Darren has been a keen follower of sport his entire life, developing a strong love of rugby league, cricket, baseball and just about any competitive event involving an Australian athlete. Darren’s editorial journey included stops at AOL|7, Wide World of Sports and Sportsfan.
Here we are, spring has completely sprung, the air is warm and thick with the scent of the Flemington roses. The first Tuesday in November has arrived, which means it is time to run the Melbourne Cup around the famous 3200 metres.
We have all the details you need to pick a winner in the big one.
TAB fixed odds correct as of 8pm AEDT, 3rd November, 2024 (please visit tab.com.au for the latest).
1. VAUBAN (FR) – TAB Odds:
$6 Form: 11x0x24312 Career Win%: 40 Place%: 75
First start for a new trainer after having a seven-week spell. Quick out of a good barrier so it should be well clear of any early trouble. Last won two starts back in York. Could be one of the contenders.
2. BUCKAROO (GB) – TAB Odds:
$6.50 Form: 5356×81122 Career Win%: 23 Place%: 55
Finished strongly to take second place in the Caulfield Cup on a soft track. Has had two wins from five starts this preparation and with the magic man Joao Moreira aboard will be among the chances.
3. CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) – TAB Odds:
$41 Form: 3x4411x890 Career Win%: 23 Place%: 54
Jumps from an awkward barrier having struggled so far this preparation. Ran 10th in the Caulfield Cup last start, but will appreciate the extra distance here. Won’t be carrying my money, so that’s one advantage it has.
4. WARP SPEED (JPN) – TAB Odds:
$26 Form: x414x325x0 Career Win%: 17 Place%: 48
Was well beaten in the Caulfield Cup last start after a six-month spell. Will be better for that run, prefers the ground dry and has a nice draw for this. Would need to turn things around to win.
5. KOVALICA (NZ) – TAB Odds:
$21 Form: 95365×3426 Career Win%: 25 Place%: 50
Eased back to finish 6th last start in the Cox Plate. Has proven ability over the longer distance, so the step up will suit. One to consider for your exotics as a place finish would not surprise.
6. SHARP ‘N’ SMART (NZ) – TAB Odds:
$61 Form: x3669x0203 Career Win%: 27 Place%: 59
Showed great improvement to finish third in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500m last start. Will need to improve again if it is to have any chance here.
7. JUST FINE (IRE) – TAB Odds:
$51 Form: 0x85x05010 Career Win%: 28 Place%: 40
Was up the front early in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup last start over 2500m, but faded badly to finish last. Could be one of the front runners again here, but unlikely to be collecting any trophies.
8 LAND LEGEND (FR) – TAB Odds:
$17 Form: 755x1x0613 Career Win%: 23 Place%: 46
Ran on well to finish third in the Caulfield Cup last start, after winning at Randwick the run before aver 2400m. Will appreciate the wide open spaces of Flemington and the extra distance and a win here wouldn’t surprise.
9. ABSURDE (FR) – TAB Odds:
$9 Form: 1x7F41x41x Career Win%: 29 Place%: 67
First run for a new trainer after a lengthy spell. Ran well in last year’s Melbourne Cup and has had a similar preparation this time.
Finished fifth in the Bendigo Cup last start, five lengths behind Sea King. Before that he was well back at the finish of the Caulfield Cup. One for the Newcastle fans, let’s hope it finishes closer to the front of the pack.
12. OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) – TAB Odds:
$14 Form: 13x00x8021 Career Win%: 28 Place%: 61
Won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500m last start. Should race on the speed and is among the main chances. Jockey Jamie Kah is returning to her best form.
13. ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) – TAB Odds:
$8 Form: 42882×1741 Career Win%: 13 Place%: 55
Won the Geelong Cup last start, which has always proven to be a strong indicator for this race. With one of the world’s top jockeys in Craig Williams on board, I’ll be having a bit of my hard earned on it. One for the Sade fans.
14. ZARDOZI – TAB Odds:
$15 Form: 132×665245 Career Win%: 32 Place%: 53
Short back-up of three days after finishing fifth in the Empire Rose over 1600m on Derby Day. Before that he ran on well for fourth in the Caulfield Cup. Has won twice previously at Flemington and carries the flag for Godolphin this year.
15. SEA KING (GB) – TAB Odds:
$9.50 Form: 4x110136x1 Career Win%: 35 Place%: 50
In its last start, first up after a spell, it won the Bendigo Cup over 2400m. In form and could be a genuine threat if he can rattle on over the 3200m. One naval helicopter fans.
16. VALIANT KING (GB) – TAB Odds:
$126 Form: 212256×009 Career Win%: 9 Place%: 45
Has struggled so far this preparation, finishing ninth in the Caulfield Cup last start. He has a nasty barrier for the Cup and is unlikely to trouble the better horses. One for all the old Chrysler fans out there.
17. FANCY MAN (IRE) – TAB Odds:
$126 Form: x58610x536 Career Win%: 19 Place%: 52
Finished 10 lengths behind the winner of the Caulfield Cup last start on a soft track. Won’t be far away in the run and has the speed to overcome a bad barrier. But I don’t fancy his chances.
18. INTERPRETATION (IRE) – TAB Odds:
$21 Form: 916×000862 Career Win%:17 Place%: 35
Ran second in the Geelong Cup last start over 2400m. Has been hitting the line nicely in recent starts and could be ready to spring a surprise in this.
Finished four lengths off the pace in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup last start. Has won twice in a 21-race career and will be a real shot of picking up that last place prize in the office sweep.
20. MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) – TAB Odds:
$81 Form: x23622x440 Career Win%: 24 Place%: 52
Did nothing to impress last start at Flemington finishing second last over 2520m. Has had a 31-day spell and will be wearing the blinkers again. One for fans of Melbourne’s weather.
21. POSITIVITY (NZ) – TAB Odds:
$126 Form: 81291×2178 Career Win%: 33 Place%: 50
Faded to finish eighth last start in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and won at Caulfield three runs back. Wide barrier is a concern as is its ability to run the 3200m.
22. SAINT GEORGE (GB) – TAB Odds:
$23 Form: 31123×8495 Career Win%: 20 Place%: 50
Ran on strongly to finish midfield last start in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500m. Not without hope over the extra distance. One for the Dragons fans, and hopefully not as disappointing.
23. THE MAP – TAB Odds:
$51 Form: 12211×9056 Career Win%: 28 Place%: 47
Loves Flemington although has struggled for form of late. Last start it finished sixth in the Geelong Cup over 2400m. Should handle the distance but lacks the class to win this. One for the Dora the Explorer fans.
Finished fourth in the St Leger over 2600m at Randwick last start. Has had four wins in a career of 30 starts, and none of those were in recent memory. Could battle Manzoice for the last place prize in the office sweep.
The San Francisco Giants acquired three-time All-Star Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in a stunning trade that sent a player Boston once considered a franchise cornerstone to a San Francisco team needing an offensive infusion.
Boston received left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Rookie League right-hander Jose Bello.
The Red Sox announced the deal Sunday evening.
The Giants will cover the remainder of Devers’ contract, which runs through 2033 and will pay him more than $250 million, sources told ESPN.
The trade ends the fractured relationship between Devers and the Red Sox that had degraded since spring training, when Devers balked at moving off third base — the position where he had spent his whole career — after the signing of free agent Alex Bregman. The Red Sox gave no forewarning to Devers, who expressed frustration before relenting and agreeing to be their designated hitter.
After a season-ending injury to first baseman Triston Casas in early May, the Red Sox asked Devers to move to first base. Devers declined, suggesting the front office “should do their jobs” and find another player after the organization told him during spring training he would be the DH for the remainder of the season. The day after Devers’ comments, Red Sox owner John Henry, president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Kansas City, where Boston was playing, to talk with Devers.
In the weeks since, Devers’ refusal to play first led to internal tension and helped facilitate the deal, sources said.
San Francisco pounced — and added a force to an offense that ranks 15th in runs scored in Major League Baseball. Devers, 28, is hitting .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, tied for the third most in MLB. Over his nine-year career, Devers is hitting .279/.349/.509 with 215 home runs and 696 RBIs in 1,053 games.
Boston believed enough in Devers to give him a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension in January 2023. He rewarded the Red Sox with a Silver Slugger Award that season and made his third All-Star team in 2024.
Whether he slots in at designated hitter or first base with San Francisco — the Giants signed Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million deal last year — is unknown. But San Francisco sought Devers more for his bat, one that immediately makes the Giants — who are fighting for National League West supremacy with the Los Angeles Dodgers — a better team.
To do so, the Giants gave a package of young talent and took on the contract that multiple teams’ models had as underwater.
Harrison, 23, is the prize of the deal, particularly for a Red Sox team replete with young hitting talent but starving for young pitching. Once considered one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Harrison has shuttled between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento this season.
Harrison, who was scratched from a planned start against the Dodgers on Sunday night, has a 4.48 ERA over 182⅔ innings since debuting with the Giants in 2023. He has struck out 178, walked 62 and allowed 30 home runs. The Red Sox optioned Harrison to Triple-A Worcester after the trade was announced.
Hicks, 28, who has toggled between starter and reliever since signing with the Giants for four years and $44 million before the 2024 season, is on the injured list because of right toe inflammation. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, Hicks has a 6.47 ERA over 48⅔ innings this season. He could join the Red Sox’s ailing bullpen, which Breslow has sought to upgrade.
Tibbs, 22, was selected by the Giants with the 13th pick in last year’s draft out of Florida State. A 6-foot, 200-pound corner outfielder, Tibbs has spent the season at High-A, where he has hit .245/.377/.480 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs in 56 games. Scouts laud his command of the strike zone — he has 41 walks and 45 strikeouts in 252 plate appearances — but question whether his swing will translate at higher levels.
Bello, 20, has spent the season as a reliever for the Giants’ Rookie League affiliate. In 18 innings, he has struck out 28 and walked three while posting a 2.00 ERA.
The deal is the latest in which Boston shipped a player central to the franchise.
Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in February 2020, just more than a year after leading Boston to a franchise-record 108 wins and a World Series title and winning the American League MVP Award.
Devers was part of that World Series-winning team in 2018 and led the Red Sox in RBIs each season from 2020 to 2024, garnering AL MVP votes across each of the past four years. Devers had been with the Red Sox since 2013, when he signed as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He debuted four years later at age 20.
Boston is banking on its young talent to replace Devers’ production. The Red Sox regularly play four rookies — infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Carlos Narvaez — and infielder Franklin Arias and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia are expected to contribute in the coming years.
Ohtani, 21 months removed from a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, will be used as an opener, likely throwing one inning. Because of his two-way designation, Ohtani qualifies as an extra pitcher on the roster, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to use a piggyback starter behind him.
That is essentially what will take place in his first handful of starts — a byproduct of the progress Ohtani has made in the late stages of his pitching rehab.
Ohtani, 30, initially seemed to be progressing toward a return some time around August. But he made a major step during his third simulated game from San Diego’s Petco Park on Tuesday, throwing 44 pitches over the course of three simulated innings and compiling six strikeouts against a couple of low-level minor leaguers.
Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a “north of zero” chance Ohtani could return before the All-Star break. When he met with reporters prior to Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants — an eventual 5-4 victory — Roberts said it was a “possibility” Ohtani could pitch after just one more simulated game.
After the game, Roberts indicated the timeline might have been pushed even further, telling reporters it was a “high possibility” Ohtani would pitch in a big league game this week as an opener, likely during the upcoming four-game series against the Padres.
“He’s ready to pitch in a big league game,” Roberts told reporters. “He let us know.”
If you’re just getting back home from your Father’s Day activities, you had better sit down, because Sunday evening’s Boston Red Sox–San Francisco Giants trade is a doozy.
Rafael Devers, second among third basemen and seventh among hitters in fantasy points this season, is headed to the Giants, traded minutes before their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston’s return includes pitchers Kyle Harrison, who was the Giants’ scheduled starting pitcher Sunday night (subsequently scratched), pitcher Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and pitching prospect Jose Bello.
Expect Devers to continue to serve in a designated hitter-only capacity with his new team, considering his season-long stance, which is primarily an issue for his position eligibility for 2026. He might factor as the Giants’ future first baseman if given a full offseason to prepare for the shift to a new position — or it could happen sooner if he has a change of heart in his new environment.
As for the impact on Devers’ numbers, the move from Fenway Park to Oracle Park represents one of the steepest downgrades in terms of park factors, specifically run production and extra-base hits. With its close-proximity Green Monster in left field, Fenway Park is a much better environment for doubles and runs scored, Statcast reflecting that it’s 22% and 10% better than league average in those categories, respectively, compared with 8% worse and only 2% above par for Oracle Park.
Devers is a prime-age 28, with a contract averaging a relatively reasonable $31.8 million over the next eight seasons, and he’s leaving a Red Sox team where his defensive positioning — he has played all but six of his career defensive innings at third base — was a manner of much debate, to go to a team that has one of baseball’s best defensive third basemen in Matt Chapman (once he’s healthy following a hand injury). Devers’ unwillingness to play first base probably played a big part in his ultimately being traded, and it’s worth pointing out that one of the positions where the Giants are weakest is, well, also first base.
play
2:02
Perez: Devers gives Giants a ‘really good offense’
Eduardo Perez, David Cone and Karl Ravech react to the Giants acquiring star 3B Rafael Devers from the Red Sox.
Devers’ raw power is immense, as he has greater than 95th percentile barrel and hard-hit rates this season. He has been in that tier or better in the latter in each of the past three seasons as well. He’s at a 33-homer (and 34 per 162 games) pace since the beginning of 2021, so the slugger should continue to homer at a similar rate regardless of his surroundings. He should easily snap the Giants’ drought of 30-homer hitters, which dates back to Barry Bonds in 2004. Devers’ fantasy value might slip slightly, mostly due to the park’s impact on his runs scored and RBIs, but he’ll remain a top-four fantasy third baseman.
If you play in an NL-only league, Devers is an open-the-wallet free agent target. He’s worth a maximum bid, considering he brings a similar ability to stars you might invest in come the July trade deadline, except in this case you’ll get an extra month and a half’s production.
Harrison is an intriguing pickup for the Red Sox, though in a disappointing development, he was immediately optioned to Triple-A Worcester. A top-25 overall prospect as recently as two years ago, Harrison’s spike in average fastball velocity this season (95.1 mph, up from 92.5) could be a signal of better things ahead. Once recalled to Fenway Park, his fantasy prospects would take a hit, as that’s a venue that isn’t forgiving to fly ball-oriented lefties, but he’d be a matchups option nevertheless.
Expect Hicks to serve in setup relief for his new team, though he’d at best be fourth in the Red Sox’s pecking order for saves.