Jessicabeel planning star turn in Flemington feature

Jessicabeel, the Australian race mare named after the Hollywood star Jessica Biel, who has starred in such movies as 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'The Illusionist' and most recently the movie version of 'The A-Team', is set to begin her build-up to a crack at the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington when appearing in the Tramway Handicap at Randwick, writes Elliot Slater.

The seven furlong contest is some way short of the five-year-old daughter of Zabeel's best trip of in excess of a mile-and three-quarters, but trainer John O'Shea is planning to bring her along steadily as he seeks to produce her at the top of her game for 'the race that stops a nation' on the first Tuesday in November.

Jessicabeel ended last term in tremendous fashion, landing the Group 2 S.M.H Chairman's Handicap at  Randwick before returning to the central Sydney venue to record the biggest success of her career, beating Divine Rebel to land the Group 1 Schweppes Sydney Cup by three quarters of a length over the 'Cup' distance of two miles.

Only three mares have won the Melbourne Cup in the 150-year history of the contest (although the legendary Makybe Diva proved with her incredible hat-trick of successes that it can be done) and O'Shea's charge will be out to buck the trend once again. O'Shea, also responsible for another live contender in Zabrasive, plans to give his mare up to three outings before November's feature event, pointing out that she is very big in condition and will improve with her racing as she is stepped up in trip.

Looking at the best Melbourne Cup tips, British bookies currently make Jessicabeel a 20/1 shot (her stable companion Zabrasive is offered at 25s), whilst their Australian counterparts go 25/1 on O'Shea's mare, but are boxing clever with Zabrasive at just 20/1 in the Melbourne Cup betting markets.