O’Brien aims up for Melbourne Cup
Aidan O’Brien’s eagerness to win the Melbourne Cup gained momentum over the past week with both Septimus and Honolulu scoring important wins in Europe.
O’Brien is generally regarded as the World’s best trainer and already this season he has provided a stunning 20 Group 1 winners in Europe.
Septimus became his 19th G1 winner this year when taking Saturday’s Irish St Leger Stakes by a widening 13 lengths.
The son of Sadler’s Wells was promptly promoted to the head of Melbourne Cup betting charts for this year’s Melbourne Cup.
TAB Sportsbet has him quoted as a $6.50 chance in Melbourne Cup Odds, with senior handicapper Greg Carpenter electing not to penalise Septimus, who already has 58.5kg in the Cup.
Honolulu trotted up in a 3600m Group 2 race last week and is also being considered by O’Brien for a trip to Australia. Honolulu is a grandson of Sadler’s Wells, being by Montjeu.
That stallion was in the news in Australia on Saturday with Guillotine scoring a shock win in the G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes.
Guillotine is a half-brother to last year’s Cup winner Efficient and both are considered leading hopes for this year’s renewal.
Aidan O’Brien had his first Cup runner when Yeats was a beaten favourite in the famous race in 2006.
He did not attend the event that year, but arrived last year to supervise the preparation of Mahler, who ran a courageous third in the event.
O’Brien was highly impressed by the event and is now very keen to add the famed 3200m race to his burgeoning list of global credits.
