‘Lunatics’ at loose down the straight

LIGHTWEIGHT star Dean Yendall likens the Melbourne Cup to 24 lunatics let loose in peak hour traffic and knows 3200m of all-out concentration is the only way to victory.

Enjoying the best form of his career Yendall, who won the Group 1 Myer Classic on Shoals last Saturday, will steer $18 TAB chance, and second bottom weight, Amelie’s Star around Flemington in pursuit of his first Melbourne Cup.

Yendall is riding in his third Cup and said his race plans were locked in stone, to ride his mare “much quieter” than in the Caulfield Cup when she struggled to 11th.

But while he knows what he needs to do, Yendall said staying alert was as important as anything because in a 24 horse field, with international jockeys, just staying out of trouble was hard enough as the dash for $6 million in prizemoney got going.

“The last 500m of the race horses will be going and splitting everywhere and a lot of horses will be tiring,” he said.

“It’s like driving in peak hour traffic in Melbourne at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. You’ve got to be aware what’s going on around you.

“Lunatics are out there all over the place. That’s how it’s going to play out.”

Adding to the intrigue is the five riders — Michael Dee, Beau Mertens, Corey Parish, Kathy O’Hara and Frenchman Olivier Peslier — riding in the race for the first time.

Parish, who won the Caulfield Cup on Boom Time, said he would “usually be riding in Echuca” on Cup Day and hoped he could hold his own.

“I’ve never had a Melbourne Cup ride, I’ve never ridden at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and I’ve never even been along to watch,” Parish said.

“So it’ll be a huge thrill regardless of what happens.”