I'll be back a bit later with my selections for the cup. Have to go and take a few painkillers first. Never thought I'd say it - but I think I had too much of the black stuff last night!

Courtesy The West Australian website:

YOUNG trainer Paul Miller had a shocking start to the New Year when his well fancied stayer Alibi Bay went lame and had to be scratched from today's $350,000 BMW Perth Cup (3200m).

Alibi Bay was found to have strained a tendon on his off fore-leg late yesterday afternoon and was immediately withdrawn from the race.

Alibi Bay, third in the Cox Stakes last start, was well fancied by punters at $10 on pre-post TAB Sportsbet fixed-odds markets.

Miller, at 25 the youngest trainer with a cup runner today, will now rely on revived stayer Super Moss ($31) to try to compensate for the loss of his star.

Jockey Jeff Noske is shooting for the stayers' grand slam when he rejoins tough galloper Exit Lane in the cup.

Noske is the reigning cups king, having won the Pinjarra and Bunbury cups on Exit Lane and the Coolgardie, Boulder and Kalgoorlie cups on Lawmaker.

No other rider has gone close to being so successful in those cups in a single year and a win today would cap an outstanding 12 months for the 37-year-old.

Noske encouraged trainer Megan Midgley to head Exit Lane towards the Perth Cup nine months ago, after winning the Bunbury Cup (2200m).

"He just relaxed so well," the jockey said. "You can put him to sleep in a race and wake him up when he needs to do something.

"The beauty of him is he can click up a gear and kick home strongly, something a lot of stayers can't do.

"He really looks like a stayer now. The weight has gone from his body and his ribs are showing.

"He is very fit."

Trainer Lindsey Smith knows Mr Tambourineman must overcome a horror draw (18) for the gelding to compensate for two near-misses in the cup in the past five years.

Smith's iron-tough stayer Old Cobber was runner-up to Heed The Toll in the 1998 cup and his super-staying filly Old Money had to be scratched from the 2001 cup, when hotly fancied to win.

"He mightn't be the greatest horse but he is mentally very tough," Smith said. "The cup was never on our plan this preparation but we shifted into it because he was staying so well.

"I thought his win in last Saturday's ATA Stakes was his best.

"I have been able to switch a few things about with him in his training and he is revitalised."

The scratching of Alibi Bay sparked a reshuffle of markets.

The Alan Mathews-trained pair Tumeric and Bold Mirage retained favouritism at $4.50 and $6 respectively. The TAB reported a bet of $2000 on Bold Mirage.

There was a late charge by punters on the cup's two raiders, Zero Point and Time Signal. A $2000 bet was laid on Zero Point to win $34,000 and another $2000 was bet on Time Signal to win $18,000.

Trainer Alan Mathews had the last word for punters when he said: "Both my horses are going great and I really think either could win.

"Bold Mirage has the ability to put a quick couple of lengths on them turning into the straight.

"They just need a bit of luck in running."

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Ta me go maith