THE FUTURE’S ORANGE
Bell eyes glory for Britain in £2m Melbourne Cup
TRAINER Michael Bell says winning Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup would rank as a greater achievement than when he landed the Derby and believes he has the horse to do it in Big Orange.
The five-year-old, fifth last year, has returned to Australia an improved and more mature gelding.
European trainers have landed the biggest race Down Under worth mega-bucks but the first prize of close to £2million has eluded British runners.
Bell, who won the 2005 Derby with Motivator, thinks Big Orange can finally secure the massive winner’s purse after 77 previous British runners tried and failed. Bell, who estimates a shot at the Cup can cost a British-based owner around £80,000, said: ‘It’s a long way to go for a party. You want to be very confident in your horse’s ability.
‘It is an expensive trip but the purse is enormous. Big Orange won close to £100,000 for fifth last year which was profitable.
‘Fifth is a little bit of cream, fourth is good money, third is quids in and second you are home for all money. If you win, it’s party time.
‘But the bizarre thing is, you’d almost pay to win it. When Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, his first thought is not I’ve just won a massive cheque — it’s the glory of winning and doing something no-one has yet managed.’
Bell and Big Orange’s owner Bill Gredley thought hard before opting to return Down Under. They did not commit until his weight was decided by the Aussie handicapper and sidestepped the Irish Leger fearing another good performance would mean the gelding was handed an insurmountable burden.
Big Orange will still carry top weight of 9st but Bell feels that is offset by experience gained of the Melbourne Cup day when the runners have to wait for the ‘race which stops a nation’ in full view of the public.
His challenge also received a boost yesterday when the gelding was drawn in stall seven, a better berth than last year’s wide 23 in such a big field.
Bell reasoned: ‘They have to stand in stalls with only a rope in front of them for two or three hours. A horse can get fried in there but he took it in his stride. We are not changing much because it went so well. It is perfectly reasonable Big Orange has been allotted half a kilo more this time given that he seems to have improved. He won the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket and Goodwood Cup last year, both in photograph finishes. This season he won them both decisively.
‘The fractions he was clocking in the Goodwood Cup were nearly 40mph and that is rapid. I couldn’t believe the speed Jamie [Spencer] was setting and the fact he kept going. I thought he was going too quick but Big Orange found and found again. A big horse like him will probably be at his peak at six or seven but this is his year. This is his one chance to win. If he does run well, he’ll be handicapped out of future runnings. If he doesn’t, he won’t be going back.’
An eight-strong European contingent in the Cup includes Aidan O’Brien’s Bondi Beach, Tony Martin’s Ebor winner Heartbreak City and Willie Mullins-trained Irish Leger winner Wicklow Brave. Godolphin’s trainer Charlie Appleby runs Qewy, winner of this month’s Geelong Cup, and Oceanographer, who earned his slot with a narrow victory in yesterday’s Lexus Stakes at Flemington.
The closest Britain has come to success was Luca Cumani’s Bauer — beaten a nose in 2008 — and Ed Dunlop-trained Red Cadeaux, who was adopted by the Aussies after he finished second in three of his five Cup efforts, going closest when beaten a nose by Dunaden.