Sires With Winners - Thursday September 18

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).

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.

The Bjorn Baker stable were in the winner’s circle at Flemington on Derby Day with Caballus and were back again on Cup Day with talented Exceedance mare Dance to the Boom, who landed the Group III VRC HKJC Stakes (1400m).

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.

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 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!

Talented Pierro gelding Osipenko doesn’t overdo the business of winning, having been out of pole position since taking a Listed race at Rosehill in January, but he picked a lucrative race in which to return to form landing the $750,000 ATC Little Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Cup Day.

Growing up, jockey Jamie Melham dreamed of riding in the time-honoured Group 1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m), and on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington she created her own piece of history when becoming the first female jockey to win the Group 1 Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double aboard Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Half Yours.

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.

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!