'Shocking' to win Melb Cup | Thebigtip

Anyone who doubted that last year's Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Shocking was a serious contender for this season's renewal knows now that Mark Kavanagh's charge is the one they all have to beat after a scintillating performance to win in Grade 2 company at Flemington this weekend over just eight furlongs, writes Elliot Slater.

The five-year-old son of Street Cry had been expected to find things happening just a little too quick for him in the mile Makybe Diva Stakes and was duly sent off a 16/1 chance, but the prevailing heavy underfoot conditions certainly played a role in bringing his undoubted stamina to the fore.

Having been settled towards the rear of the 16-runner field, Shocking made eye-catching progress from two furlongs out, coming home with a withering late run under regular pilot Michael Rodd to catch Heart Of Dreams and score by half-a-length. The victory now brings Shocking's Flemington course record over a wide variety of distances to four wins from four outings.

Even trainer Mark Kavanagh had expected his stable star to have a serious job on his hands laying up with horses with more perceived pace, but made it clear after the race that he is in no doubt whatsoever that Shocking is a better horse now than he was last year and that he has a serious chance of following up last year's famous victory despite having risen 6kgs in the weights.

Bookmaker reaction to Shocking's victory was understandably swift, with local Melbourne Cup odds being slashed from 22/1 to 10/1 favourite.