“We worry about the things that we can control and whatever happens with that we will deal with,” O’Brien said.
He described Al Riffa as a classier horse than his previous runners, which is why he was carrying 59 kilograms. “We knew that he was going to carry a lot of weight and when the decision was made that we were going to have a focus on this race we were happy to accept whatever,” O’Brien said. “He is a huge big horse. I don’t see the actual weight being an issue. There are plenty of light weights in there so some of them are obviously well handicapped, and he’s had a good preparation.”
Kieran McManus, the son of Irish billionaire JP McManus, who has his first runner in the Cup, Goodie Two Shoes, livened up proceedings early with $5000 each way on Land Legend at $81. McManus then backed Goodie Two Shoes to win $1million and Vauban to win $500,000 proving the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
O’Brien said that such plunges were what big race days were all about.
French import Athabascan was the only horse not backed at the Call of the Card. Credit: Janie Barrett
There were the usual punters such as Sam Swanell, who backed Smokin’ Romans at $126 to win $250,000, and was in a hurry to back Meydaan when $31 was on offer, and jumped on Vauban to win $500,000 at $26.
Tom Waterhouse, son of Gai, backed the favourite Half Yours to win $150,000 at $7.50 with Hinkley and Absurde with Lyndon Cleary to win $50,000, while well-known poker player Tony Gee who has a share in both the race favourites also put $20,000 on Half Yours to win.
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Onesmoothoperator also shortened from $41 to $31 after several sizeable bets while More Felons was backed to win a punter $1 million. Swiftbet offered $91 for the American Parchment Party which attracted a $5000 bet.
The Racing Blogger Stephen Power was offered a special quote on Presage Nocturne and placed $1000 at $10 while he also backed River of Stars at $17 to win $34,000.
Across the ditch a New Zealand punter stands to win more than NZ$730,000 from the New Zealand TAB for a $7 bet if $10 chance Buckaroo can finish in the top three. It is the final leg a 12-leg multi placed in January.
Athabascan, who was runner-up in the Moonee Valley Cup, was unloved. He was the only horse who did not attract a bet despite $101 being on offer.
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