The all important barrier draw for the world’s richest handicap, the $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) has been held for a field which contains horses bred in seven countries and trained in four.
Race favourite Buckaroo will be looking to keep the winning run going for champion trainer Chris Waller, although it won’t be easy from gate 21, while Absurde (FR) who ran boldly last year for seventh and has raced well this year is well placed from gate seven.
Jamie Kah and Ciaron Maher will combine with Okita Soushi, who has gate 10 and the only horse backing up from having raced at Flemington today is Zardzoi, who ran fifth in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) and jumps from gate 4.
The field for the 2024 Melbourne Cup is:
No - Horse - Sire - Trainer - Jockey - Barrier - Weight
1 - Vauban (Fr) - (6 Galiway (GB)) - Willie Mullins - William Buick - 11 - 55.5
2 - Buckaroo (GB) - (6g Fastnet Rock) - Chris Waller - Joao Moreira - 21 - 54.5
3 - Circle Of Fire (GB) - (5h Almanzor (Fr)) - Ciaron Maher - Mark Zahra - 24- 54.5
4 - Warp Speed (Jpn) - (6h Drefong (USA)) - Noboru Takagi - Akira Sugawara - 3- 54.5
5 - Kovalica (NZ) - (5g Ocean Park (NZ)) - Chris Waller - Damian Lane – 17 - 53.5
6 - Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) - (5g Redwood (GB)) - Graeme & Deborah Rogerson - Michael Dee – 15 - 53.5
7 - Just Fine (Ire) - (7g Sea The Stars (Ire)) - Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott - Jye McNeil - 13 - 53
8 - Land Legend (Fr) - (5g Galileo (Ire)) - Chris Waller - Zac Purton - 18- 53
9 - Absurde (Fr) - (7g Fastnet Rock) - Willie Mullins - Kerrin McEvoy - 7- 52.5
10 - Athabascan (Fr) - (6g Almanzor (Fr)) - John O'Shea & Tom Charlton - Zac Lloyd - 2- 52
11 - Knight's Choice - (5g Extreme Choice) - John Symons & Sheila Laxon – Robbie Dolan- 6- 51.5
12 - Okita Soushi (Ire) - (7h Galileo (Ire)) - Ciaron Maher - Jamie Kah -10 - 51
13 - Onesmoothoperator (USA) - (7g Dialed In (USA)) - Brian Ellison - Craig Williams - 12- 51
14-Zardozi (4m Kingman) – James Cummings- A Atzeni – 4- 51
15 - Sea King (GB) - (6g Sea The Stars (Ire)) - Harry Eustace – Hollie Doyle - 1 - 50.5
16 - Valiant King (GB) - (5g Roaring Lion (USA)) - Chris Waller – C Newitt - 22- - 50.5
17 - Fancy Man (Ire) - (7g Pride Of Dubai) - Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald - Ron Stewart - 19 - 50
18 - Interpretation (Ire) - (7g Galileo (Ire)) - Ciaron Maher - Teo Nugent - 14- 50
19 - Manzoice - (5g Almanzor (Fr)) - Chris Waller – Declan Bates- 8- 50
20 - Mostly Cloudy (Ire) - (6g Harzand (Ire)) - Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young - Karis Teetan - 16- 50
21 - Positivity (NZ) - (4m Almanzor (Fr)) - Andrew Forsman - Winona Costin - 20- 50
22 - Saint George (GB) - (5h Roaring Lion (USA)) - Ciaron Maher – Tyler Schiller - 9- 50
23 - The Map - (6m Alpine Eagle) - Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray - Rachel King - 23- 50
24 - Trust In You (NZ) - (6g Sweynesse) - Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley - Mark Du Plessis - 5- 50
