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One of the most exciting aspects of the 2021 Melbourne Cup is the number of Australian-trained horses that will be competing for their piece of the $7,750,000 prize fund. Among the 24 runners, 21 of them have been trained here in Australia and the odds look good that fans will be celebrating a local winner come the finish line of the Cup.
The Melbourne Cup is one of the great races in global horse racing and as such has always attracted a wealth of talent from overseas. In the past decade, six of the ten winners have been from overseas and ever since 1993 when Irish-trained Vintage Crop came over and won the Melbourne Cup in his first race in Australia, the Cup has attracted many champions from around the world.
The change is quite incredible. In the 1992 Cup, there were no trainers from outside of Australia and New Zealand, and only one horse bred from outside the region. Come 2018 the situation had completely changed with 11 trainers from Europe and only six horses that stepped up to the barriers in that year were bred in Australia or New Zealand.
But as a result of the increased complications of international travel, the 2021 edition will see a big swing back towards Australian-trained horses competing.
In fact of the 24 runners, there are only three horses trained overseas while four of the pack are all-Australian with the remaining 17 trained in Australia having been born overseas. As we dig deeper into these homegrown thoroughbreds.
Australian bred, Australian trained
Bred: Australia
Trained: Australia
Weight: 57kg
Barrier: 16
Jockey: Brett Prebble
Trainer: Peter Moody
Odds via PlayUp 2.90
Incentivise is a 5-year-old male is the shortest odds favourite since Phar Lap in 1930 and for good reason – nine wins in a row including three Group 1s with the most recent being an impressive Caulfield Cup win just a couple of weeks ago.
Despite being “jaded” according to his trainer after that Caulfield win and never having been tested at the 3200m distance, he has been destroying the opposition since April and will be very hard to beat.
(Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images)
Bred: Australia
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53kg
Barrier: 11
Jockey: Luke Currie
Trainer: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Odds via PlayUp 26.00
Persan has had a bit of an up and down past couple of years. In 2020 he won often but then in early 2021 his strong form dropped away. This Spring he’s been running better with a good third place in the Caulfield Cup.
He came 5th in the Melbourne Cup last year and some feel he’s heading to Flemington having flown under the radar a bit. It’ll be harder this year for him though with an extra two kgs compared to 2020.
Bred: Australia
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52.5kg
Barrier: 8
Jockey: Blaike McDougall
Trainer: Peter & Paul Snowden
Odds via PlayUp 26.00
With just three victories from 37 starts, Carif isn’t likely to trouble the favourites. He has won at the 3200m distance before in the Sandown Cup in 2020 but no one seems to be expecting anything special from Carif at this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Bred: Australia
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52kg
Barrier: 20
Jockey: Craig Newitt
Trainer: Bjorn Baker
Odds via PlayUp 101.00
She’s Ideel started 2021 well but her form has drifted a little in more recent outings. She had a better than expected race in the Caulfield Cup where she came seventh and whilst she might earn herself another top ten place in the Melbourne Cup, she shouldn’t trouble the favourites.
Australian trained, overseas bred
An impressive 17 domestically trained horses will start the 2021 Melbourne Cup with a number of impressive runners amongst them.
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 57kg
Barrier: 19
Jockey: James McDonald
Trainer: Chris Waller
Odds via PlayUp 18.00
Highly regarded mare who is the reigning Australian Horse of the Year with nine Group 1 titles to her name. Despite this quality, and having an excellent trainer and jockey, there are questions about whether she’s at her best right now.
She went head to head with Incentivise in the 2000m Turnbull but ended up fourth with Incentivise running away with the win. Last week in the Cox Plate she was equal favourite but failed to stay up with the leaders and crossed the line in third.
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 54kg
Barrier: 4
Jockey: John Allen
Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Odds via PlayUp 34.00
An exciting Autumn where he won three derbies impressed many but this Spring has not brought the same sort of form and a 17th out of 18 in the recent Caulfield Cup has many concerned that he isn’t best suited to the longer race distances.
Apparently, he didn’t like getting caught up inside other horses from barrier 1 in the Caulfield Cup and with a Melbourne Cup barrier of four, this might not be their day.
Bred: Ireland
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53.5kg
Barrier: 3
Jockey: Damien Oliver
Trainer: Anthony and Sam Freedman
Odds via PlayUp 18.00
A good win at the 2020 Irish St Leger Trial over 2816m, had many believing that Delphi could potentially challenge Incentivise when they went head to head in the Caulfield Cup. But Incentivise blew the challenger away and Delphi ended up crossing the line in 13th place.
The horse has had a good break over the past couple of weeks and so fans hope that he will be able to deliver in the Melbourne Cup. On paper he ticks all the right boxes but can he stand up to the pace of Incentivise?
(Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53.5kg
Barrier: 13
Jockey: Damien Thornton
Trainer: Chris Waller
Odds via PlayUp 81.00
A tough, hard-working horse from New Zealand who won the Auckland Cup over 3200m in March this year. He might not have the pace or class to threaten the favourites for the win in the Melbourne Cup, but he definitely has the stamina and work ethic to be in the top five if he has a good day.
Bred: UK
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53.5kg
Barrier: 24
Jockey: Ron Stewart
Trainer: Chris Waller
Odds via PlayUp 81.00
Selino is not fancied by many having only won three races from 20 starts over the years. However those wins have all been at longer distances – between 2815m and 3328m.
He won the Sydney Cup in April 2021 but then hasn’t performed as well as many expected following that victory. A disappointing 15th in the recent Caulfield Cup has not changed many people’s minds that he won’t do much in the Melbourne Cup.
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53kg
Barrier: 22
Jockey: Lachlan King
Trainer: Denis Pagan
Odds via PlayUp 151.00
Despite a Victoria Derby win over 2500m in 2020, Johnny Get Angry has struggled in 2021 with a 10th, a 9th and a 12th this Spring.
Never say never as there have been long shots who have won the Melbourne Cup before but there aren’t many people who think that Johnny Get Angry is going to trouble the front runners.
Bred: Ireland
Trained: Australia
Weight: 53kg
Barrier: 9
Jockey: Daniel Stackhouse
Trainer: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Odds via PlayUp 151.00
Knights Order won the Brisbane Cup in 2021 over 3200m where he beat Melbourne Cup rival Carif, just a week after winning the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Randwick.
Unfortunately, that early 2021 form hasn’t kicked on into the Spring and he’s finished ninth, 11th and ninth in their past three races.
The way that Knights Order faded in the recent Geelong Cup as Tralee Rose – another Melbourne Cup rival – flew past him has raised more concerns.
Bred: Germany
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52.5kg
Barrier: 6
Jockey: Fred Kersley
Trainer: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
Odds via PlayUp 101.00
Master of Wine was impressing many in 2019 and 2020 with decent performances including a win in the 2019 CityTatts Cup at Randwick over 2400m.
However this year has not been a good one for Master of Wine and with a 12th in the Caulfield Cup, an inexperienced rider and no experience at 3200m, no one is expecting much in the Melbourne Cup.
Bred: United Kingdom
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52.5kg
Barrier: 1
Jockey: Rachel King
Trainer: Robert Hickmott
Odds via PlayUp 21
After an impressive start with two successive victories in May 2019, Pondus has struggled to maintain that sort of form, earning just one more victory.
Definitely has the ability to last the distance and even though he hasn’t secured the wins that trainer Robert Hickmott would have liked, Pondus still goes into the Melbourne Cup with many feeling that he could somewhere in the top 10 come the finish line.
Bred: United Kingdom
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52kg
Barrier: 21
Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Odds via PlayUp 16.00
One of four horses from trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Grand Promenade was one of the first horses to qualify for the Melbourne Cup when he won The Bart Cummings race in early October.
He has had a pretty good 2021 with four wins from seven starts and two second places as well. His jockey – Kerrin McEvoy – has won the Melbourne Cup three times and knows his way around the course as well as anyone.
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52kg
Barrier: 17
Jockey: Patrick Moloney
Trainer: Danny O’Brien
Odds via PlayUp 151.00
An interesting horse that hasn’t had a great preparation going into the Melbourne Cup – a 12th place, a 16th and then a ninth in The Bart Cummings. Despite this poor form, there are those who feel that Miami Bound could do something unexpected in the big race.
She’s going to have the blinkers on for the Cup which is usually a sign that the trainer and jockey want the horse to focus and not be distracted – it’s a big call to make such a move for the first time just before such a big race.
Bred: France
Trained: Australia
Weight: 52kg
Barrier: 23
Jockey: Harry Coffey
Trainer: Ben & JD Hayes
Odds via PlayUp 151.00
After an impressive start to his career winning four of five starts, this horse suffered an unfortunate injury before moving over to Australia in 2020 and has never quite been able to re-discover that form.
He has shown in Europe that he has the talent to perform well but many are convinced that his recent form is a better indicator of how he’ll go in the Melbourne Cup.
Bred: New Zealand
Trained: Australia
Weight: 51kg
Barrier: 12
Jockey: Dean Holland
Trainer: Simon Wilde
Odds via PlayUp 17.00
Tralee Rose has great form at Flemington with two wins and two seconds from her four races. Add to that the fact that she won the Geelong Cup in her last start and there are many who feel that this horse could be one to keep an eye on.
She hasn’t performed well at 3200m yet and there are therefore questions about whether she can go the distance but she’s going in with form and confidence.
Bred: Ireland
Trained: Australia
Weight: 50kg
Barrier: 10
Jockey: Teodore Nugent
Trainer: Ciaron Maher & Dave Eustace
Odds via PlayUp 15.00
Unlike Port Guillaume, who has struggled since coming over to Australia, Floating Artist has enjoyed being here and is taking some strong form into the Melbourne Cup. Four wins from the past six races and a couple of second places is impressive and has many punters paying a lot of attention to this Irish bred horse.
He doesn’t have much experience at distances over 2800m but should definitely be in the mix for the Melbourne Cup as seems to have strong staying power.
Bred: Ireland
Trained: Australia
Weight: 50kg
Barrier: 7
Jockey: Michael Dee
Trainer: Chris Waller
Odds via PlayUp 21.00
Great House has won recently, very recently. It was in Hotham just 3 days before the Melbourne Cup and whilst taking a winning form into the Cup is a good thing, that might be a bit too close for comfort.
It’s been a long season for Great House – perhaps too long and it might be asking too much for him to deliver a strong run in the Cup. He’s a good horse but not a great horse and is likely to struggle to challenge the favourites.
Bred: Ireland
Trained: Australia
Weight: 50kg
Barrier: 18
Jockey: Glen Boss
Trainer: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Odds via PlayUp 21.00
This is Sir Lucan’s first race in Australia and while he has three-time Melbourne Cup-winning Glen Boss on his back, there is a feeling that he’s perhaps a year too early for Cup success.
He’s got good form from his European days with two wins from eight starts but his last outing saw him finish eighth out of ten horses.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Future Score is also trained in Australia but has now been scratched from the race.
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