Anthony Freedman has really emerged as a training force... His imported stayers, Lucas Cranach and Mawingo, share favoritism for the 2012 Melbourne Cup onTAB Sportsbet's first market, released on Thurs morning. Lucas Cranach and Mawingo are on the top line at $17. Lucas Cranach ran fifth in the Caulfield Cup and a fantastic third in the Melbourne Cup at his only two Australian starts last spring and was then sidelined by injury after a slashing first-up autumn win in the Group 2 Peter Young Stak

Anthony Freedman has really emerged as a training force... His imported stayers, Lucas Cranach and Mawingo, share favoritism for the 2012 Melbourne Cup onTAB Sportsbet's first market, released on Thurs morning. Lucas Cranach and Mawingo are on the top line at $17. Lucas Cranach ran fifth in the Caulfield Cup and a fantastic third in the Melbourne Cup at his only two Australian starts last spring and was then sidelined by injury after a slashing first-up autumn win in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 25. Mawingo, owned in very similar interests to Lucas Cranach, made it two wins from just three Australian runs when he survived a protest in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 19. Not surprisingly given recent Melbourne Cups, imported stayers or internationally-trained horses completely dominate betting by occupying the top five spots in betting and nine of the top 10. The one exception is Mark Kavanagh's awesome filly Atlantic Jewel, who is kept safe at $35 despite the likelihood of aiming for the Cox Plate rather than the Cups.

The 2010 Melbourne Cup winner, Americain, shares the second line of betting with last year's winner Dunaden and Kavanagh's talented import December Draw, who has not been seen since going amiss in last year's Caulfield Cup when favorite. "It's very open at the top of the market, but Lucas Cranach ticks all the right boxes and the formline is outstanding through his one autumn run before being injured - where he beat Manighar - who went onto great heights," TAB Sportsbet's Adam Hamilton says."Americain was a difficult horse to assess, but we're keeping him very safe now he's returning to France and the Alain de Royer Dupre stable." Punters who back a horse which is not nominated when they close on Tuesday, September 4 are entitled to a refund.

2012 MELBOURNE CUP MARKET

LUCAS CRANACH $17
MAWINGO $17
AMERICAIN $21
DECEMBER DRAW $21
DUNADEN $21
GREEN MOON $26
MANIGHAR $26
RED CADEAUX $26
ATLANTIC JEWEL $35
JAKKALBERRY $35
BUXTED $51
EFFICIENT $51
ETHIOPIA $51
GALIANDO $51
GALILEOS CHOICE $51
JUKEBOX JURY $51
JULIENAS $51
LINTON $51
LOST IN THE MOMENT$51
MALUCKYDAY $51
ORFEVRE $51
PEAL OF BELLS $51
SABRAGE $51
SCARLETT LADY $51
TULLAMORE $51
UNUSUAL SUSPECT $51
VAL MONDO $51
WESTERN SYMBOL $51
WIN VARIATION $51
ZABEELIONAIRE $51