His allotted 55kg today is significantly more than former Northern Hemisphere-time 3-year-olds have been asked to carry in the Cup but few of them have come Down Under on the back of a performance as impressive at his last-start stunner.
Perhaps more importantly, he has looked a stronger horse every run this campaign so may be an even more powerful horse today than he was at York, an improvement curve that could take him all the way to the Flemington winner's circle.
With three-time Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy aboard, it gets harder and harder to pick holes in the favourite until you dig into his heavy track stats, or lack of them.
A wet Flemington is usually welcomed by the Northern Hemisphere trainers but Deauville Legend has no real wet track form but could be about to get some.
Flemington was rated a soft 7 yesterday with rain forecast last night and up to 20mils forecast for today — as well as hail and even thunderstorms.
That would seem to be disadvantageous for Deauville Legend but trainer Ferguson doesn't believe a heavy track will diminish his chances.
"I don't think so, I think he will be fine on a wetter track," says Ferguson.
"I think what you call soft or even heavy here [Australia] is different to how wet our soft tracks are at home.
"And his sister won a heavy track in France over 2800m so I think he will handle it."
For all that vote of confidence, Ferguson and those backing Deauville Legend will probably be like every fashionista at Flemington today: hoping the rain stays away.
If the track gets enough rain to be downgraded to heavy (which means more waterlogged and muddy) then the Cup could become the lottery that stops a nation.
A heavy 3200m is a strength-sapping experience for even the fittest gallopers. Some won't stay the distance on the heavy surface, others simply don't like it.
Then there are those who will love a more level playing field and those less-talented mud monsters get their chance to stamp their muddied hooves on to the Cup's history pages.
The problem is working out who is who.
Some like Knights Order, who won the Sydney Cup on a bottomless heavy track, will love it as too may Montefilia, Stockman, Realm Of Flowers and the Kiwi-bred Smokin' Romans.
That list could be doubled or halved depending how heavy Flemington is, whereas the genuine winning chances on an improved surface are headed by Deauville Legend, Gold Trip and Without A Fight.
The best advice for serious punters?
Wait to see how much rain falls, even right up until the race before the Cup, because this is Melbourne after all and anything short of Noah's Ark floating down the Flemington straight wouldn't surprise.
If the Ark weather doesn't turn up, Deauville gets his chance to become a legend.
MICHAEL GUERIN'S TIPS
1: Deauville Legend
2: Gold Trip
3: Without A Fight.
4: Realm Of Flowers
