who can win the Melbourne Cup PT10M59S http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2wute 620 349 November 4, 2013 - 1:19PM Can: Grows a leg in Australia and has produced some of his best career runs during the Melbourne spring carnival. Can't: Weight. Only Makybe Diva has carried anything like this weight to victory in the past 30 years. Some very talented stayers have him beaten at the handicap. Quote: "Dunaden can do it, he's a great horse and he is in great form," owner Sheikh Fahad. Can: Won it last year and primed this year with the blinkers on for the first time to spark him into peak form. Can't: Not in the same form as he was 12 months ago and carries three kilograms more this year. Quote: "Green Moon is in great shape and I'm sure he will run a great race," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Racing in consistent form and like Dunaden he improves when travelling outside the UK. Much better than his Irish St Leger run suggests as he had problems there. Can't: Age might be catching up with this warrior and will need a career best effort to win. Quote: "The barrier obviously makes things a bit sticky but he's in great form this year and we'll see how we go," trainer Ed Dunlop. Can: Comes to the race with winning form and on pure talent is probably the classiest horse in this field. Building confidence with every run in Australia. Can't: Still not at his very best this preparation and might need another 12 months before really finding that form. Quote: "We are very happy with Sea Moon, he's in winning form and is in this up to his ears," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Took the Goodwood Cup in dominant style two runs back and is a powerhouse stayer, will be hard to run down if he gets his own way near the speed. Can't: Lacks the turn of foot to put this race away and is weighted right up to his best here. Quote: "I've never been nervous before a football match but I'm nervous for this race. The horse is in great form," owner Michael Owen. Can: The best of the locally trained runners on form. Huge in the Turnbull and then in the Cox Plate, looking for this track and handicap conditions. Can't: Remains a slight query in a genuine staying test at 3200 metres and could get racing too keenly if fired up to take a position early. Quote: "Fiorente goes to the race in great form. I could not have him any better, it's as simple as that," trainer Gai Waterhouse. Can: Cannot knock him on form. Slashing run in the Cox Plate and is constantly underrated. Can't: Has not won beyond 2000 metres and has a tricky barrier to overcome. Quote: "Foreteller deserves his chance in the race, he's in great form but the distance is a query," trainer Chris Waller. Can: Huge run in the Caulfield Cup and traditionally that is the best form reference for this race. Fits the right profile of a European raider with a run under its belt here. Can't: Another that is a distance doubt. Beaten at all but one of his runs beyond 2400 metres. Quote: "We cannot be happier with the horse and we go to Tuesday confident that he's in great shape. He'll give a lot of people a big thrill just by running," managing owner Darren Dance. Can: Lightly raced AJC Derby winner that has freakish talent at his best. Can't: Has only won one race and his form this preparation has been poor. Quote: "I thought that he improved on Saturday and two miles and a big track is what he has been looking for," trainer Pat Carey. Can: Last start Caulfield Cup winner that is an untapped talent at staying distances. Drops in weight from his Caulfield Cup victory and races best at Flemington. Can't: A big query at the distance. Quote: "Fawkner is the forgotten horse. He won the Caulfield Cup and that has always been the best form reference for this race," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Sydney Cup winner and a tough stayer when at his best. Can't: Form is shocking and could be a speed hump for some of these late in the race. Quote: "He won the Sydney Cup in the autumn and is a classy horse," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Has a Green Moon-like preparation and ran a slashing race in the Cox Plate. Well weighted and drawn to perfection. Can't: Still has some ground to make up on some of the European rivals. Quote: "Seville has had a great preparation for this race. His Cox Plate run was very similar if not better to Green Moon last year and he has a great chance," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Australian Cup winner that loves Flemington. Finding form at the right time and his Cox Plate run was excellent. Can't: Has to be a query at the distance and has not looked like a winner at any of his runs this preparation. Quote: "The horse has been set specifically for this race since the Derby last year and he's absolutely spot on for Tuesday," trainer Mark Kavanagh. Can: English St Leger winner that oozes class and is screaming out for this distance. The classiest stayer in this field if at his best. Can't: Shocking run in the Cox Plate and looked very one-paced. Can over-race and pull too hard. Quote: "If Masked Marvel runs to his best form in Europe he will go very close. We've been really happy with him since the Cox Plate," part-owner Nick Williams. Can: Outstanding run last year when he was beaten by the slow speed of the race and has the services of one of Australia's best jockeys. Can't: Relies on a strong gallop to show his best and has drawn a horrible barrier. Quote: "Mount Athos is in better shape than he was last year and I'm very confident that he will run a big race. The pace could be a problem again and he has a poor gate," trainer Luca Cumani. Can: Arguably the best chance that Godolphin has had to win the Melbourne Cup in 15 years. Improving all the time and has the speed and quality to win this race. Can't: Has looked a little one-paced when beaten at his past two runs. Quote: "The horse is well and he is in good form. I am very happy with his chances in the race," trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Can: Smashed her rivals in the Irish St Leger and that race has often been a good form guide for the Melbourne Cup. Highly rated in Ireland and still improving. Can't: Had all the breaks in the St Leger and some of her rivals were not at their best. Former trainer Dermot Weld said she was not ready for the Melbourne Cup this year. Quote: "She's done really well since arriving in Australia and her work has been very good. I'm confident that she will run a big race," trainer Mike Moroney. Can: Has been extremely consistent so far this spring and turned in one of the best Cup trials when charging to the line in the Caulfield Cup. Can't: Not bred to run 2000 metres let alone 3200 metres and looked to peak for the Caulfield Cup. Quote: "He's an improving stayer and we know that he has the class to win. Hopefully he runs the distance out strongly," trainer Chris Waller. Can: Has run some huge races in Europe against the cream of the staying ranks and is the strongest horse in the race. Can't: One-paced and lacks the speed to really put a race of this standard away. Quote: "He's had a good prep race already and he'll run the distance right out. He has been working really well since that race," trainer Willie Mullins. Can: Regarded by her trainer as a horse of comparable talent to 2010 winner Americain, she has some extremely strong form in France. Can't: Couldn't beat Cavalryman at this distance in Dubai in March and that horse was well-beaten here last year. Quote: "The filly has had a good preparation for the race and I am happy with her," trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre. Can: Has the right form in the right races and is the best of the locals that have followed the traditional Caulfield Cup-Mackinnon Stakes path. Can't: Just lacks the killer punch to win a race like this and has drawn awkwardly. Quote: "She has run some fantastic races this spring and she always gives her best," trainer Clarry Conners. Can: Defeated the older horses in France last start in good style and that has been a great form reference through the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Champions Stakes in Europe. Can't: Only three years of age by northern hemisphere time and will have to work very hard early from a wide gate. Quote: "Gai is very happy with the horse and he comes to the race with better form than Fiorente did last year," managing owner Bruce Slade. Can: Lexus Stakes winners have a great record on the quick back up into the Cup. Can't: His form is not strong enough. Quote: "The horse was a very strong winner on Saturday and he deserves his chance in the race," trainer Ed Walker.