Racing: Immature Leica Falcon ready to fly

MELBOURNE - If weight alone is the deciding factor, Leica Falcon wins the Melbourne Cup.

The 50kg the remarkable rapidly emerging star has on his back leaps off the page at you.

No one knows how good Leica Falcon is. He has had just nine starts and the only time he has been matched against opposition that would give you the tip for this race, he simply walked around and won the Winning Edge Stakes.

He then struck a staggering amount of trouble, yet still ended up fifth in the Caulfield Cup after being last into the home straight.

If you saw the strides he made up in the final 250m you would just want to be on in this race.

But the Melbourne Cup is the grand final of grand finals. It's brutal and completely unforgiving on inexperienced horses.

Leica Falcon's astute and humble trainer Richard Freyer refuses to concede that either his horse's inexperience or his supposed field-shyness is a factor.

Let's Elope with 13 starts is the least experienced Melbourne Cup winner.

"I'm not expecting miracles, but he'll run a nice race," said Corowa-based Freyer.

While some analysts blamed Leica Falcon's mental immaturity for his Caulfield Cup woes, Freyer describes it as jockey navigation problems.

He sacked his jockey Craig Williams and the youthful, but vastly experienced Kerrin McEvoy creates confidence sitting in the saddle.

Freyer clearly has plenty of confidence in him - McEvoy wanted to drive up to Corowa to get a feel of Leica Falcon, but Freyer talked him out of the four-hour drive.

"He's an experienced international jockey, he'll know what to do."

Leica Falcon is already a Melbourne Cup history maker - he is the most dramatic price shortener in a century. Bookmakers bet as much as $500 to $1 when markets were first framed. They were happy to do it - Leica Falcon was eligible for one-win races when he began his present preparation. He has shortened to joint second favourite.