It might be worth sticking a few quid on Quest For More in the Melbourne Cup at huge odds. Despite his car park draw, he’s far too good for his 100/1 quote and has this season already beaten second and third in the betting for this, on similar terms.
An unsuccessful preparation race and a minor foot injury have inflated his price, but, significantly, he runs nonetheless. If you watch that race (see below), he was eased home and wasn’t given a hard time of things under top weight when attempting to defy a wide draw. He’s better than that and can show it tomorrow.
That was his first run for three months, having last been seen going down by a neck to Big Orange at Goodwood in July. Recieving 4lbs, he had Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris – a well-fancied 13/2 second favourite for this – a short-head back in third. Both foes re-oppose at Flemington with only the latter 1lb better off at the weights this time and there’s little between them, except at the prices.
I’ll admit to knowing little about the international challengers, but, in a race where Sir Michael Stoute’s underwhelming Snow Sky has been saddled with top-weight, Roger Charlton’s colt has to be one of the class horses if he has brought his best European form with him.
He comfortably beat the other fancied European raider, Willie Mullins’s Max Dynamite, off level weights in a Newcastle handicap this season and receives 3lbs from the same opponent tomorrow. That was on good ground and his opponent is relatively short at 10/1 for this because of a nice draw (2) and his emphatic York win on good to soft – he won’t get tomorrow with the forecast good ground.
I can’t let him go unbacked at such a massive price with form claims linked to two of the favourites. At 100/1 we can forgive him a poor prep run and speculatively hope he can return to his best.
0.5pts win Quest For More @100/1, Flemington 04:00 (various)
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