Surprise Baby lived up to his name at Flemington on Saturday as Paul Preusker’s five-year-old earned a guaranteed spot in next month’s 2019 Melbourne Cup.
Surprise Baby earned a 2019 Melbourne Cup ballot exemption winning The Bart Cummings race at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The gelding by Shocking jumped as the favourite in The Bart Cummings (2520m) before showing a tremendous turn of foot over the final 200m to flash home late and win by a length and a half.
Surprise Baby entered the race fresh from a fourth placing in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago. Following Saturday’s win, the Kiwi galloper has since firmed into $15.00 with Ladbrokes.com.au in Melbourne Cup betting ahead of the race that stops a nation.
“I haven’t got a lot of words at the minute so you’ll have to forgive me,” Preusker said after the race.
“I think he’ll improve a lot off today, he’s not wound up, I’ll strip him better again. It’s just a matter of getting him home and letting the feet hit the ground and we’ll come up with another plan.”
Surprise Baby currently holds a 52.5kg weight claim for the Group 1 $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with a likely penalty forthcoming. Almandin (2016) remains the only horse to have successfully completed The Bart Cummings-Melbourne Cup double since 2007.
Market mover Supernova also finished strongly on Saturday for second but remains a long $67.00 chance in All-In Melbourne Cup betting through Ladbrokes.com.au.
2019 The Bart Cummings Results & Finishing Order
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | SURPRISE BABY (NZ) | Paul Preusker | Jordan Childs | – | 6 | 57kg | $2.50F |
| 2 | 11 | SUPERNOVA (GB) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 1.5L | 4 | 54kg | $6 |
| 3 | 10 | WOLFE (JPN) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Linda Meech | 2.25L | 1 | 54kg | $8 |
| 4 | 4 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Jamie Kah | 3.75L | 2 | 56kg | $11 |
| 5 | 8 | AZURO (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Dean Yendall | 3.95L | 3 | 54kg | $21 |
| 6 | 2 | DAL HARRAILD (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Mark Zahra | 4.25L | 5 | 57kg | $16 |
| 7 | 6 | ALFARRIS (FR) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Luke Nolen | 5.5L | 12 | 54kg | $31 |
| 8 | 14 | QUAFFANY | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Currie | 6.25L | 11 | 54kg | $61 |
| 9 | 9 | KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) | Liam Howley | Damien Oliver | 6.65L | 8 | 54kg | $9 |
| 10 | 13 | THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ) | Shaune Ritchie | Cory Parish | 6.85L | 9 | 54kg | $91 |
| 11 | 7 | ETYMOLOGY | James Cummings | Craig Williams | 8.1L | 10 | 54kg | $19 |
| 12 | 12 | TE AKAU CALIBURN (IRE) | Jamie Richards | Damian Lane | 8.3L | 13 | 54kg | $21 |
| 13 | 1 | MUNTAHAA (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Martin Harley | 15.3L | 7 | 58kg | $101 |
| – | 5 | HARIPOUR (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | – | 0 | – | – |
