Team Williams with four-horse charge in Melbourne Cup
WINNING the Melbourne Cup is the constant target for Team Williams and this year the Cups powerhouse brings a team of four to Flemington.
Bondi Beach, Almandin, Gallante and Assign will represent Team Williams on Tuesday and all four runners look to have a legitimate chance of winning.
“The Melbourne Cup is one of the greatest sporting events in Australia. It’s such an honour to be a part of it, we’re very lucky to have four competitors,” co-owner Nick Williams said.
“As we saw last year, we don’t need to look at the prices and we’re hopeful we’ll have a bit of luck.”
They secured two inside draws and two outside draws, but Williams believes the barrier draw doesn’t make too much difference.
“You’d always love to draw barrier 5, 6 or 7 – or something like that, but you’ve got such a long run into the first turn, I don’t think the barrier draw matters,” Williams said. “Horses sort themselves out going down the straight the first time.”
The newly-acquired Bondi Beach is the strongest chance in the market at $9 with William Hill and Williams is expecting a top effort from the European-trained horse.
“By all reports by Aidan (O’Brien), they say the horse is flying. From what you can see it looks pretty exciting,” Williams said.
“He’s certainly straightened up this year, I’d be staggered if he didn’t run well.”
Almandin is the pick of the Macedon Lodge-trained runners at $17 and after back-to-back wins leading into the Melbourne Cup, punters have every reason to be confident.
It last raced on October 2 when winning the Group 3 Bart Cummings and the month between runs would have done it some good.
“The days of running them up close to these target races are a little behind us with these European-style horses,” Williams said.
“Almandin has really come on from that run in the Bart Cummings. He had his final run this morning (Saturday) and was really in the zone.”
Stablemate Gallante was well-favoured to win the Moonee Valley Cup on Cox Plate Day, but the six-year-old receiving no peace in front which proved to be its undoing.
“It was just a victim of circumstances,” Williams said. “I’m not sure how they ended up in that situation, but these things happen in the heat of battle and just put a line through the run.
“He’s one of ours which is greatly over the odds, he’s flying.”
The final runner for Team Williams is $67 shot Assign which will be partnered by Katelyn Mallyon in her first Melbourne Cup ride.
Mallyon had the responsibility of picking the barrier and ultimately picked out barrier 22, but Williams isn’t showing much concern.
“I’m actually not fussed about the draw. It doesn’t matter if she’s slow away, she’ll be able to stride forward down the straight. She understands pace so well, she’ll work it out.”