Sportsbet favours Williams to complete the Cup three-peat

OWNER Lloyd Williams has six Melbourne Cup wins to his name and online bookmaker Sportsbet is backing the businessman to add a seventh to his already overflowing trophy cabinet.

Williams takes in the $4.50 favourite Yucatan and the heavily supported The Cliffsofmoher ($15) into the race that stops a nation and Sportsbet has put $4 on the owner to take home a third-straight Melbourne Cup.

Williams won the 2016 Cup after saddling German import Almandin, then did the business once again last year with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Rekindling.

If all goes according to plan, Yucatan should be the horse that does the business for team Williams.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained galloper is the shortest priced favourite for the Melbourne Cup since Makybe Diva completed the three-peat back in 2005.

If Yuctan can win the Melbourne Cup it will be the first time the champion trainer O’Brien has tasted success in the race that stops a nation and the trainer’s right-hand man TJ Comerford believes the horse is a justified favourite.

“We’re not here just for the good of our health,” Comerford said.

“Aidan would like to win it [the Cup]. We’ve had enough goes at it [without winning] … we’re just hitting the crossbar.”

Comerford said the team wouldn’t want any other runner heading into the Melbourne Cup.

“This [Yucatan] is probably our best chance for a while coming here to Melbourne.

“If we get the draw, I’d be quietly confident — we’ll definitely run a big race.

“We’ll definitely go close, but how close I’m not sure — [but] I’d rather be on him than any other horse at the moment.”

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