Melbourne Cup - The Locks

The Melbourne Cup is called "the race that stops a nation".  As it is on Tuesday afternoon where everyone else in the nation except for those in Melbourne.  A fact I read was that at least 80% of the adult population in Australia has some skin in the game.  The race is 3200m (2 mile) marathon with a total of $6.2mm of prize money being awarded.   Unlike fields in other top races where it is difficult to differentiate horses that haven't done too much wrong in their career, the Melbourne Cup field is somewhat like the historic origins of Australian people.... horses seeking some redemption.  Lets look at 3-1 favorite, Americain, who has run 6 times since winning this race last year.  In these 6 races, the 6yo has 2 wins, 1 third and 3 clunkers where last year had come into the race on a win streak.   So very difficult to back this horse heavily.   Lets look at a few others including 7-1 Jukebox Jury, 6-1 Dunaden and 16-1 Fox Hunt.  


Jukebox Jury is the 5yo winner of this year's Irish St. Leger and a won a 3000m graded race at Deauville in race before that one.  Also has another win and a 3rd in 2011.  Dunaden won the Geelong Cup, an important Melbourne Cup prep, threw in a clunker in the Deauville race that JJ won but otherwise hasn't been out of money in 2011.  Fox Hunt won the German St. Leger and has good form through 2011 albeit in races not as important as Tuesdays.  


The Locks are:


$15 win JJ
$ 8 win FH
$1 exacta JJ, FH, D, A
$1 trifecta JJ, FH, D, A


Good luck!!