LUKE Murrell believes Ashrun has the class to deliver Australian Bloodstock a second Melbourne Cup victory on Tuesday.
He's just going to need a lot of luck.
Murrell and co-founder Jamie Lovett's Hunter syndication company will have two runners in the Melbourne Cup for the second time after Ashrun's thrilling Lexus Hotham Stakes (2500m) win at Flemington on Saturday. Mustajeer, trained at Newcastle by Kris Lees, was already in the 24-horse field.
Australian Bloodstock won the 2014 Cup with Andreas Wohler-trained Protectionist and they link again with the German trainer for Ashrun's campaign.
In 2017, the company had Big Duke (fourth) and Red Cardinal (11th) in the race. Murrell believed Mustajeer ($71) and Ashrun ($23) were better prospects but the latter's gate 24 draw was a blow.
"It's a good thing to get two in, but I think they are genuine run-in-the-money chances, and that's what we are more interested in," Murrell said.
"I think quality-wise, these are both better horses [than the 2017 pair]. As good as those two were for us, these are probably better chances.
"The gate dampens you a little with Ashrun. If he'd drawn a gate, I honestly thought he could run top two or three."
Despite that obstacle, he was hopeful five-year-old Ashrun could back-up from the Hotham run, where he came from last in the final 800m to score on the line.
"Maybe it was a blessing that they went so slow the other day," he said. "If you have to do the back-up, that race is what you wanted. It was only a real exertion for 800 metres and hopefully that tightens him right up.
"And he's only a young horse, so I think they are more likely to bounce through it than an older horse. If he gets a really good run, we think he can win, but it's a big ask from out there."
Mustajeer was 23rd in 2019 after a wide run throughout but he has gate two on Tuesday.
"That was what he needed," Murrell said.
"He covered 202 extra metres last year in the race, but from barrier two, surely he won't do that."
"He should be able to hold a spot up there somewhere and this year he should get his chance.
"I genuinely think they both could run, with the right run, top six. Hopefully that means one of them get there."
As for which horses would be the main rivals, Murrell found it hard to pinpoint genuine chances in this year's edition.
"Ninety per cent of the horses in the race are not actually stayers. They are 2400 and 2000-metre horses, so it's a really quirky race," he said.
"You would say one to back is Prince Of Arran because he will run the trip, but history says if you have a couple of goes at it and don't win, you are probably not winning it in your third or fourth go.
"There are so many horses in it that won't run the distance out and there's another handful who have had question marks on them."
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