People believe that with the change in technological advancement and people shifting towards online gaming and different things, there could have been a negative impact on the sports industry. The number of sports enthusiasts or lovers would have decreased over the years due to growth in innovation and technology.
But this notion has completely been on the wrong side. Several sports across the globe have received massive increments in followers and audiences. There are various sports that have gathered massive growth over the past few decades. One of these sports is horse racing.
Although people have used the sport for their entertainment and betting, there is a lot of patience, endurance, and skill set required to take up this sport. When it comes to the massive tournaments in horse racing, the Melbourne Cup has been one of the highlights of this sport. In 2024, the experts have defined several Melbourne Cup odds with a series of contenders to look out for. The following section unveils the top underdogs in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Topnotch Players In Melbourne Cup Who Have The Best Chances To Win
Australians take pride in the Melbourne Cup as it has been one of their trademark and prestigious horse races. A prominent reason for this is its greatness. The quality of the race and players is worth watching with the added merit of competitiveness. The following list shows the horses with the highest odds of winning.
1. Gold Trip
The French horse has a limited experience to his name, but his quality makes him one of the finest contenders in the Melbourne Cup 2024. The most interesting thing about this horse is that he has competed in only 15 races and managed only one win. In other races, he has obtained mixed results to his name.
His win in the Prix Greffulhe Group 2 (2200m) is the highlight of his racing career. Apart from the win, Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m), Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m), Caulfield Cup (2400m), and the Cox Plate (2040m) are some of the big races where he showed his abilities.
In the Caulfield Cup, he almost grabbed a win. He played really well, conceding only 6 Kg to the winner (Durston). The most useful skill of Gold Trip is that he can stretch over long races, especially on wet racing tracks. Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the horse will be ridden by Mark Zahra in the cup. Considering the specs, his class will definitely lead him to a great place in the Melbourne Cup.
2. Duais
While the French breed has limited experience, the Australian breed Duais has been an indomitable face in recent years. Her popularity has grown in the past few years due to her successful journey. The horse is well-trained by Edward Cummings. Her historical performances came in the Group 3 Adrian Knox (2000m)and Group 1 Queensland Oaks, where she secured the first position in both races.
Moreover, Duais also bagged 2nd place in the Australian Oaks (2400m). The horse has been booked by the rider Hugh Bowman in this year’s cup. Her popularity is also growing because there has only been one horse (Makybe Diva) who has won the Australian Cup and the Melbourne Cup in the same year. The highlight of this horse is that she is versatile and can adapt to any race conditions provided.
3. Knight Order
Bred in Ireland, the imported stalwart had an unforgettable Autumn where he managed to attract sports lovers. He won the Group 2 Chelmsford (1600m) and showed excellent resilience in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
What makes him one of the top contenders in the Cup is his twin victories over the stretch of 3200m. He also possesses the skill of competing on wet tracks. On an overall basis, he has been in hot and cold form. In other words, before Autumn, he witnessed defeats and was not in the greatest form. Trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, the horse has been booked by Tim Clark.
4. Montefilia
Montefilia is the most underrated horse on the top contenders’ list. She rose to the limelight with two back-to-back wins in Group 1 of Flight Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes of 1600m and 2000m respectively.
Even after her splendid performances, she deserves much more respect than what she has bagged. Allocating 55.5 Kg, she has an impressive level of stamina and energy. One of the matters for her being an underdog is that people see her as a competitor who would be ineffective for 2400m or above. But she has proved these predictions wrong by winning the Metropolitan (2400m).
She might not be the first choice to bet on, but she can be considered one of the biggest competitors for Duais. It needs to be seen how she performs at the 3200m race. Jason Collett has booked the horse, which is well-bred by David Payne.
5. Numerian
Numerian has been definitely one of the classiest horses in the Melbourne Cup 2024 lineup. As compared to the skills of other horses, he might lag, but has high odds of winning the race. The most critical factor which plays against him is his stamina level. He usually gets a great start, but his stamina level drops to an extent that costs him the race. In races of 3200m, he might be a second thought for betting.
However, he has had an equal share of his success. He stood 2nd in the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m). Furthermore, he also bagged comprehensive wins in the Listed Gosford Cup (2080m) and the Group 2 Q22 (2200m).
Key Takeaway
There are many other horses that can be a great option to bet on for the upcoming Melbourne Cup. But, the above list defines the horses which have high chances according to the experts. However, the luck factor comes into the picture on D-Day.