Fawkner tipped as possible winner

As we get ready for the 2014 Melbourne Cup race this afternoon, Lloyd Williams believes Fawkner has the same profile as last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente but is in better form.

Williams, who lives for the Melbourne Cup and has owned four winners, thinks talk of favourite Admire Rakti having too much weight to win is “ridiculous”.

He said Fawkner has exactly the same profile as Fiorente last year.

So given that he has got 55kg on the Fiorente scale, not 57kg, it makes him hard to beat.

Admire Rakti remains favourite but has drifted to $5.50, while Fawkner has a $9.50 chance.

Williams adjusted Fawkner’s preparation for this spring following his Caulfield Cup win from midfield in 2013 and coming from last to run sixth in the Melbourne Cup.

Fawkner, which will be trying to become the first horse to win the Caulfield Cup in one year and the Melbourne Cup a year later, has been trained to be an on‑speeder to make its sprint more effective.

Excitement is building as the race that stops a nation - The Melbourne Cup, will take place this afternoon.

Punters have plumped for Japanese horse, Admire Rakti for the Melbourne Cup, with the Caulfield Cup-winner clearly the best backed horse at yesterday’s Call of the Card.

Meanwhile, 9-year-old Precedence will be the oldest and most experienced horse that will start today for the Melbourne Cup.

He has won 10 races, had 10 other placings and his prize money sits at $1.8 million.

The owner of Precedence Sir Patrick Hogan is confident that his horse has run enough miles to win the race that stops a nation. 

Precedence is trained by fellow oldy, 87-year-old Bart Cummings who has won 12 Melbourne Cups with 11 horses.

The Melbourne Cup Race will start at 5pm today at the Flemington Racecourse.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald