Cross Counter won last year’s race as a promising youth, but he returns as a man for his bid for back-to-back wins in the Melbourne Cup.
Charlie Appleby won the racing prize that had long eluded Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed when Cross Counter scored as a northern hemisphere three-year-old last year.
Cross Counter won with only 51kg last year but will carry the 57.5kg topweight on Tuesday. However, he will enjoy a weight drop from the 61kg he has carried at his last two starts.
The son of Teofilo scored over 3200m in Dubai at his first run for 2019 in March but has been around the mark without winning in top company in England and Ireland at his last three runs.
Appleby’s representative Chris Connett said Cross Counter’s clashes with Stradivarius, Dee Ex Bee and Ireland’s top stayers have hardened the gelding for his return to Australia.
“He’s more a proven horse this year. He’s not won since Dubai, but he has been mixing it with the very best,” Connett said.
“He’s battle-hardened now and off the weights, he’s the best horse in the race.”
Cross Counter started from barrier 19 last year but drew barrier five for his Melbourne Cup title defence.
Connett said that gate gave jockey William Buick plenty of options in the early stages, but Cross Counter also had a key asset if he found himself in a tricky spot during the race.
“Drawn five, Will can do whatever he wants from there,” Connett said.
“He’s a horse with gears. In an ideal world, he’d have one clear run at them, and he’s got gears to get himself out of trouble, which is great in a stayer.
“We wouldn’t be too worried if it was a messy run race.”
Connett said Cross Counter has thrived since returning to the Werribee quarantine centre and impressed the Godolphin team with his work on the course proper on Saturday morning.
“He’s been very solid. His little blowout that he did on Saturday was a nice piece of work,” Connett said. “He had a strong canter round and then a blowout up the straight.
“Since he has got back down here, he has had a real verve to himself and we’re super happy with him.”
