Max Hitchins – known as Melbourne-Cup-Max – very likely knows more about the race that stops a nation than anyone else, including being able to quote the first, second and third place-getters in the past 100 Melbourne Cups.
He produces a series of short videos and an annual e-Book to help pick the winner of the upcoming race.
Between now and the big race on 3 November Max will share information with PubTIC readers.
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30 days to Cup Day
On Saturday (3rd of October) there are three races featuring a whole heap of horses who are either in, or attempting to get into, the 2020 Melbourne Cup: the Turnbull Stakes (2000 metres) is Race #7 at Flemington at 3.45pm; the Bart Cummings (2510 metres) Race #6 at Flemington at 3.05pm, and the Metropolitan Handicap (2400 metres), which will be Race #8 at Randwick at 4.45pm.
Legendary trainer Bart Cummings believed horses needed to have run a total of 10,000 metres in lead-up races in order to be fit to run the 3200 metres of the Melbourne Cup. Hence, these races have been used as a prelude to the Melbourne Cup by many horses over the years.
The Turnbull Stakes
Since 1960, the following Melbourne Cup winners ran in the Turnbull Stakes in the same year – without winning: Light Fingers, 1965 – 2nd in the Turnbull; Rain Lover, 1969 – 2nd in the Turnbull; Gala Supreme, 1973 – 3rd in the Turnbull; Just A Dash, 1981 – 4th in the Turnbull; Doriemus, 1995 – 2nd in the Turnbull; Makybe Diva, 2003 – 4th in the Turnbull; Makybe Diva, 2004 – 7th in the Turnbull; Efficient, 2007 – 11th in the Turnbull; Fiorente, 2013 – 4th in the Turnbull; Vow and Declare, 2019 – 4th in the Turnbull. In 2016 Hartnell won the Turnbull Stakes before running 3rd in the Melbourne Cup.
The Bart Cummings
Almandin won this race in 2016 and went on to win the Melbourne Cup in the same year. Surprise Baby won this race in 2019 and went on the run a very good 5th in the 2019 Melbourne Cup. Surprise Baby is in this race again on Saturday. He is ‘safely’ in the 2020 Melbourne Cup field at #23 in the Order Of Entry with 54.5kgs, hence he is definitely using it to get ‘distance in his legs’.
Many of the other horses in the race are desperate in this ‘win and you’re in’ race, as the winner gets automatic entry into the 2020 Melbourne Cup.
The Metropolitan
Has not been a reliable guide recently. Years ago, this race was regarded as a very reliable guide to the Melbourne Cup; in the 1950s smart punters followed it religiously as a Melbourne Cup guide. Delta won both races in 1951, Dalray did the same thing in 1952.
Redcraze won The Metropolitan in 1956 and was regarded as a certainty, but beaten in the 1956 Melbourne Cup. Straight Draw won both races in 1957. In 1958 Monte Carlo won The Metropolitan and ran 2nd in that year’s Melbourne Cup, and in 1959 Macdougal won both races.
In 2020 … who knows? But certainly worth watching these three races.
— Max Hitchins
