Punters off the boil in Cup
RACING: If punters weren’t already in need of a cold drink in yesterday’s steamy Clifford Park conditions they were left searching for the nearest bar after wiping out in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
It was left to Clifford Park bookmakers to cheer home Cross Counter ($9) and jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the $7 million classic after the Great Britain four-year-old handed them a sweep-out result.
On-course bookies Pat Kynoch and Paul Klein reported little or no money invested on Cross Counter while a string of sentimental bets on 10-yearold Who Shot Thebarman went up in smoke.
“It was a good result for us,” Kynoch said.
“We had the winner short in the market and there was no money for it at all.
“There was small money for the favourite Yucatan, but he was hard to lay.
“One of the popular horses with punters was the top weight Best Solution including one bet of $2000 at $15 with us.
“There were also a lot of sentimental bets on Who Shot Thebarman.”
Other notable Cup bets with Kynoch included $200 eachway Chestnut Coat at $71; $1000 on Marmelo at $13 and $1000 on Youngstar at $15.
Kynoch said punting interest across the day was solid.
“There is a mixed crowd around with a fair bit of money being bet,” Kynoch said.
Klein also fielded a lot of interest about 17th-placed Who Shot Thebarman ($31) in his Cup swansong.
“They never stopped backing Who Shot Thebarman,” Klein said.
“The favourites (Yucatan [$6] and Magic Circle [$7]) drifted with us and the one they seemed most keen on was the Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution.
“The winner finished up a good result for us.”
Ipswich trainer Bradley Smith had good reason to celebrate his own Melbourne Cup day success when honest fiveyear-old Betajet finally cracked it for a well-deserved victory.
The $2.80 favourite broke through at start number 13 with an all-the-way win for apprentice Michael Schrapel with 51⁄2 lengths to spare on the line from runner-up Strykingly So ($4.80).
Smith, who prepares a fivehorse team, was relieved to have found a drought-breaking race for the Jet Spur gelding who racked up seven previous minor placings.
“He was very unlucky here last start and I’ve been wanting to find a suitable race for him to get that first win on the board and build his confidence a bit,” Smith said.
“He’s always shown us ability and maybe now he can go on and win a couple more which often happens.
“It’s great to be able to win a race on Melbourne Cup day as well.
“I came up here on cup day a couple of years ago and finished third so I was hoping to go a couple better today.
Apprentice Nathan Fazackerley rode his first winning Clifford Park double with victories on Henry’s On Course ($5) for trainer Bradley Hudson and Empress Zhao ($5.50).