Victoria Cup Tips & Preview

Looking for Victoria Cup Tips and Best Bets on Saturday, October 10? Our form analyst previews the Group 1 feature and gives his top predictions.

Victoria Cup Tips & Preview

NSW trainer Craig Cross has five runners in the race and Victorian trainer Emma Stewart has four engaged. All five Cross horses are on the front line with Balraj (barrier one), Bling It On (three), Alta Orlando (five), Cash N Flow (six) and King Of Swing (seven) representing the powerful stable.

Stewart’s quartet all drew the back line in contrast with Code Black (eight), Tam Major (10), Hurricane Harley (11) and Major Times (12) and will have their work cut out to topple the Cross runners. Major Times is first emergency for the race so may not gain a start.

With those nine runners mentioned, we move onto the David Moran-trained Lochinvar Art who is the race favourite and deservedly so. The four-year-old entire has won 20 races from 41 starts. He has raced five times this preparation for three wins, including the Minuteman Free For All (2240m) when smashing rivals by 9.3m as a $1.40 favourite.

Victoria Cup Speed Map

I am not confident about the speed map in the race. Balraj holds all the options from the inside draw and will either lead or take a trail. The problem is, I don’t know whether Lochinvar Art has the speed to take the lead from Balraj who would be reluctant to hand to that horse unless absolutely necessary as that would disadvantage his stablemates.

Cash N Flow and King Of Swing are two horses that love to lead in their races and either one finding that position would greatly enhance their chances of success. Code Black will be three back on the pegs.

Who will win the 2020 Victoria Cup?

The battle for supremacy takes place with Victoria vs New South Wales in this race. Fans of either state will no doubt be cheering their respective runners.

Lochinvar Art has the versatility in the race to win from a number of positions in running. This is a great trait to possess at Grand Circuit level. He looks nigh on unstoppable if he was able to find the lead in the race because he has shown his brilliance on the rail with a Group 1 4YO Bonanza (1720m) win over Self Assured and Hurricane Harley in a blistering 1:48.6 mile rate.

Five runs under the belt heading into the Vic Cup is also a huge tick. He has been winning from the death seat this campaign and obtaining any cover in the run if not able to lead should leave plenty in the tank at the finish of the race. Even being caught without cover means he is a winning chance.

I have Lochinvar Art on top and a win stamps him as the number one horse in Australia; I won’t say Australasia with Self Assured and Ultimate Sniper back home in New Zealand.

Looking at one at bigger odds, Hurricane Harley defeated Lochinvar Art in track record time at Bendigo in 1:52.3 last time. He did lead on that occasion which is his preferred winning pattern but as a juvenile, he would often run them down from back in the field.

This has the ingredients for a quick lead time and Hurricane Harley can capitalise if the pace is on.

READ MORE

• FREE HARNESS RACING TIPS & PREVIEW