Last year’s fourth placegetter Finche is solid in the betting for the 2019 Group 1 $8m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.

Finche, above, is well in contention in the 2019 Melbourne Cup betting. Photo by Steve Hart.

Finche, above, is well in contention in the 2019 Melbourne Cup betting. Photo by Steve Hart.

Finche finished fourth for trainer Chris Waller behind Cross Counter in the 2018 Melbourne Cup and following some handy recent form is marked at $10 at Ladbrokes.com.au for this year’s ‘Race That Stops A Nation’ on the first Tuesday in November.

Waller said that Finche is a stronger horse twelve months on from his first Melbourne Cup appearance and the master trainer can’t fault the French import’s 2019 preparation.

“Now that he’s had that extra twelve months, in particular his last few runs, he’s really learnt what’s required in terms of relaxing in a race, quickening and obviously sustaining a long gallop,” Waller told World Horse Racing.

“He has got a great mindset, so everything’s in order for Tuesday’s big race.”

“So a year on, I think a more physical and obviously a stronger horse for those reasons. He’s had time to adjust to Australia and he has developed into a stronger horse.”

“This time last year he was quite a lean horse that it was all quite new to.

“Even in the Melbourne Cup last year, he got to the front and didn’t really know what it was all about.”

Finche found the winner’s stall at his second run this campaign in the Group 3 $160,000 The Agency Real Estate Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on September 21 and then finished a nose second to his stablemate Kings Will Dream in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 5.

Finche was then handed a horror barrier in the Group 1 $5.15m Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19 and after having a horrid run only finished one and a half lengths from the winner Mer De Glace in fifth spot.

The was a terrific trial for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and jockey Kerrin McEvoy has a great chance to score back to back wins after claiming last year’s Melbourne Cup on the Charlie Appleby trained Cross Counter.

In contrast to Finche jumping from barrier fifteen of eighteen in the Caulfield Cup, the French import will have the luxury of jumping from gate four in the twenty-four horse Melbourne Cup field and Waller will also saddle up $34 chance Youngstar who will jump from gate nine with Tommy Berry in the saddle.

Caulfield Cup winner Mer De Glace has been elevated to be the $6.50 Melbourne Cup favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au after drawing barrier two while the Lindsay Park trained Constantinople has lost the top spot and is now the $8 second pick.

Damian Lane will stay with the Japanese trained Mer De Glace while Joao Moreira will fly in from Hong Kong to ride Constantinople who also drew nicely at gate seven.

Betting for the 2019 Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6.50 Mer De Glace, $8 Constantinople. $10 Finche, $12 Vow And Declare, $13 Cross Counter, $14 Il Paradiso, $15 Surprise Baby, $17 Raymond Tusk, Prince Of Arran, Mustajeer, $19 Southern France, $20 Downdraft, $26 Master Of Reality, Latrobe, Magic Wand, $34 Hunting Horn, Mighty Mirage, Youngstar, $61 Rostropovich, Twilight Payment, Steel Prince, $81 The Chosen One, $126 Sound, $201 Neufbosc.

Final field and barrier draw for 2019 Melbourne Cup (3200m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 12x1x1x434 CROSS COUNTER (GB) Charlie Appleby William Buick 5 57.5kg 118
2 211x11x1x1 MER DE GLACE (JPN) Hisashi Shimizu Damian Lane 2 56kg 117
3 7250×14335 MASTER OF REALITY (IRE) Joseph O’Brien Frankie Dettori 1 55.5kg 118
4 2x0x1322x3 MIRAGE DANCER (GB) Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Ben Melham 13 55.5kg 115
5 37×3264413 SOUTHERN FRANCE (IRE) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Mark Zahra 14 55.5kg 113
6 3344465881 HUNTING HORN (IRE) Aidan O’Brien Seamie Heffernan 11 55kg 115
7 220×344216 LATROBE (IRE) Joseph O’Brien James McDonald 22 55kg 112
8 4x1x723516 MUSTAJEER (GB) Kris Lees Damien Oliver 6 55kg 114
9 251557×790 ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Dwayne Dunn 12 55kg 111
10 423x2411x7 TWILIGHT PAYMENT (IRE) Joseph O’Brien Hugh Bowman 19 55kg 113
11 x1x34x5125 FINCHE (GB) Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 4 54kg 113
12 8x49x58321 PRINCE OF ARRAN (GB) Charlie Fellowes Michael Walker 8 54kg 113
13 1x6x237x4x RAYMOND TUSK (IRE) Richard Hannon Jamie Spencer 3 54kg 113
14 x196112x31 DOWNDRAFT (IRE) Joseph O’Brien John Allen 15 53.5kg 111
15 2×53220224 MAGIC WAND (IRE) Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 24 53.5kg 114
16 2x30x80709 NEUFBOSC (FR) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 23 53.5kg 106
17 00x048x070 SOUND (GER) Michael Moroney James Winks 10 53.5kg 107
18 1514132×41 SURPRISE BABY (NZ) Paul Preusker Jordan Childs 20 53.5kg 111
19 531×212224 CONSTANTINOPLE (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Joao Moreira 7 52.5kg 114
20 322×17135 IL PARADISO (USA) Aidan O’Brien Wayne Lordan 17 52.5kg 111
21 x11111x467 STEEL PRINCE (IRE) Anthony Freedman Brett Prebble 16 52.5kg 108
22 0141×59195 THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman Tim Clark 18 52kg 111
23 1x36621x42 VOW AND DECLARE Danny O’Brien Craig Williams 21 52kg 113
24 x059x87873 YOUNGSTAR Chris Waller Tommy Berry 9 52kg 107

The post Finche is solid in 2019 Melbourne Cup betting appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.