Weight off yields Wall Of Fire big advantage
CRAIG Williams is brimming with Melbourne Cup confidence, declaring a 5kg weight drop will make English stayer Wall Of Fire a force to be reckoned with today.
Williams has a cabinet full of trophies but has never won the Melbourne Cup.
The six-time Victorian premier jockey could not be happier with the ride he has today.
Williams said Wall Of Fire ticked plenty of Melbourne Cup boxes and pointed to the big weight drop from his second in last month’s Herbert Power Stakes as the most significant.
The five-year-old beat Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time in that race.
Wall Of Fire continued to be backed yesterday, with several four-figure bets, but was steady at $13 with UBET.
Fellow international Marmelo ($8) retained favouritism.
“I love his international form, he has a nice acceleration that comes with that, and most importantly he ticks the boxes that he has had one race in Australia and he competed really well,” Williams said.
“Then a week later in the Caulfield Cup his form was franked by Boom Time.
“When he competed in the Herbert Power, he had 58kg and he has dropped to 53kg for the Melbourne Cup.
“When you look at him, he competed so well with that weight. But to drop down 5kg, at two miles, he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.
“He is a horse that … always seems to need a little luck in running. But he’s the right horse getting the right run that he will show his presence late.”