Appleby counter strike

Godolphin trainer chases rare consecutive Cups feat

CROSS Counter will attempt to do what just four horses have done in Melbourne Cup history and win consecutive Cups for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby.

Archer (1861-62), Rain Lover (1968-69), Think Big (1974-75) and Makybe Diva (2003-04) are the only horses to defend their Cup title, while Peter Pan won twice but two years after his first win in 1932.

The man who travels around the world with Cross Counter is Chris Connett and he was here last year to help oversee the five-year-old’s preparation and he feels the horse can create history.

“We think he’s the best horse in the race and will take a lot of beating,” Connett said.

“We’re all very confident and the horse has really thrived since coming down to Australia this year.

“You’ve got to look at it like he’s classed as the best horse in the race with his top weight.”

Last year Cross Counter did it with just 51kg on his back as he hunted his rivals from the rear of the field with Kerrin McEvoy on board.

This time however he’ll be the hunted with an extra 6.5kg to carry with William Buick on board.

Connett said Cross Counter’s physical development would help him lug the extra weight over the 3200m course.

He should get a charmed run from barrier five and is a $13 chance behind $6.50 favourite and Caulfield winner Mer De Glace.

“We’re very happy with him. He’s a bigger, stronger horse than last year and has put some weight on. Last year he was a tall, angular type,” Connett said. “Although we’ve gone up a lot, the weights are quite compressed and there’s not a lot between them. He only has to give the horses around him a couple of kilograms.

“It would be phenomenal to do it again. The last one was Makybe Diva and she was an absolute superstar.”

Cross Counter has raced four times since his Flemington triumph and won the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup (3219m) before running behind star stayer Stradivarius on a couple of occasions in England. The Godolphin stable feels he’s got the right form to be winning again.

“He’s been mixing it with the best stayers in Europe and that’s solid Group 1 form so I think he’s a more proven horse this year,” Connett said. “We came up against Stradivarius, probably the best stayer in the world at the moment, and he ran a huge race against him at Ascot.”