Melb Cup: Nom Du Jeu the big hope 

Cambridge galloper Nom Du Jeu appears to stand in the way of a Northern Hemisphere domination of Tuesday's A$5.5 million Emirates Melbourne Cup.

After his excellent second in the Caulfield Cup, Nom Du Jeu will have a big following at Flemington and rightly so.

He was a high-class three-year-old last season and achieved something not many New Zealand-trained horses have done in recent years and that was to win the coveted Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) at Randwick.

Nom Du Jeu is bred to get the grueling Melbourne Cup trip. His sire, Montjeu, was a multiple Group 1 winning stayer himself and came into his own when he was a four-year-old. Montjeu has left many top progeny who have reached peak form once they get up over more ground.

His dam, Prized Gem, was a winner over 3200m in the Brisbane Cup during her fine racing career.

Nom Du Jeu has been placed in each of his three starts this campaign and the Caulfield Cup effort was a boomer. Trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker will have him cherry ripe for Tuesday's Group 1 feature.

The Northern Hemisphere-trained raiders are going to take all sorts of beating this year.

Vintage Crop was the first Northern Hemisphere-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup when he scored back in 1993 and since then Media Puzzle (2002) and Delta Blues (2006) have been the other Northern Hemisphere runners to claim the big race.

Northern Hemisphere-trained galloper All The Good won the Caulfield Cup last month but has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup with a hairline fracture in a cannon bone.

Mad Rush finished fourth in the Caulfield Cup and was a shade unlucky as he struggled to get much of a run from the home turn. It was the run of the race. The doubt factor is his ability to get 3200m.
His trainer, Luca Cumani, posted a second placing in the Melbourne Cup last year aboard Purple Moon. Cumani also has another runner, Bauer, who won the Geelong Cup at his last start.

This race has proved to be a good form race for the Melbourne Cup in recent times.

Septimus will have the record books against him but he has a big reputation as a champion stayer in Europe.

No horse has carried the weight (58.5kg) which Septimus has to carry since Think Big won in 1975. In his last three wins Septimus has carried 62kg (Irish St Leger), 63.5kg (Curragh Cup) and 59kg (Doncaster Handicap).

Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Septimus looms as a top each-way chance and will be even harder to beat should the track become rain-affected. O'Brien has a good second stringer in Honolulu who boasts a last-start win in the Doncaster Cup over 3600m on September 12. He handles the wet well.

Profound Beauty is by super sire Danehill and is prepared by two-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer Dermot Weld from Ireland.

He has yet to run over 3200m but the way he races suggests he will get the trip without a bother. He is well placed at the weights to be a major threat.

Former Kiwi Cést La Guerre is a realistic winning chance and his prospects will improve further if there is any rain about.

He won the New Zealand Derby earlier this year in which he defeated Nom Du Jeu and Red Ruler. Comes in well at the weights here.

Master O'Reilly won the Caulfield Cup last year but failed to see out the trip in last year's Melbourne Cup.

He has had more of a Melbourne Cup preparation this time and can give some cheek.

Zipping has run fourth in the last two Melbourne Cups.

He has showed good form this spring with a third placing in the Turnbull Stakes and second in the Cox Plate. Can be a serious threat.

Other New Zealand-trained runners in the field this year are the New Zealand Oaks winner Boundless and the Auckland Cup winner, Prize Lady. The latter is unbeaten over 3200m and would be suited by a rain-affected track.

Selections:   Mad Rush, Nom Du Jeu, Septimus.

Value bet: Zipping.

If wet: C'est La Guerre, Honolulu.

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