It's arrived, almost: the Melbourne Cup beckons tomorrow and what a ripper of a race it is with all the conjecture about the chances of So You Think, the new champion of Australian racing. Right from the outset I will state I do not think he can win. It is a tremendous ask,all things considered, and if he wins we will have witnessed something really special. Speaking from my pocket I will cheer him home, as I backed him a few weeks ago, but more importantly my encouragement will come from wantin

It's arrived, almost: the Melbourne Cup beckons tomorrow and what a ripper of a race it is with all the conjecture about the chances of So You Think, the new champion of Australian racing. Right from the outset I will state I do not think he can win. It is a tremendous ask,all things considered, and if he wins we will have witnessed something really special. Speaking from my pocket I will cheer him home, as I backed him a few weeks ago, but more importantly my encouragement will come from wanting to see the dreams come true. A modern day winner of the Melbourne Cup at just his twelfth race start and the magic man's thirteenth Melbourne Cup: wow, how good would it be?

My selection is Shocking as bar the barrier I ask "what's the problem?". He is last years winner, racing three wide all the way, and he has improved to be winning at wfa since as well as running an absolute bottler in the Caulfield Cup. He will drop straight out the back, cross over and slot into a comfortable position and I suspect Michael Rodd will gamble on getting a run through the field as going too wide on the home turn will mean certain defeat. I will receive 10/1 plus for the risk and I think it is a fair price. The run of Descarado to beat all bar So You Think in the MacKinnon Stakes has to have him second pick for mine not forgetting he worked hard to deservedly win the Caulfield Cup. Where else can I slot in the So You Think except for third simply because of his awesome raw talent as well as the genius who trains him and just to help the cause he has drawn beautifully, on paper. I just hope he can handle the buffeting he might receive early as I would hate to see him knocked out of contention.

I thought the run of Once Were Wild in the Lexus Stakes (Hotham Handicap to us oldies) was superb, as I thought the jockey went far too early, and we all know his rider tomorrow, J Cassidy, knows Flemington and the Melbourne Cup quite well. I have secured 150/1 and 190/1 for the win and 50/1 the place about the Gai Waterhouse trained mare and if she wins I will finally forget about the 160/1 I had, for the win only, on Gai's Te Akau Nick when Vintage Crop won the Cup. I saw the replay this week and again cried. My other winning chances are Shoot Out, as I thought his WS Cox Plate run was a top run with the Melbourne Cup in mind, and Manighar whose Caulfield effort was quite solid.

I have doubts about Harris Tweed, Monaco Consul and Americain winning but not for a place so they will all slot in for second in my exotics. For third I will add two horses I think might be just a bit immature for this years Melbourne Cup in Linton and Maluckyday but to be honest I don't really know. You have to draw the line somewhere, don't you.

Almost every year one of the unknown foreigners runs really well but none of us can actually say which one for sure but this year I believe they are going to have their work cut out for them. Just the same I am going to have $1 on each, just in case!

The readers of my PPM column will know what I am talking about when I mention about some "doggie tips" for the Cup. Alas, I cannot get them to you but as luck has it I am looking after a friends dog, Gizmo, and guess what? I got him to stroll over the slips of paper with the Cup runners instead. He "selected" Illustrious Blue and Manighar so yours truly will have a small each way bet on both. The things I do in quest of a winner!

Good luck to you all.