ONE of the appealing things for those approaching the Melbourne Cups – be it bettors, trainers, connections – is the relative predictability of the conditions. The ground is usually good, the draw is seldom a death sentence and the pace of the race is typically good or strong (of the last six runnings, five have had finishing speeds of between 103-105%).

The decision to water ahead of rain left the ground softer than usual (good-to-soft) but the remaining conditions were within the usual barometers and it fell to Cross Counter, the first British-trained winner of the race for Godolphin.