Fame Game is destined to start the shortest priced favourite in the Melbourne Cup since So You Think.
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After he drew midfield in barrier 12, the Japanese horse was firmed to $3.20 with English visitor Trip To Paris next best at $9.
So You Think started at $3 in 2010, in part because his trainer was Bart Cummings, but finished third behind Americain.
Makybe Diva won her second of three Melbourne Cups in 2004 as the $3.50 favourite, the shortest price since Let’s Elope won in 1991.
So history is against such a short-priced winner but Fame Game’s trainer thinks he can do much better at Flemington that his sixth on the smaller Caulfield track.
“It’s a great honour to be a short-priced favourite but the rest of the field will be hard to beat,” Munakata said.
“There are dangers from the Caulfield Cup runners like Trip To Paris but I believe if he (Fame Game) shows his true potential, he will be up to it.”
Trip To Paris is next in the market at $8.50 with his trainer Ed Dunlop saying the field this year is stronger than he has seen before.
Dunlop should know having brought Red Cadeaux ($26) to Melbourne four times for three second place finishes and once to Sydney where he was runner-up to Cup opponent Criterion in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
“If he runs in the top four it would be an astonishing result for a horse of his age to come to this country six times,” Dunlop said.
Tommy Berry rides his Caulfield Cup mount Trip To Paris at Flemington and was bullish after galloping him at Werribee on Sunday.
“I was confident before today, but after sitting on him and feeling how sharp he was this morning, I’m pretty stoked,” Berry said.
Fame Game and Trip To Paris were the only runners under double figures on Sunday with last year’s Victoria Derby winner Preferment at $11.
Preferment is one of three runners for leading Australian trainer Chris Waller.
Who Shot Thebarman ran third in the 2014 Cup and ran a close second to Grand Marshal in the Sydney Cup.
Who Shot Thebarman will be ridden by 2008 Cup winning jockey while Grand Marshal will have the services of Jim Cassidy who won aboard Kiwi 1983 and Might And Power in 1997.
Cassidy has announced this will be his last Melbourne Cup as he intends to retire after Thursday’s Oak meeting.
