- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The 2016 Melbourne Cup field is at long last finalised, and the barrier numbers have been drawn, leaving us with two days of anticipation before the race on Tuesday.
Despite being soundly beaten by Winx at Moonee Valley, Cox Plate runner-up Hartnell will start the race as favourite. The British Gelding has already amassed more than $2.6 million AUD in prize money from 14 career starts. That includes a winning percentage of 35.7 per cent for John O’Shea’s horse.
Click here to read Tristan Rayner’s exhaustive preview of the race that stops a nation, while get the low down on exotic bets here.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | Age | Odds |
| 1 | Big Orange | James Spencer | Michael Bell | 57kg | 6 | $14 |
| 2 | Our Ivanhowe | Dwayne Dunn | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 57kg | 7 | $41 |
| 3 | Curren Mirotic | Tommy Berry | Osamu Hirata | 56.5kg | 9 | $26 |
| 4 | Bondi Beach | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | 56kg | 5 | $9 |
| 5 | Exospheric | Damien Oliver | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 56kg | 5 | $18 |
| 6 | Hartnell | James McDonald | John O’Shea | 56kg | 6 | $5 |
| 7 | Who Shot Thebarman | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller | 56kg | 8 | $41 |
| 8 | Wicklow Brave | Frankie Dettori | William Mullins | 56kg | 8 | $16 |
| 9 | Almoonqith | Michael Walker | D & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 54.5kg | 7 | $26 |
| 10 | Gallante | Blake Shinn | Robert Hickmott | 54.5kg | 6 | $51 |
| 11 | Grand Marshal | Ben Melham | Chris Waller | 54.5kg | 7 | $35 |
| 12 | Jameka | Nick Hall | Ciaron Maher | 54.5kg | 4 | $8 |
| 13 | Heartbreak City | Jao Moreira | Tony Martin | 54kg | 7 | $16 |
| 14 | Sir John Hawkwood | Blake Spriggs | Jason Thompson | 54kg | 8 | $81 |
| 15 | Excess Knowledge | Vlad Duric | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 53.5kg | 7 | $61 |
| 16 | Beautiful Romance | Damian Lane | Saeed Bin Suroor | 52.5kg | 5 | $71 |
| 17 | Almandin | Kerrin McEvoy | Robert Hickmott | 52kg | 7 | $15 |
| 18 | Assign | Katelyn Mallyson | Robert Hickmott | 52kg | 6 | $71 |
| 19 | Grey Lion | Glen Boss | Matt Cumani | 52kg | 5 | $31 |
| 20 | Oceanographer | Chad Schofield | Charlie Appleby | 52kg | 5 | $7.50 |
| 21 | Secret Number | Stephen Baster | Saeed Bin Suroor | 52kg | 7 | $35 |
| 22 | Pentathlon | Mark Du Plessis | John Wheeler | 51.5kg | 5 | $126 |
| 23 | Qewy | Stephen Baster | Charles Appleby | 51.5kg | 7 | $23 |
| 24 | Rose of Virgina | Ben Thompson | Lee & Shannon Hope | 51kg | 7 | $126 |
Always check with your bookmaker for actual horse numbers. Ones given here are correct as of time of publication. All odds correct as of midday 31 October.
No. 2 order Almandin is owned by Lloyd Williams, who has made an art form of finding potential Melbourne Cup winners to buy. The horse has taken a relatively low-key path towards the big race compared to some of the other runners mentioned here but has still been very impressive.
First order Jameka is now the second hottest prospect in the field after bookmakers slashed her price from $12 into $5 following an impressive triumph in the Caulfield Cup. Jameka has the chance to become just the third mare to complete the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup double, following in the footsteps Let’s Elope in 1991 and Ethereal who achieved the double in 2001.
Big Orange finished a respectable fifth to 2015 winner Prince of Penzance and appears to be in stronger form heading into the 2016 Melbourne Cup. With seven career wins and three placings in his 18 starts, Big Orange is a strong starter and collected runner up to Vazirabad in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m at Meydan on March 26, proving that distance should not be an issue.
In a world that is seemingly in short supply of the thing, Real Love has, as expected, dropped out of the final field.
With the final field set, the all-important barrier draw can mean the difference between an easy run and gut-buster.
The significance of the barrier draw is a tactical one, as 24 horses jump out of the gates and try find their preferred position. Front-runners hope for a low-number barrier, while back markers won’t mind a wider barrier as much as they try and get to the front late in the race.
Punters can expect a wet track for the big day, with scattered showers being forecast. A heavy track will disadvantage the likes of Big Orange.
Have you ever tried your skills in a Racing daily fantasy competition? Put your best picks to the test for one day and see if you can scoop the pot with Draftstars. Looking for great odds on racing and sport? PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.