- Michelle Payne is an analyst, trainer and Cup-winning jockey.
- Hall of Fame jockey Glenn Boss has won the Cup three times
Racing greats Michelle Payne and Glenn Boss agree on which horse has the potential to sweep the rest of the field in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Everyone seems to become a racing expert on Melbourne Cup day, but picking a winner in the country’s most famous race is a lottery for most Australians.
Luckily, experts Michelle Payne and Glenn Boss have weighed in with their ideas on who to back and they both agree on a name. Vauban.
Vauban was sent off as favorite last year but finished in the back half of the field, but the Irishman has been in excellent form since.
“If the best version of Vauban comes along, he could sweep this Melbourne Cup field,” Boss wrote in a news corporation column.
“What is clear for this Cup is how strong the form of the internationals has been.
‘Just look at the way Onesmoothoperator and Sea King played their rivals in the Geelong and Bendigo Cups over the past few weeks.
“While both are clearly exciting to stay on the rise, Vauban’s form at home was much better than theirs, and came in some of the best staying races in that part of the world.
Michelle Payne (pictured) and Glenn Boss agree that Vauban has the potential to sweep the rest of the field.
Glenn Boss says Vauban’s form has been excellent ahead of the big race
‘His trainer Willie Mullins is one of the best.
“He has admitted that he was wrong with Vauban’s preparation last year, so I am prepared to totally forgive him for the race.”
Payne, who is the only jockey to win the big race, also has Vauban as a big favourite.
‘I think the barrier draw is really ideal for him. He can land in a midfield position like you might think and is definitely one of the horses to beat,” Payne wrote in a column for Wide world of sports.
“They’ve changed their training from last year, obviously he was all the hype and they think it didn’t work.” “They still believe they have a horse that can win the race and I think he is definitely a top-four hope in this year’s Cup.”
Both Payne and Boss also appreciate Buckaroo’s chances, even though he puts up a difficult barrier to the race that stops a nation.
Payne says Irish stayer will be tough to beat on Tuesday
Vauban was favorite last year but finished in the back half of the field.
‘Buckaroo is by far the best of the locals. “He seriously pushed the Ladbrokes Cox Plate winner (Via Sistina) two starts back at Flemington in the Turnbull and then his Caulfield Cup run was excellent,” Boss said.
‘The big question is will he run the 3200m? Yes, it reached 2,400m at Caulfield, but I still have some doubts about the extra 800m.
Payne agrees with Boss, but thinks the barrier issue could make things difficult for Buckaroo.
‘The barrier says it all. “He was excellent in the Caulfield Cup, he couldn’t have been better and he just came back racing through no fault of his own, that’s how the race went,” he said.
‘It was an excellent performance there and he’s a horse with great turn of foot and really strong all over the line.
“Obviously he’s going to be very difficult to beat, but it could depend on where Joao Moreira can place him from that barrier and who knows, it could just be the luck of the draw with him.”
