The Melbourne Cup Carnival TV deal does nothing to help racing

Coleman will be hard to beat in the Blue Diamond.

Every Thursday, News Corp Australia's national racing editor Matt Williams and senior racing writer Ben Dorries chat all things horse racing.

Matty (left) and Benny (right) aren't happy about Channel 9 getting the rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

MW: The Melbourne Cup Carnival TV rights deal has finally been done. Channel 9 has got the gig for the next six years. It's ridiculous it's not on Channel 7 who have the best and most knowledgeable racing presenters in the land, including Bruce McAvaney, Emma Freedman and Jason Richardson. They broadcast horse racing every Saturday, yet on the biggest carnival of the year in Australia, they're invisible. Obviously, it all came down to dollars (and not much sense) but one can only hope the Channel 9 experience goes better than Channel 10, which was an unmitigated disaster. Do those who make these decisions think about their audience and the bigger picture, or is it just about the biggest number they can get in their bank account?

BD: I'm hearing the types who brokered this deal are now onto their next big gig. Selling ice to eskimos. Give me a spell. I agree with everything you said, but even for a minute forget the TV networks and the personalities involved. How does it make sense splintering racing's free-to-air audience in Melbourne Cup week, which obviously includes Victoria Derby Day and Sydney's Golden Eagle day which have different commercial broadcasters on the same day. Crazy stuff. It's an outcome that privately horrifies many of those in the corridors of power at Racing Victoria. Apparently Channel 9 is also going to have an increased focus on fashion and (C-grade) celebrities. I can't wait. Pass.

MW: It's been discussed to death, but Craig Williams' ride on Jimmysstar has been a huge talking point. If the horse wasn't $1.26, would people care? Yes he was ridden upside down and Willo didn't follow instructions, but the horse still had his chance to win. He might have won had Craig ridden him colder — but who's to say he would have? Two runs back he beat a horse who's won two from 19 starts (Who Dares) and, on Saturday, he was beaten by a horse at $151 who hadn't won a race for 18 months. He carried 1½kg less than Makram and 2½kg less than Savannah Cloud, who was only ½ a length in third. Jimmysstar is nowhere near as good as people thought he was. He's got as much chance as me of winning the All-Star Mile. They'd be wise to pull the pin, and find a Benchmark 90 instead.

Jimmysstar (right) gets run down by Makram.

BD: There's no way he should've been $1.26. I'm worried about the strength of the All-Star Mile field this year. I don't reckon it'll have much snap and crackle, given Jimmysstar is one of the horses signed up. Officials will be desperately hoping a few horses jump out of the ground and put their hands up (horse have hands, don't they?). Now it's not a fan-voted race, I'm not exactly sure what the All-Star Mile stands for and what its identity is.

MW: No comment. The $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes is an outstanding race. There are some seriously good two-year-olds in it, but Matt Laurie's colt, Coleman, is the clear top pick. I was all over Eneeza when they clashed in the Chairman's last time, but that race proved Coleman is a superior animal. He worked exceptionally well on Tuesday, and the stable and jockey are supremely confident. He's drawn perfectly, he'll sit on speed, go bang in the straight, and win. The Snowden colts, Bodyguard and High Octane, are the only dangers. The colts will have the measure of the two best fillies, Lady Of Camelot and Eneeza. The rest have no chance.

BD: It looks a very good edition, which is terrific given all the moaning in recent months about two-year-old quality and field sizes. You've mentioned half the field, but there's some chance you've missed the winner. Stay Focused has drawn out in the cheap seats but if he gets any luck, he can win. He's improving all the time and I thought his run behind Bodyguard last time was full of merit. You'll get $20-$21 on race day and I'll be having an each-way ticket. I wouldn't be surprised to see High Octane start shorter in the market than stablemate Bodyguard, and be the one they really come for.

MW: Half the field? I said only three horses out of 16 can win. The Futurity Stakes should be renamed the Mr Brightside Benefit. I was against him first-up but not on Saturday. He's too short for me, but if you like skinny odds, $1.50 is over the odds. It's not a vintage Oakleigh Plate, and King's Gambit looks hard to beat with only 50kg. Jamie Kah will need some luck from barrier 1, but if she gets him into clear air early enough we could see something special. He's an exceptional colt with a devastating turn of foot. He looks the winner.

King's Gambit resumes in the Oakleigh Plate.

BD: Agree. The one I'd be happy to take on is Asfoora at $5.50. I thought her first-up run was just satisfactory and hardly screamed "back me in a Group 1". I've forked out some folding for some flash tickets for my father-in-law at Caulfield on Saturday for his 70th birthday. We should be backing whatever he's tipping. The last time he went to the races, he turned $100 into $5000. His name is Ian Grant, and he'll be signing autographs in the Caulfield carpark after the last. Only $10 an autograph. Bargain.

MW: Dear Mr Grant, you need a gold medal if you have to put up with Ben as your son-in-law. After Fangirl's heroics in the Apollo last week, it's hard to get excited about the Rosehill meeting on Saturday. Tom Kitten looks right on track for the Randwick Guineas in a fortnight, but he'll be hard to beat in the Hobartville Stakes from a perfect barrier. It should allow Nash Rawiller to not get too far back (don't do a Buenos Noches!). He's got a big class edge. I really like Straight Charge as a horse, and he should be winning the Silver Slipper. He's drawn wide but will roll forward and lead or sit second. He's can put his hand up as a genuine Golden Slipper contender, even though his stablemate Storm Boy looks unbeatable.

BD: Punters now have to pay the J-Mac tax on Matt Dunn's up-and-comer Fukubana in the Hobartville. There was $26 available earlier in the week, but after the final field came out and with J-Mac booked, this smart three-year-old is into $9. Your namesake, the trainer Matt, reckons this colt could soon become the best horse in his stable. I've watched Fukubana in Brisbane and he's very impressive. We've only seen the tip of the iceberg of his huge talent.

Verry Elleegant is hugged by James McDonald after winning the 2021 Melbourne Cup.

MW: This is a huge step up for Fukubana. Nice horse but my prediction is he'll sink in the deep end, and $21 is about his right price. Our thoughts go out to the connections of champion mare, Verry Elleegant, who tragically lost her life while giving birth this week. She was one of the best horses we've seen in Australia in the last 20 years, with 11 Group 1 wins to her name. She'll never be forgotten. The first race at Caulfield on Saturday has been named the "Vale Verry Elleegant". That's a nice touch.