An interesting Irish challenge to the race that stops the nation. Ballydoyle have targeted this for some time now and as a result the quality of the race has improved no end.
This year they send Anthony Van Dyke, last year’s Epsom Derby winner and Tiger Moth, this year’s Irish Derby second. Joseph O’Brien already a Melbourne Cup-winning trainer when his Rekindling beat his father’s Johannes Vermeer in 2017, sends two also, Twilight Payment and Master Of Reality while Willie Mullins sends Stratum Albion who will try to go one better than in 2015 when Max Dynamite was second to Prince Of Penzance who also ran third in 2017.
An Epsom Derby winner contesting the Melbourne Cup was unthinkable a few years ago. Now the profile of this race and no doubt the prize money has elevated it to attract the very best of European stayers. Anthony Van Dyke has slowly returned to the form that saw him win at Epsom. A win over Stradivarius in the Prix Foy preceded a Caulfield Cup second to Verry Elleegant when drawn wide he went down a head to the leader in the Pattern Racing World Horse Championships 2020. She’s been a brilliant mare so far this year notching up 61 points courtesy of 4 wins and 3 seconds at G1 level this year.
Tiger Moth was a closing second in the Irish Derby in June following up with a smooth success over Irish Champions Weekend at G3 level. It was most definitely a prep for this showing he could come off a layoff and still run to his highest standard.
Joesph’s pair are more exposed and less classy than Aidan’s, Twilight Payment was an 8L winner over Master Of Reality in June in the Curragh Cup and then ran a very good third to Search For A Song in the Irish Saint Leger. Master Of Reality improved to be beaten a short head by Delphi at G3 level at the Curragh and won a Listed race at Down Royal in early September.
Willie Mullins tuned up Stratum Albion at the Galway Festival over hurdles and sent him to York where he ran a cracker to go down ¾L in the Lonsdale Cup in August.
This won’t be easy but Ballydoyle will have a great chance of bringing home the Cup. Anthony Van Dyke drawn in stall three will have less travelling to do than his other Irish compatriots, this will give him the opportunity to preserve his stamina to deliver a late winning kick and overturn the Caulfield Cup result with Verry Elegant.
Recommendation:
Anthony Van Dyke 15/2 win
Anthony Van Dyke and Verry Elleegant (RFC)