He’s done it again! Yes, the Melbourne Cup was another tipping success for the PPD Club’s Brian Blackwell. Maintaining his astonishing streak of picking big-race winners (he tipped the Fawkner-Dandino quinella in the Caulfield Cup), BB tipped FIORENTE $7.00/$2.70 for Tuesday’s Cup – and he’s been tipping the horse to Practical Punting fans for many, many weeks. Here’s what he told our subscribers yesterday:

Fiorente fired my confidence for the Cup  following his unlucky 6th/13 in the Grp 1 wfa Memsie at Caulfield 1400m on August 31 when having his first start since late April. He has since underlined the potency of his form credentials by winning the Feehan 1600m (Grp 2, wfa) at Moonee Valley, running 4th/16 in the Turnbull (Grp 1, set wgts) 2000m at Flemington, and then 3rd/14 last start in the Cox Plate (Grp 1, wfa) 2040m at Moonee Valley. He’s rock-hard fit and ready for the two miles – a distance he handled well 12 months back for his 2nd/24 in the 2012 Melbourne Cup, btn a length by Green Moon. He has the right jockey aboard – Damien Oliver.

And here’s what he told PP followers in our special Melbourne Cup preview ‘special’ more than a month ago when declaring then that Fiorente would win the Melbourne Cup.

This 6YO Monsun entire has made giant strides since coming to Australia

and joining the Gai Waterhouse stable. We got a taste of his ability by witnessing

his slashing run for 2nd to Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup. Sent out at

a tempting 30/1 he almost defied the odds, beaten just one length by a very smart

galloper who was peaking on the day. Fiorente was not seen again until April 27 when Gai produced him as a 50/1  chance in a Grp 1 at Randwick 1400m. Once again he ran well above market  expectations, finishing 3rd to All Too Hard, beaten 1.8 lengths. That was a cracking

run following a break of 172 days.

 Once more he was put aside, had a couple of outstanding barrier trial hitouts

at Randwick on July and August and then returned to racing in Grp 1 class at

Caulfield 1400m on August 31, finishing an unlucky 6th/13 behind Atlantic Jewel,

beaten 3.4 lengths. The margin is unfair; he should have been much closer. He

quickly made amends. On September 14, he scored a crushing win in Grp 2 at

Moonee Valley 1600m, downing Spacecraft and Lidari in barnstorming fashion. His

final 200m sprint was electric.

 Fiorente is a class galloper between 1600m and 3200m. He could well be a plum

Cox Plate prospect. He has proven he can get 2 miles (3200m). If he’s fit on the

day, he will be a great Melbourne Cup chance.