TAB Fast Facts: Countdown to the Cup

It’s been a fast and furious morning at the TAB ahead of this afternoon’s 159th Melbourne Cup. Punters are backing the Kiwi connections, with a flurry of activity on tab.co.nz.

KIWIS FAVOURING KIWIS
More than a third of all bets taken by the TAB are on the six horses with Kiwi connections:
• The Chosen One (trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman) $41
• Latrobe (ridden by Kiwi jockey James McDonald) $21
• Prince of Arran (ridden by Kiwi jockey Michael Walker) $18
• Surprise Baby (bred by Kiwis at Rich Hill Stud) $14.00
• Finche (trained by Foxton’s finest, Australian based Chris Waller) $8.00
• Youngstar (also trained by Waller) $31

BIG BETS
• $5,000 on Vow and Declare at $12
• $1,000 on Cross Counter at $13

MARKET MOVERS
• NZ bred Surprise Baby has seen good market support at its opening price of $18 and now sits as 7th favourite at $14.
• Mer De Glace is the race favourite at $6.50, having opened at $7.50 on Saturday night. He was $31 before his Caulfield Cup win two weeks ago.
• LLoyd Williams owned Twilight Payment has come in from $81 to $41. Lloyd has won a record six Melbourne Cups, including two of the last three. He also owns Latrobe (ridden by Kiwi James McDonald) and Master Of Reality.

POTENTIAL WINS
• Last year’s winner Cross Counter: $1,500 at $18, to win $27k - current odds $12
• Aussie up-and-comer Vow and Declare: $500 at $101, to win $50k - current odds $11
• Kiwi-bred Surprise Baby: $125 at $26, to win $3k - current odds $14
• Caulfield Cup winner Mer De Glace: $1,000 at $31, to win $30k, placed before Caulfield Cup win, now favourite at $6.50
• Chris Waller trained Finche: $10k at $11, to win $110k - current price $8

(Note: The above bets were placed in our Futures markets. Futures betting is a long range Fixed Odds betting product which the TAB offers on feature races prior to the final field being established. Futures betting is all-in and thus customers who see the early potential can be rewarded for taking an early risk).

WHERE TO WATCH
Trackside 1 (Sky 62)
10am Melbourne Cup Preview Show
12pm Live Coverage Flemington (Channel 10) & Ellerslie. Melbourne Cup @ 5pm

AMONGST THE ACTION - TRACKSIDE
Ellerslie Racecourse (Auckland)
Wingatui Racecourse (Dunedin)

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