It’s us against the world raiders

A HANDFUL of Australian hopefuls stand between the $7.3 million Melbourne Cup and a field of international raiders, on a pivotal day in the great race’s history.

For the fourth time since the 1993 win by Dermot Weld’s pioneering Vintage Crop “internationalised” the race, 11 foreign raiders occupy places in the 24-runner field.

The experts agree the Victoria Racing Club’s prized Loving Cup will almost certainly be wrested away from Australian trainers for the second consecutive year — and for the eighth time since Weld created history.

Gurus Gary Crispe and Dominic Beirne both believe Ireland’s Yucatan will become the first Cup winner of the world’s most successful Group 1 trainer, Aidan O’Brien.

O’Brien, who has an astonishing and unmatched 300plus Group 1 wins, was upstaged at Flemington last year by his son, Joseph.

In a historic father-son quinella, the elder man’s Johannes Vermeer was beaten into second place by the 23year-old’s Rekindling.

Neither horse is in the Cup field today, but Aiden O’Brien, who will watch today’s race from Barbados, has mounted a three-pronged attack: favourite Yucatan, The Cliffsofmoher, and Rostropovich. All three are tipped to figure prominently.

Beirne, Timeform’s Crispe, and the TAB’s Sally Snow all believe Yucatan will give owner Lloyd Williams a record seventh Cup win.

Crispe was stunned by Yucatan’s devastating Herbert Power Stakes victory, which drew comparisons with the quality shown by 2014 Cup winner Protectionist.

“He’s on the upward spiral, and his win in the Herbert Power was one of the most impressive in that race in the past 25 years,” Crispe said.

James Cummings, scion of the Melbourne Cup’s greatest dynasty, is considered the local trainer most likely to deny the visitors with Avilius.

The horse, who did his early racing in France and is owned by Dubai Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin stables, now races under the Australian flag, and could deliver the Cummings family a 14th Cup victory.

Jim Cummings started the astonishing sequence in 1950 with Comic Court, who was strapped by a young Bart Cummings. Bart then proceeded to a record 12 Cup triumphs as trainer.

James, whose father Anthony is also a Group 1-winning handler, is the fourth generation of the family to saddle a Cup runner.

And based on TAB markets, Avilius ($13) is considered the only legitimate chance for an Australian trainer.

Eight of the first 10 horses in the betting are internationals.

Yucatan ($5.50) leads the way from Magic Circle ($8), Cross Counter ($10), and Best Solution and Muntahaa (both $12), before Avilius ($13).

Marmelo, last year’s joint favourite, is next at $15 with Chris Waller’s Youngstar.

The raiders again take over with The Cliffsofmoher ($17) and A Prince of Arran ($18).

A huge crowd is expected at Flemington for one of the most intriguing races in the Cup’s long and storied history.