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With everything locked in for the 2014 Melbourne Cup after the barrier on Saturday night, all that is left to do is start the race that stops the nation at 3pm AEDT on Tuesday 4 November.
After Saturday night’s barrier draw, the favourites remain well backed by the punters after drawing well.
Admire Rakti, the favourite before the draw, drew barrier 8 and firmed in betting for the Cup.
The 2014 Caulfield Cup winner will be looking to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the cup double.
Full 2014 Melbourne Cup results and live blog here
Other favourites, including Lucia Valentina, Protectionist and Fawkner, also drew well and remain in contention with the bookies. Lucia Valentina drew barrier 2, Fawkner drew barrier 9, and Protectionist drew barrier 11.
Protectionist, the 7.50 chance with the bookies, has the most successful barrier in Melbourne Cup history.
More 2014 Melbourne Cup:
» Preview and top tips
» Full field and odds
» Historical form analysis for 2014 Melbourne Cup
» Latest news, field and odds updates
» ANDREW LEMON: Your guess is as good as my Cavalryman
» Full jockey list and analysis
» Won won in 2013
Eight horses have won from Barrier 11 since 1924 with six winning from the barrier since the draw was introduced in 1958.
The biggest mover in the Melbourne Cup though has been Signoff. The winner of yesterday’s Lexus Stakes has gone from 21 dollars before the win, to 8 dollars now for the Cup.
Despite the poor barrier draw of 16, Signoff has an ideal weight for the Cup, and is a big chance to win the Stakes and Cup double.
If he wins he will be the first horse since Shocking in 2009 to win the Lexus Stakes and the Melbourne Cup in the same year.
Here is the information for the event.
Key information for the 2014 Melbourne Cup
Venue: Flemington Race Course, Victoria, Australia
Horses running: 24
Favourite: Admire Rakti (5.50)
Least Favourite: Mr O’Ceirin and Unchain My Heart (201)
Time of Race: 3:00pm AEDT November 4.
TV Schedule:
Channel 7 – 10am – 5:30pm
TVN – 9:45am – 5:45pm
Both channels will cover all 10 races on Melbourne Cup day.
Current odds for the 2014 Melbourne Cup – top 12
Admire Rakti – $5.50 ($2.00)
Protectionist – $7.50 ($2.10)
Lucia Valentina – $7.50 ($2.10)
Signoff – $8.00 ($2.20)
Fawkner – $9.00 ($2.50)
Mutual Regard – $13.00 ($3.30)
Red Cadeaux – $19.00 ($4.90)
Cavalryman – $26.00 ($6.30)
Junoob – $26.00 ($6.30)
Who Shot Thebarman – $26.00 ($6.30)
Willing Foe – $26.00 ($6.30)
Araldo – $26.00 ($6.30)
Biggest storylines for the 2014 Melbourne Cup
Can the international raiders win again?
Every year this question is posed with more and more international horses racing in the Melbourne Cup. In the last 12 years, since Irish trained Media Puzzle won the race in 2002, four other international horses have claimed the cup.
Delta Blues (2006), Efficient (2007), Americain (2011), and Dunaden (2012), have all stolen the party of the Australian brigade by taking the race.
This year, a new batch of international raiders, will try to do the same. Leading the charge is Admire Rakti from Japan.
The 2014 Caulfield Cup winner is the favourite for the race and will be looking to repeat the effort of Delta Blues who became the first Japanese horse to win the event in 2006.
Others to look out for include Protectionist, Red Cadeaux, Cavalryman, Royal Diamond, Mutual Regard, Willing Foe and My Ambivalent. Protectionist will be looking to become the first German horse to win the Melbourne Cup.
Great Britain leads the charge with four horses in the cup with Ireland having two. One of them, Red Cadeaux, will be hoping to finally win after finishing in second in 2011 and 2013.
It is the fourth Melbourne Cup for Red Cadeaux who becomes the first international horse to start that many races in the Cup.
Plenty of internationals are in contention for the race. They can certainly add another win to the collection of recent success by overseas horses.
Can an Australian horse win the race?
Before Signoff’s win in the Lexus Stakes yesterday, Fawkner was Australia’s best chance for the win at the Melbourne Cup.
Now with Signoff in the Cup, and at the ideal weight, Australia has some big chances of breaking the international raid.
Both horses are big chances for the win and are among the favourites for the race, but they aren’t the only Australian horses to look out for.
Lucia Valentina, who drew barrier 2, is also in contention. The New Zealand born, but Australia trained horse, is the second favourite with the bookies.
Australia has only two born and trained horses competing in the Cup. The first, Fawkner, has already been mentioned and is a favourite to take out the race. The other, Unchain My Heart, is a big outsider to win the Cup.
The only positive for the horse is that it drew barrier 5 which has produced the last two winners of the Cup. It would be good to see Unchain My Heart win but I can’t see it happening.
Australia has 16 trained or bred horses in the race. They are still a fantastic chance to keep the Cup in the land down under.
My Prediction:
Predicting the Melbourne Cup in the last few years has become an absolute lottery. With more international horses, and Australia lifting their game to match the talent from overseas, it has become a race which can be won by over half the field.
This year is no different with up to 14 horses in serious contention to take the Cup.
For me Signoff’s win in the Lexus Stakes was very impressive. It reminded me of Shocking’s effort in 2009 and I was lucky to be on that horse in the Melbourne Cup that year.
With Signoff at a light weight for the Cup, he will be in contention, and is my tip for the race.
The barrier is a worry but I reckon the horse and the jockey will overcome it.
He is my tip for the Melbourne Cup.
Top 4 – Signoff, Admire Rakti, Red Cadeaux, Fawkner
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