Nicky Henderson’s flying international raider Forgotten Voice has opened the short-priced favourite to win their Australian race debut in Wednesday’s 2013 Geelong Cup in Victoria.
Verdant is one of the top fancies for Wednesday's Geelong Cup 2013. Photo: Steve Hart.
The veteran Danehill Dancer gelding, prepared in Great Britain, may be nine but they are looking set to peak this prep starting with the $300,000 Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) this week.
Last start winner of the Group 3 Glorious Stakes (2414m) at Goodwood in August, their second black type win on the trot, Forgotten Voice narrowly missed out on a run in last Saturday’s $2.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) as the first emergency.
Jockey Brett Prebble, based in Hong Kong but back home for the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival riches, has been partnering with Forgotten Voice for their track work at Werribee and believes they could have been very competitive last weekend.
“He worked with (Caulfield Cup runner-up) Dandino here the other day and on what he did he would have been right in the Caulfield Cup,” Prebble told AAP.
“I wish he got in the Caulfield Cup. If he got in that race and drew a gate who knows. He definitely deserved a place in that race.”
Prebble is confident then that he’s on the right horse in the Geelong Cup field, the mile and a half showdown featuring 10 chances.
The bookies agree and have Forgotten Voice (barrier six) installed as the clear $2.40 favourite in the current Geelong Cup odds.
Connections will be sweating on them to salute for the punters as Forgotten Voice needs to win and gain a hefty penalty to be a chance of making the field for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November.
They are current 39th on the Melbourne Cup order of entry with just 52.5kg and in serious danger of missing a run in the capacity 24-starter field for Flemington’s famous two mile feature on November 5.
If successful in taking out the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double Forgotten Voice will become the fourth international to do so since 2002 joining Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).
There are then four other single-figure fancies in the Geelong Cup betting markets with:
- #3 Ibicenco ($6) – Peter Moody-trained six-year-old won over 1700m at Caulfield three back, outclassed in the Naturalism (8th) and The Metropolitan (12th) after that but is tipped to return to form here over the mile and a half in Melbourne
- #8 Verdant ($7) – Robert Smerdon’s seven-year-old has form around some nice horses, including a Queensland Cup third in the winter over 3200m, and is better than their sixth in the Herbert Power over this distance last time out to Sea Moon
- #1 Tanby ($9) – Hasn’t won a race since last year’s Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) but trainer Robert Hickmott is hoping they can bounce back here, last start was a dead last in the Herbert Power when hampered near the 2000m mark but could they be past it?
- #7 Crafty Cruiser ($9) – Good Journey six-year-old has some of the best lead-up form for this, three back was second over 2500m at Moonee Valley, then went to Mornington and won a Listed race over the mile and a half before their credible fourth in the Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington at the start of the month
Other notable Geelong Cup hopes at longer odds out for an upset then include Craig Williams’ mount Moudre ($11) and Polish Knight ($13).
Check out the complete Geelong Cup 2013 field and odds below, clicking on your favourites to lock in the great prices available online at our preferred online betting agency Ladbrokes.com.au!
2013 Geelong Cup Odds
Geelong Rae 7 – 4:00pm (AEST) – 23/10/2013
*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change
