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Same horse, same barrier, same result, Japanese trainer Tomoyuki Umeda declared after favourite Admire Rakti drew barrier eight for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
The Japanese were delighted to find themselves with the same gate as his Caulfield Cup victory, even though he came into seven on that day. He maintains his favouritism.
"It is a lucky number," Umeda said. "There is no change in the horse and he is just as good as he was before the last run [in the Caulfield Cup]. He has had the one gallop since and he is still good."
Admire Rakti is considered one of the better weight horses in the Melbourne Cup after getting only a half-kilogram penalty for his decisive Caulfield win. He was a $5 favourite with Ladbrokes after the draw.
The horses in the market all drew well; Lucia Valentina in gate two, Fawkner in nine, Protectionist in 11, while Lexus Stakes winner Signoff will jump from 16.
Trainer Darren Weir had decided to wait to the last moment to qualify Signoff and even with a one-kilogram penalty he will carry only 51kg. He may have beaten the handicapper.
Signoff had blinkers for the first time in the Lexus as the plan to run him into the Melbourne Cup worked out and he is an $8.50 hope. "The gear change was the key [in the Lexus]," Weir said. "I don't think the distance is a problem, whether can run it quick enough I don't know.
"He is very lightly raced and he has done a great job. His runs have been good to date and we have targeted him at this race. I don't know whether [it] is good or bad but [gate] six would have been better."
Cox Plate runner-up Fawkner will be out to defend Australia's honour, according to part-owner Nick Williams, as an $8 hope. "As far as I can see he is the only horse in the Cup that is Australian-bred, -reared, -owned and -raced, so I hope everyone gets behind him," he said.
Chris Waller will turn his attention to winning his first Melbourne Cup on Tuesday after dominating Victoria Derby day, including winning the feature with Preferment.
The Zabeel three-year-old sat three-wide without cover for the 2500-metre trip but was too good, prompting winning rider Damien Oliver to say: "He could be back here on Tuesday next year."
However, the Waller juggernaut might not have to wait that long to win a Melbourne Cup with a trio of runners – Who Shot Thebarman, Opinion and Junoob – having the Waller polish going into the big race on Tuesday.
"It is a very important day today and to have a day like this is incredible. Hopefully we can continue the momentum on Tuesday," Waller said. "I have to say, I have been focused on this week and Tuesday has been playing second fiddle to now, but I know we are taking in three horses that are very fit and well.
"Two of them have performed at 3200 metres before [Auckland Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman and Sydney Cup runner-up Opinion] and we have been waiting to get them to this trip. We will get them there on the day ready to run the two miles and if they run to their best I will be happy."
Waller has been the top trainer in the country for the past couple of seasons but he is still to win one of Australia's big four — the Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
But he has already had seven group1 winners this season and another eight placings from 39 runners at the top level after Preferment's Derby win and Brazen Beau's dominant display in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
There were also near misses with He's Your Man, beaten in the final stride of the Mackinnon Stakes, and Catkins, third in the Myer Classic.
"If I keep getting my horses ready the right way a major will come. I don't know if it will be on Tuesday or in 10 years — I just do my best and let the horses show their best," Waller said.
