Why is new Melbourne Cup favourite Tiger Moth so popular in the betting markets?
Well, a closer look at Coolmore’s three-year-old hope reveals he is far from an also-ran and while the weight of money recently has been somewhat surprising. There are reasons to back him in the Flemington showdown on November 2nd. For more information about the favourites, check the Melbourne Cup favourite horses.
Tiger Moth’s Profile
Clearly, we need to know more about Tiger Moth. A horse whose best performance so far has been a Group 3 win in Ireland. Here’s what we know about him and why he is so popular.
Trainer
Tiger Moth is trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, a man who holds the record for worldwide Group 1 races in a year. The O’Brien team know who to prepare horses for major events. Aidan’s son Joseph won this race with Rekindling in 2017. Given that Tiger Moth looks to be the no.1 contender of three for such a huge stable means we have to sit up and take notice.
Breeding
The Coolmore juggernaut has plenty of well-bred types. In Tiger Moth’s case, he is by the world’s leading sire Galileo out of a Group 1-winning race mare. While there is speed on the dam’s side, Galileo’s tend to say well and in stepping up to the Melbourne Cup distance we should see plenty of improvement from this young colt.
Betting
Where has the betting plunge come from? Well, the Coolmore team are not afraid of putting a few bucks down. So it’s more than possible the cash has come from the owners. Something that says plenty about his chances.
Form
Tiger Moth has only run four times in his life, but he has improved immeasurably in a year.
He could still be on a steep upward curve. From finishing third in a maiden to running second to Santiago in the Irish Derby and easily winning a Group 3 race at Leopardstown, he’s done plenty to prove his ability. We haven’t got to the bottom of him yet.
Jockey
When it was announced that Kerrin McAvoy would ride this colt, his odds immediately dropped. This is a chance booking as McAvoy has had plenty of success down the years with Coolmore’s biggest rivals Godolphin.
However, the Boys in Blue announced months ago that their major British trainers Charlie Appleby and Saeed Bin Suroor would not be sending horses to the Spring Carnival this time around.
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