waterhouse family were tipping Wall Of Fire as the 2017 Melbourne Cup winner.
A 2017 Melbourne Cup win by Humidor would be one of the worst results for bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Tom Waterhouse backed Wall Of Fire to win today’s Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at $200,000 @ $14 and the Hugo Palmer-trained raider was quickly knocked back to $12.
Fellow bookmaker from the family line, Robbie Waterhouse also tipped the Canford Cliffs five-year-old after the entire made the starting line-up for the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’ following the forced non-acceptance of Jon Snow and the earlier decision by Godolphin not to accept with Qewy.
There is a connection between Wall Of Fire’s Newmarket-based trainer in Britain Palmer and Waterhouse’s wife, prolific trainer Gai Waterhouse.
“I like Wall Of Fire and I hope it wins for Hugo Palmer, who worked for Gai Waterhouse before setting up his own stable,” Robbie Waterhouse said.
He added that the worst Melbourne Cup result for his books would be a win by either the Darren Weir-trained Cox Plate runner-up Humidor or the surprise mare Single Gaze coming off a second in the Caulfield Cup.
“Humidor will be my worst result and Single Gaze would also be not good for me,” Waterhouse said.
A group of pro Melbourne Cup punters led by Steve Bradley on Monday tried to line-up a $1 million Melbourne Cup result backing Humidor through Warren Woodcock, but were knocked back and forced to settle with a $250,000 result should the galloper prove his two mile credentials and salute.
The Nick Olive-trained Single Gaze was also backed to at 50/1 to win $250,000 and become just the third Australian-bred Melbourne Cup winner in 18 years.
Waterhouse’s 2017 Melbourne Cup tip Wall Of Fire meanwhile is currently at $12 through Ladbrokes.com.au drawn gate 15 with Craig Williams looking to finally secure the Australian Racing Grand Slam with success in the iconic Flemington Race 7.
A 53kg lightweight in the Melbourne Cup field, Wall Of Fire has had that all-important lead-up Australian run heading into the world’s richest handicap running second in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on October 14.
Wall Of Fire carted five kilos more than his Melbourne Cup weight first-up and has winning form up to 2920m in Europe.
No international since Vintage Crop (1993) has come straight down under and won the Melbourne Cup first-up, which bodes well for Wall Of Fire.
German raider Protectionist (2014) meanwhile was the last Melbourne Cup winner to back directly up from a Herbert Power Stakes run over the mile and a half at Caulfield, improving on a fourth.
His trainer Andreas Wohler is back in the 2017 Melbourne Cup chasing another ‘Loving Trophy’ with Red Cardinal.
Red Cardinal ($17) races for the first time since a fifth to fellow Melbourne Cup hopeful Marmelo in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m) in , has last year’s winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy aboard and the outside barrier to overcome.
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