Sires With Winners - Tuesday August 12

With race experience on his side, having finished third on debut when beaten a length in the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes (1000m), the Ciaron Maher trained 2yo colt Toronado Valley (Too Darn Hot) kicked off Melbourne Cup day with victory in the $240,000 Group 3 VRC Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1200m).

Champion trainer Chris Waller has already tasted success with the Godolphin horses since the start of the new season and added a new stakes-winner in the famed blue silks at Flemington on Cup Day when three year-old colt Burma Star took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliott Stakes (1400m).

If you are a racing tragic and horse lover like Clocker and I, Melbourne Cup Eve is as good as it gets, so have a listen to our thoughts and you can put the pen through our very dodgy tips or add them to your multiples!

With jockey Mark Zahra in sensational form so far during the Melbourne Cup carnival, it was the Henry Dwyer trained Ghaiyyath 3yo Different Gravy who gave the leading jockey his sixth win from just nine rides so far, charging from back in the field to win the Listed $200,000 VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) on Tuesday.

Cup Day at Flemingto will kick off with the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) which has attracted a big field of juveniles including some unraced blueblood homebred babies for Godolphin and Yulong as well as the highest priced yearling by first crop sire Pinatubo (IRE).

The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, held Monday at the Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky, lived up to its billing as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event with a lively session of trade in which the sales exceeded $100million for the fourth time in the past five years and featured an amazing 27 mares that sold for $1million or more.

Pam Gerard is a bundle of nerves as she gets ready to shoot for her second consecutive victory in next week’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

There are many great events and coveted prizes on the Australian racing calendar, but no others capture attention quite like the Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was a relieved man following El Vencedor’s return to winning form in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Balmerino Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday.

If you are having trouble settling on your Melbourne Cup horses a look at pedigree might be a help, so take a flick through our five generation pedigrees for all Cup runners and we’re giving you a clue as to what to look for!