The Melbourne Cup isn’t just won on a Tuesday afternoon.
asserted
Cup → win → afternoon
It’s won after months of quiet planning, the clinical execution of plans by master trainers, and the cold, hard facts of the handicapping scale.
asserted
It → win → scale
If you are looking for a horse that ticks every box for the $10 million feature, you can stop scrolling through the form guide.
asserted
you → look → guide
Point Of Law is the horse that has it all.
asserted
that → have → it
To understand why, you just have to look at what he did in his Australian debut in the Geelong Cup.
asserted
he → understand → Cup
It wasn’t just that he won – it was how he did it.
asserted
he → win → it
He raced a bit keenly early in his first race for over three months yet was able to sustain high pressure and had his rivals chasing a long way from home.
asserted
rivals → race → home
To be able to absorb the pressure and still have the audacity to kick on too strongly for his opposition suggests we have seen the real deal here.
uncertain
we → absorb → deal
Ciaron Maher knows exactly what it takes to peak an international stayer on the first Tuesday of November.
asserted
it → know → November
Point Of Law has thrived since joining his stable.
asserted
Point → thrive → stable
He has acclimatised beautifully and although extremely lightly raced, he looks to be at the peak of his powers.
asserted
he → acclimatise → powers
If Maher bypassed this opportunity and waited another year to give Point Of Law a crack at the great race, there is zero chance he would be getting in with just 53 kilograms.
asserted
he → bypass → kilograms
It’s a luxury weight for a horse that has so much upside.
asserted
that → ’ → upside
Class and weight win cups, and he has both.
asserted
he → win → both
To cap it all off, the racing gods smiled on Saturday night.
asserted
gods → cap → night
While other key market fancies have drawn out in the carpark, Point Of Law snagged barrier nine which looks an excellent result for connections.
asserted
which → draw → connections
A big crowd and atmosphere could set him alight in the yard.
uncertain
crowd → set → yard
So keep a keen eye on how he parades.
asserted
he → keep → eye
Elsewhere, English trainer George Boughy has a serious stayer on his hands with Hopewell Rock, a horse that screams traditional Melbourne Cup winner.
asserted
that → have → winner
He comes into this off the back of a massive second placing in the Ebor Handicap at York — arguably one of the most respected guides for UK stayers heading South.
asserted
He → come → stayers
He sneaks in with a lovely weight of 54.5kgs and is a chance at double figures.
asserted
He → sneak → figures
He represents the classic European formula that has rewritten the modern history of this race.
asserted
that → represent → race
He has been meticulously set for this target and has shown a decent turn of foot at the business end of his staying tests.
asserted
He → set → tests
While he lacks the explosive media profile of Point Of Law, smart judges recognise him a leading contender among the international contingent.
asserted
him → lack → contingent
He brings proper Group 1 European form to the table and if the track dries out, he will be a lethal threat.
asserted
he → bring → table
The other ace in his pack is that he is partnered by champion jockey James McDonald, who absolutely owned the back half of the card on Derby Day.
asserted
who → partner → Day
He was quite high in the market until being dealt a cruel blow by being drawn out at 24.
asserted
He → deal → 24
Winning from out there will require a tactical masterpiece from jockey Craig Williams, but he can’t be discounted.
asserted
he → win → Williams
Maher saddles a record seven runners in the race and the upset to his favourite Point Of Law could come by way of stablemate Middle Earth.
uncertain
upset → saddle → Earth
He finished third in the race last year and finds the services of two-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Mark Zahra.
asserted
He → finish → Zahra
Whispers around the track are that the stable hold him in high regard this year.
asserted
stable → hold → regard
His three runs this campaign have all been at the elite group 1 level and he drops back to listed level here.
asserted
he → drop → level
It can’t be forgotten he’s finished fourth in an All Star Mile and an Australian Cup at Flemington last time in.
asserted
he → forget → Flemington
Sabaj won at this carnival last year and there is no reason he can’t repeat the dose this time around.
asserted
he → win → dose
Despite finishing unplaced he was fantastic last start at Caulfield.
asserted
he → finish → Caulfield
Got into a handy spot early but got the shuffle when horses swept up and around and was forced to go very wide on the home bend.
asserted
horses → get → bend
It was a race suited to those on speed and close to the rail so to get so close was an extremely meritorious performance.
asserted
get → suit → rail
He is out of a Savabeel mare, so should eat up the 1800 metres here.
asserted
He → eat → metres
Gringott’s can break the bank in Big Dance
Can Gringotts win another Big Dance at Randwick to make it a three-peat?
asserted
it → break → Randwick
You better believe it.
asserted
You → believe → it
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
