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How Does Your Cup Horse Rate?

Marienbard

No6
55kg.
B h 5 yrs
Barrier 7
Jockey - Frankie Dettori
Trainer - Saeed Bin Suroor
10 starts, 4-3-1
Last five starts - 15s23
Prizemoney $499,977
Average Prizemoney $49,997
Handles all track conditions
Melbourne Cup distance - 0 st. 0-0-0

This lightly raced stayer was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup in May this year over 2792 metres.

In his last start on September 15 he ran a strong third in the Group 1 Irish St. Leger over 2816 metres carrying 61kg. Vintage Crop won that race in 1993 befire coming here to win the Melbourne Cup.

Marienbard has the credentials and jockey to be a major chance in the Cup.

Kaapstad Way

No7
54.5kg.
Br g 6 yrs
Barrier 5
Jockey - Nash Rawiller
Trainer - Chris Wood
32 starts, 7-4-5
Last five starts - 63409
Prizemoney $929,419
Average Prizemoney $29,044
At a major disadvantage if the track is even slightly rain affected
Melbourne Cup distance - 1 st. 0-0-0

Last year he ran second in the Caulfield Cup, beaten a length by Diatribe, and followed that up with a strong fourth in the Cup after getting well back in the field.

He last won a race in March 2000 and has now gone 17 races without a win. He also needs a genuine Good rated track, anything worse and he is no chance.

Kaapstad Way's lead up form to the Cup has also not been as good as last year. On Saturday he finished ninth in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, beaten by five lengths, and never looked a serious winning chance.

His record at Flemington - seven runs for just one third, is a concern. Despite that he is capable of running a big race in the Cup, though unlikely to win.

Yippio

No8
54.5kg.
Ch g 8 yrs
Barrier 22
Jockey - Darren Beadman
Trainer - Allan Denham
58 starts, 14-9-6
Last five starts - s0934
Prizemoney $2,131,450
Average Prizemoney $36,749
Handles all track conditions - better on rain affected tracks
Melbourne Cup distance - 7 sts. 1-1-1

Yippio won the Eagle Farm Cup over 3200 metres in June 2000. Last year, carrying 52kg. he ran the race of his life and finished second in the Melbourne Cup after suffering interference at the 800.

His lead up form is solid and he made up ground in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500 metres at his last start on October 27, though he did win the race last year.

The wide barrier will not help, but he did have barrier 17 last year. Yippio has a Cup winning jockey in Darren Beadman, who also rode him last year, and has to be respected on last year's Cup run.

Freemason

No9
53.5kg.
B g 5 yrs
Barrier 24
Jockey - Darren Gauci
Trainer - John Hawkes
39 starts, 5-3-4
Last five starts - 00100
Prizemoney $1,474,830
Average Prizemoney $37,816
Handles all track conditions - better on rain affected tracks
Melbourne Cup distance - 1 st. 0-0-0

He won the Queensland Derby over 2400 metres in June 2000.

Last year in the Melbourne Cup he had barrier two and finshed sixth, beaten by over five lengths. His lead up form to the Cup was strong then, with close fourths in the Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes.

This year in the Cup he has barrier 24. His lead up form is very ordinary. He has been well beaten in the Caulfield Cup and on Saturday never got into the Mackinnon Stakes and was beaten by over nine lengths.

Curata Storm

No10
52.5kg.
B h 4 yrs
Barrier 18
Jockey - Greg Childs
Trainer - John Hawkes
18 starts, 2-3-1
Last five starts - 59705
Prizemoney $771,855
Average Prizemoney $42,880
Handles Good to Slow tracks - never raced on a Heavy track
Melbourne Cup distance - 0 st. 0-0-0

Curata Storm's claim to fame is when he caused a sensation by winning at Group 1 Weight for Age race at Rosehill over 2400 metres and started at $101.00. He had won a lowly Hawkesbury Class 1 13 days earlier!

Curata Storm is fit and with John Hawkes you never know. Maybe he could cause another unlikely boilover? On Saturday at Flemington he ran on nicely for fifth, beaten only three lengths in a Quality Handicap over 2500 metres. Curata Storm carried 57kg. and drops 4.5kg. in the Cup from that run.

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