Very smart, unbeaten stayer White Marlin has hit the top of the Melbourne Cup market of late. On Thursday, he was seen publicly for the first time in 2023 when he took part in a Sydney trial.
Meanwhile, after some tough recent times for Racing Victoria, it seems the Melbourne Cup Carnival is still the biggest money maker in Australian sport.
White Marlin to Target Andrew Ramsden Stakes
In his trial, White Marlin was ridden by usual jockey Tim Clark. The former Irish-trained runner is now with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott who oversaw him finishing sixth in the trial, won by Group 2 scorer Glint Of Silver.
White Marlin’s trainers are now seemingly targeting the Andrew Ramsden Stakes for their galloper. The Flemington race, staged on May 13, is seen as being ideal. The race also offers the winner ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup on November 7.
When trained by two-time Melbourne Cup winner Joseph O’Brien, White Marlin won his first two races at Dundalk over 2400 metres.
He made his debut in Australia last September over only 1800, scoring nicely at Rosehill in a handicap. He then went to Caulfield in heavy ground in October, winning nicely once again and solidifying his reputation as a leading Cup contender.
He was impressive at Flemington too when stepping up to 2800 metres in a BM96. This has led us to believe that the further he goes, the better he’ll be.
After his exploits, White Marlin sits at the head of most Melbourne Cup betting markets. He is a general $15 chance along with Soulcombe.
Soulcombe, another import, has been very impressive but isn’t yet guaranteed a start in the Melbourne Cup. Should White Marlin come through his trial and then score in the Andrew Marsden, he is a name we know we will see in the line-up for the big one in November.
Melbourne Cup Carnival is Still the Biggest Money Generator
There has been much criticism from abroad about the Melbourne Cup Carnival recently regarding how horses are treated by vets. The meeting is also facing ever stiffer competition from Sydney.
Despite this, it has reaffirmed its status as the top economic generator of any yearly sporting event in Australia. The latest figures show that $422.1 million was the gross economic benefit to Victoria in 2022.
Millions watch the Melbourne Cup live every year. A study by a market research company found that the Melbourne Cup Carnival has in fact contributed over $3.6 billion. That’s as an economic gross benefit to the state, over the past decade.
That figure put the Carnival nearly a billion dollars ahead of the Australian Open (tennis). There will be work to be done in the future however, with interest potentially waning if nothing is done about the challenges facing RV and to their biggest race.
We watch with great interest how Racing Victoria reacts to those challenges this year.
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