Marmelo equal Melbourne Cup favourite

International visitor Marmelo has stormed into equal favouritism for the Melbourne Cup after an eye-catching Caulfield Cup run.

The Hughie Morrison-trained horse ran home strongly from back in the field to finish equal sixth in Saturday’s 2400m handicap, won by Boom TIme.

Winner of the Prix Kergorlay (3000m) in France in August, Marmelo has firmed from $11 to $6.50 for the Melbourne Cup and shares favouritism with last year’s winner Almandin while Johannes Vermeer is at $9.

“Excellent performance,” Marmelo’s jockey Hugh Bowman said.

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“He’s right on track for the Melbourne Cup.”

Marmelo was not the first of the three international horses home in Saturday’s Cup, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer finishing third as the $5 favourite.

“He ran really well,” jockey Ben Melham said.

“He took a step backwards as the barriers opened and I would have liked to be a couple of spots closer in the run. I just had to pick and weave through the corner but he was really strong on the line.”

The Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave, the other northern hemisphere-trained runner in the Cup, finished 12th and is at $51 for the Melbourne Cup.