Gai Waterhouse says this year's Melbourne Cup is an open affair and anyone could win.
Ms Waterhouse, who has trained Tullamore and Older Than Time, said Tullamore has had a perfect preparation for winning at Flemington in a field of 24.
"When he won the Brisbane Cup back in June, I thought, `I've got a very special stayer', she told ABC radio on Tuesday.
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"He was running in restricted races before that, but it's amazing with these stayers that when they run right, they come right with a vengeance."
She said Tullamore would be carrying two kilograms less weight than in the Moonee Valley Cup, when he ran second behind Melbourne Cup favourite Americain, so would be in with a "real chance".
"He's a lovely stayer, a nice turn of foot, a very big horse."
She said she had not paid much attention to the rest of the field, but felt a couple of the European horses "haven't got a chance at all".
Their form line's atrocious," she said.
But any of the Melbourne Cup field would be "pretty hard to beat".
"It's a very open affair. I think it's an extremely open Cup this year."
The 2011 Melbourne Cup will be Race 7 at Flemington at 3pm.
