Kerrin McEvoy chasing and fourth Melbourne Cup win Deauville Legend

English trainer James Ferguson is relying on champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s experience and local knowledge to give Deauville Legend a decisive edge in the $7.75 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.

Deauville Legend, the dominant Cup favourite at $3.40, hasn’t had an Australian lead-up run or seen Flemington but that’s where McEvoy comes in.

“Kerrin McEvoy is full of experience, we know him well and he knows the horse well,” Ferguson said.

“He’s also be one of the top jockeys in the world, having won the race three times and with his vast experience, he knows the track unbelievably well.

“Going into a Melbourne Cup, in my opinion, there is no one better to have on your horse than Kerrin.”

McEvoy has won the Melbourne Cup previously on Brew (2000), Almandin (2016) and Cross Counter (2018).

The only jockeys to have won four Melbourne Cups are Bobbie Lewis (The Victory 1902, Patrobas 1915, Artilleryman 1919, Trivalve 1927) and Harry White (Think Big 1974-1975, Arwon 1978, Hyperno 1979).

If Deauville Legend can give McEvoy a fourth Melbourne Cup, the stayer will become the third northern hemisphere-bred three-year-old to win the race this century.

Deauville Legend is also joined by another northern hemisphere three-year-old in Epsom Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal now trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott but the prospect of a soft track may not be either’s preferred ground.

Form expert Gary Crispe of Racing And Sports said the Cox Plate run of minor placegetter El Bodegon has “shone a bright light” on the form of Deauville Legend.

“Prior to contesting the Cox Plate, El Bodegon had finished a well beaten third to Deauville Legend in the Great Voltiguer Stakes at York, a race that has been a key form piece for other northern hemisphere bred three-year-olds to have raced well in the Cup,” Crispe said.

“Cross Counter had run second in the Great Voltiguer before winning the 2018 Melbourne Cup.

“What makes Deauville Legend’s effort more impressive was the manner of the victory, defeating El Bodegon by more than four lengths and running to a Timeform rating of 120.

“At his previous run, Deauville Legend had run second to the talented New London in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood after winning the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket over 2615m.

“While that form is exceptional for the Cup, the handicapper was also impressed allotting him 55kg, a hefty 2.5 kgs more than any other northern hemisphere three-year-old to have contested the Cup since 2000.

“Cross Counter carried 51kgs and Rekindling 51.5kgs in their respective wins.”

“However, despite the weight and being untried on soft ground, Deauville Legend brings some quality form to the race. He should prove very hard to beat in a race that looks fairly evenly graded but he is poor value on my assessment.”

Deauville Legend will face stiff opposition from local stayers with Timeform ratings predicting bold runs from Gold Trip, Young Werther and Montefelia.

There are few better trainers of stayers than the Maher/Eustace team and they are well represented today with five runners. The best of them appears to be Gold Trip who despite having only won one race will carry topweight of 57.5kgs.

“Gold Trip does bring the strongest form lines to the race. Last start he was cruising home nicely in the Cox Plate behind Anamoe and that followed a head defeat in the Caulfield Cup behind Durston,” Crispe said.

“If you look at Gold Trip’s European form, he does have some very strong form back in France where he finished fourth in the 2020 Arc behind Sottsass - a run that clearly wins this race if repeated.

“Gold Trip takes the highest Timeform rating into the race but when adjusted for weight, it does bring him back to the field.”

Trainer Danny O’Brien saddles up Young Werther as well as his 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare.

Young Werther has been a slow developing son of Tavistock who has been running into top form after three runs back from a spell – his latest in the Cox Plate behind Anamoe where he finished just over three lengths from the winner.

In recent years the Cox Plate has been a useful lead up to the Cup with Verry Elleegant coming through it last year to score an emphatic Cup win while other winners to follow a similar path have been Efficient, Green Moon, Makybe Diva and Fiorente.

“Significantly Young Werther was having just his third run back from a spell in the Cox Plate and ran a new peak Timeform rating of 118 giving him a strong platform,” Crispe said.

“In the Melbourne Cup, he drops 5kg and goes back to easier handicap conditions.

“As a three-year-old, Young Werther was placed in both the Australian and Victoria Derbys but the now five year old has taken time to mature having only raced 13 times.”

Classy four-time Group 1-winning Montefelia will be attempting 3200m for the first time but she has shown gradual improvement in three runs this preparation, the latest in the Caulfield Cup when fourth to Durston. She also ran fourth in that race last year behind Incentivise.

Trainer David Payne has her spot on for today’s race and she will relish the soft ground.

Impressive Geelong Cup winner Emissary’s chances rest on the track condition as his best form tends to be on firmer footing.

“Emissary ran a new peak rating at Geelong and was strong at the end of the trip so 3200m should be well within his grasp,” he said.

“My best roughie for the race is Arapaho who loves wet ground and brings some excellent Sydney form into the race.”

Originally published as English stayer Deauville Legend to give Kerrin McEvoy a record-equalling fourth Melbourne Cup

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