El Dorado facing tough task after tricky Melbourne Cup draw
Veteran Victorian trainer Daryl Holmes believes El Dorado has the class to win the Melbourne Cup from box seven at Sandown Park on Saturday night.
It certainly wasn't the ideal lane his three-year-old drew for the prestigious $650,000-to-the-winner feature over 515m.
As a result, El Dorado is a $10 outsider with betting sites going into the weekend.
But after running 29.35 seconds from box two to be the fastest from all heats on a wet track last weekend, Holmes believes he has the runner to win the Cup from the outside position.
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 7 – El Dorado (2.35)
“It is what it is. He's won a few races before out of seven and eight,” Holmes said Racing.com.
“Real professional dog – he tries his heart out.”
Paddy Wants Pats, trained by Kelly Bravo, was also impressive.
The fellow three-year-old led from start to finish in heat five, recording the equal-fastest first split of the night (5.01 seconds) in his 29.41-second victory, in the race which saw superstar Wow She's Fast finish sixth.
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 5 – Paddy Wants Pats (29.41)
David Geall will shoot for back-to-back Cup victories and his third in five years, after Fernando Mick won the final heat in 29.40 seconds.
The veteran of 89 starts will have his second attempt at winning the race, after coming third in last year's heats.
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 8 – Fernando Mick (29.40)
Geall won the 2021 Cup with Koblenz, after My Redeemer's victory in 2018.
“What a thrill to make another Cup. You don't get used to it,” he said.
“He's a little beauty. He can handle any box these days. Of course, he had to jump fast but gee he's going good at the moment.”
Champion conditioner Jason Thompson will try to create history by claiming an unprecedented fourth victory in the great race, with 29.66-second heat winner Plaintiff.
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 4 – Plaintiff (29.66)
Thompson is one of three trainers to have won the Cup on three occasions, courtesy of Light Of Fire (1994), Got A Moment (2012) and Black Magic Opal (2013).
His wife, Seona, was victorious in 2017 with Aston Dee Bee.
The other Group 1 Melbourne Cup heat winners were Zippy Tesla (29.45), Yachi Bacle (29.38), Titan Blaze (29.57) and Vice Grip (29.63).
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 1 – Zippy Tesla (29.45)
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 2 – Yachi Bale (29.38)
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 6 – Titan Blaze (29.57)
2022 Melbourne Cup Heat 7 – Vice Grip (29.63)
2022 Group 1 Melbourne Cup Final Field Box DrawSandown Park515mGroup 1$650,000 to-the-winner
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1 Plaintiff
T: Jason ThompsonF: 2311Career: 31: 17-8-1
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2 Titan Blazer
T: Daniel GibbonsF: 6321Career: 56: 21-9-9
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3 Vice Grip
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4 Yachi Bale
T: Mark DelbridgeF: 4211Career: 21: 8-6-5
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5 Fernando Mick
T: David GeallF: 1411Career: 89: 30-16-15
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6 Zippy Tesla
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7 El Dorado
T: Daryl HolmesF: 5121Career: 33: 17-7-2
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8 Paddy Wants Pats
T: Kelly BravoF: 2811Career: 49: 19-6-5
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| Reserves | |
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9 Zara's Ivan
T: Brad KeelF: 4662Career: 48: 12-8-6
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10 Amron Boy
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