Melbourne Cup Betting

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Golden Quinella for Snowden

Trainer Peter Snowden couldn't have asked for a more perfect finish in the $1 million Golden Rose on Saturday at Rosehill with his pair of 3 year old stars running the quinella.

Epaulette gave Snowden his third Golden Rose win and jockey Tommy Berry his first Group 1 victory, as he stormed down the outside to mow down the front runners and narrowly nose out stablemate Albrecht at the finishing post.

Both colts sat out the back during the race, thanks to drawing wide gates. But the hot speed played right into their hands as they were able to swoop home with some amazing sectionals and fight the race out.

"When my horse let rip, he let rip", Berry said. The 21 year old picked up the ride when Kerrin McEvoy chose Albrecht for the big race, and he couldn't have been happier.

"I've won Magic Millions and other big races but this is what racing is all about - winning Group 1 races", he said.

Epaulette, who finished last in the Golden Slipper back in April, now takes his earnings to over $800,000 in just six starts, and is now second pick for the Caulfield Guineas behind Pierro. Epaulette's half brother Helmet won the Guineas last year.

Golden Rose Pre-race favourite Nechita ran to the front in the straight and looked the potential winner, but died on her run to finish back in sixth place. Her jockey Christian Reith said she did not run out the 1400 metres and will go back to 1200.

It was a great day of racing in Sydney. Super mare More Joyous made her return to the turf with a dominant win in the Sheraco Stakes over Miss Marx and Sydney Horse of the Year Streama. More Joyous is now $7 second favourite for the weight for age Cox Plate at Moonee Valley next month.

Import Stout Hearted won the Group 3 Kingston Town, which saw a number of Caulfield and Melbourne Cup hopefuls lineup. Jockey Glyn Schofield let the gelding to an impressive 1.5 length victory over in form runner Crafty Irna.

Gai Waterhouse rising star Strawberry Boy failed to live up to expectations and finished back in third spot. Looking for a berth in the main staying races of the Spring, failing to win the Kingston will make qualifying all the much harder.

In the two sprint races, Ambidexter gave Peter Snowden even more to cheer about with another Group win in the Sebring Sprint, while Velrosso snuck home against Aeronautical in the TAB Sprint.

Next weekend the racing moves to Royal Randwick for the George Main Stakes and five other group races.