Part-owner and manager of Australia’s OTI Racing Terry Henderson has declared their UK raider Gatewood as the best of the four Melbourne Cup 2014
Gatewood is one of four OTI-owned 2014 Melbourne Cup horses for Tuesday. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
s the stable is saddling up on Tuesday at Flemington Racecourse.
In a horror result at yesterday’s Melbourne Cup barrier draw, connections of the four OTI-owned horses pulled out three of the four widest gates for the $6.2 million two mile clash.
The best of the quartet was the Peter Moody-trained Caulfield Cup sixth place-getter Lidari in barrier 10 for Ben Melham.
Barrier 21 however is better than it sounds with four previous Melbourne Cup winners jumping from the double digit draw in the past 31 years.
OTI’s other two hopes then come from outside of Australia with French raider Au Revoir, coming off a third in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) from Cox Plate Day in his debut run down under, jumping from barrier 23 for Glyn Schofield and Gatewood.
The John Gosden-trained Gatewood is a William Buick ride from barrier 22 on 55kg.
The UK visitor boasts an ultra-consistent record of late running top two in his eight most recent runs.
The last of those was a second behind Cocktail Queen in the Group 2 Prix De Deauville Lucien Barriere (2500m) in France on August 31 when carrying 58.5kg.
Gatewood has jumped no wider than barrier five over the past 14 months and so faces a tough ask from the third widest gate in the 24 starter Melbourne Cup field this week.
The last Melbourne Cup winner from barrier 22 was back in 2000 with the Michael Moroney-trained Brew.
Two years ago Gatewood was in Melbourne for the spring running in three races including his win in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m).
A disappointing sixth behind Kelinni in the Lexus Stakes followed however and Gatewood was balloted out of the Melbourne Cup that year.
He stayed on with Sydney’s Chris Waller for a failed autumn campaign running no better than sixth in four runs in New South Wales before returning to the UK, and also returning to form.
While Brambles is rated the best of the OTI horses in the latest Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at a quote of $41, $67 outsider Gatewood is Henderson’s pick of the bunch.
“He’s had a terrific season,” Henderson said on Saturday.
“He’s probably the best of our four.
“He’ll make his presence felt.
“He’s going to have to fight brambles across…and hopefully duck in somewhere.”
Also likely to be crossing and looking to get in the first half of the field is the Andre Fabre-trained Au Revoir ($67).
The Singspiel gelding has winning form up to 2450m but is as yet untested over the two miles, Henderson saying he wasn’t a get back horse making the barrier a tough one to contend from.
“The boys from France really like the way he’s been moving,” Henderson said.
“He worked well with Gatewood yesterday (Friday).
“He’s a roll horse so he’ll need to come across.
“He won’t go back.”
Despite the draws and the juicy odds if you fancy a punt on one of the OTI Melbourne Cup hopes visit Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the $10 million Megafecta on Cup Day for punters willing for fork out a dollar on the great race!
