Melbourne Cup Betting

This Saturday’s Rosehill Guineas features a number of horses who are highly regarded in betting for this year’s Melbourne Cup.

The Guineas is a Group 1 race run over 2000m at Rosehill and has been won by some of the champions of the turf over the years, including Tulloch and Kingston Town.

Kibbutz is the current favourite at $16 in Sportingbet Australia’s latest market, but he is an absentee this autumn because of injury, hence won’t take his place in the Guineas field.

However Littorio, the horse that finished runner-up to him in the Victoria Derby, is among the Guineas fancies this Saturday and he is currently a $21 chance in Melbourne Cup betting.

Littorio was an unlucky second against older horses at his most recent start and is sure to have plenty of admirers on Saturday.

Another Guineas runner who is high up in Cup betting is Guillotine ($31) who put the writing on the wall when charging home behind Weekend Hussler in the Randwick Guineas last time out.

Guillotine is a half-brother to defending Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, who is rated on the top line at $16 with Kibbutz at the moment.

Littorio and Guillotine are sure to be among the favourites for the Guineas this weekend.

Another three-year-old with plenty of admirers is Largo Lad, who is now with the David Hayes stable. Largo Lad has always looked like 2000m will suit and he gets his chance on Saturday. He is currently a $41 chance in Sportingbet’s 2008 Melbourne Cup market.

The Rosehill Guineas though hasn’t been a great guide to the Melbourne Cup, with Saintly (1996) the last horse to finish in the first three that went on to win the Melbourne Cup.

To find the last horse to complete the Guineas-Cup double, you have to go back to Phar Lap, in 1930.