By MIKE DILLON in MELBOURNE
Ask bookmakers about the cup chances of English-trained Daliapour and they quote you a $41 price.
Ask rival European trainers and they say Daliapour is the horse they fear the most.
As punters ponder over the chances of the powerful Godolphin team and Dermot Weld's pair Vinnie Roe
and Media Puzzle, Daliapour has been despised by everyone.
This was until yesterday's breakfast media conference at Sandown.
Saeed bin Suroor and Alan Jarvis, trainer of Jardines Lookout, both have Daliapour in their trifecta.
Daliapour has had an interesting career.
Originally trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute the Irish-bred was sold to Hong Kong interests for US$1 million about the time he won the Hong Kong Vase in December 2000. A fifth placing was the best he could do in six starts in Hong Kong and this year he found his way back to Sir Michael Stoute's yard.
He has had four starts and won the 2800m Currish Cup on June 29.
"I don't think he's quite as competitive as he was previously, but I think he'll be very competitive here," said Sir Michael.
Daliapour was given interval training at Sandown yesterday.
He worked solo through a quiet 1200m then galloped strongly up the tough home straight, hitting out impressively in the closing stages.
"I'm very happy with his demeanour since he's been here," said Sir Michael.
Dermot Weld has been saying all week that bookies have got it wrong and that Daliapour deserves to be a lot shorter in the market.
"He's at generous odds," said Sir Michael. "He's certainly better value than the English cricket team."
Sir Michael cites cricket and deep sea fishing as his passions outside of horses.
Daliapour will be ridden by Michael Kinane, who won the race on Vintage Crop in 1993.
Dermot Weld rated Pugin the horse to beat. "He's in at a terrific weight," said Weld of the galloper who pushed Vinnie Roe so close at his latest outing and has since changed stables.
Godolphin's media liaison manager, Englishman Alan Byrne says his job specification does not allow him to tip.
"But if I was, I'd be tipping Vinnie Roe."
