BEST SOLUTION FOR THE MELBOURNE CUP

By David Fowler | Monday, November 5, 2018

Best Solution presents a powerful case to end the frustrating detachment of Godolphin and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington tomorrow.

Whatever angle you use, Best Solution comes up trumps and can give Godolphin their first victory in the race that has eluded them so far.

From an overall viewpoint, Best Solution is world class. Six of his nine wins has been at a Group level and three of those at Group One standard, netting $4.4 million in stakemoney.

Yet sometimes, as we have seen in previous Cups, such impressive credentials don't always translate to the hurly burly of Australian racing and they finish a "good seventeenth!”

Not so with Best Solution who franked his European form with an authoritative and brave win in the Caulfield Cup, still a high profile lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup.

Racing close to the speed, Pat Cosgrave rode Best Solution like the best horse in the race, setting him alight at the 600 metres and then sustaining that long run for a gritty victory.

The horse and jockey combination is often not given enough prominence in form assessments whether it be the Cup or a Manangatang maiden.

Yet Cosgrave has an intimate understanding of Best Solution and has partnered him in seven of his nine wins.

They had to negotiate a wide barrier in the Caulfield Cup but, in contrast, should be able to land a comfortable position from barrier six. I expect him to settle in the first six or seven.

Granted it will be no easy task with 57.5 kgs as Cup history tells us yet it's just as telling to remember Best Solution escaped a penalty after his Caulfield display. He has the weight for a reason as we outlined previously yet has won another feature without being asked to carry any more weight.

There is one legitimate query against a host of ticks. Can he run 3200 metres or, I suppose, can he run it faster than his 23 rivals?

No one can give a definitive answer to that but with the likelihood of the pace not being overly hot coupled with his good barrier, this can assist him in running the two miles.

The icing on the cake is his current price of $13.

I'm nominating Youngstar as the hardest to beat.

She created such a good impression during our Winter Carnival and has carried that form to the Spring with a great second to Winx in the Turnbull and then a sound Caulfield Cup seventh, not advantaged by a slow tempo.
Jockey Craig Williams and the 51.5kg weight are also pluses in presenting a positive argument to her prospects.

The Cliffsofmoher has been more than creditable in the Caulfield Stakes and Cup while favourite Yucatan has to be acknowledged after his dashing Herbert Power display.

My Cup numbers are 1, 22, 2 and 11.

Good luck and have a terrific day wherever you celebrate the great race.

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