Former French galloper Gold Trip has won the Melbourne Cup, giving jockey Mark Zahra and trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace their first wins in the great race. Here is the final finishing order.
$21: 1st. Gold Trip
6yo stallion (France) | Barrier 14 | 57.5kg
Jockey: Mark Zahra | Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
This former French galloper is racing in great heart but just can't quite crack it for a maiden win in Australia.
He looked all over the winner in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) but was ambushed on the line by Durston to finish a narrow second, while he had little luck backing up in the last week's Cox Plate (2,040m) when ninth.
That latest run will toughen him up for Tuesday's race and he'll relish the expected soft track, although he does have topweight of 57.5kg to contend with.
$21: 18th. Duais
5yo mare (Australia) | Barrier 10 | 55.5kg
Jockey: Hugh Bowman | Trainer: Edward Cummings
This classy mare was an early Cup favourite heading into the spring, but her results of late haven't matched dominant wins in the Australian Cup (2,000m) and Tancred Stakes (2,400m) in March.
Duais appeared to have every chance when eighth to Smokin' Romans in the Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) here at Flemington, before she ran good closing splits after getting a long way back in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) to finish eighth.
Her connections will be hoping the track isn't too wet on Tuesday.
Mares don't have the greatest strike rate in the Cup (38 have run since 2005 and last year's winner, Verry Elleegant, was the only one to have finished top three).
$18: 9th. Knight's Order
8yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 24 | 55.5kg
Jockey: Tim Clark | Trainers: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
This former European is expected to run a much better race on Tuesday than his 19th at 100-1 in last year's Cup behind Verry Elleegant.
Since then he's added a Sydney Cup (3,200m) victory (defeating the likes of Daqiansweet Junior and Stockman) to his record, as well as a third in last month's Caulfield Cup (2,400m) behind Durston.
Knights Order will race up on the speed and has plenty of stamina to see out the 3,200m journey, plus the rain-affected track will be in his favour.
$9.50: 16th. Montefilia
5yo mare (Australia) | Barrier 11 | 55.5kg
Jockey: Jason Collett | Trainer: David Payne
Montefilia is a four-time Group One winner that's raced at the highest level throughout her career and her class will carry her a long way in a first attempt at 3,200m.
She has placed fourth in the past two Caulfield Cups (2,400m), and her powerful finish behind Durston a fortnight ago gives the impression that she'll relish the marathon journey on Tuesday.
She is, however, carrying a hefty weight compared to most mares in recent years, and the females don't boast a great Cup strike rate (38 have run since 2005 and last year's winner, Verry Elleegant, was the only one to have finished top three).
$61: 19th. Numerian
7yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 7 | 55.5kg
Jockey: Tommy Berry | Trainer: Annabel Neasham
This well-credentialed ex-European galloper has recorded two victories since arriving in Australia last year, highlighted by Brisbane's rich Q22 (2,200m) in June.
The first Cup runner for rising star of the training ranks Annabel Neasham, Numerian lines up following a close fifth in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) behind Durston.
He settled well near the lead that day and should again on Tuesday, but his price in the betting reflects doubts over his ability to run a strong 3,200m.
$12: 12th. Without A Fight
6yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 18 | 55.5kg
Jockey: William Buick | Trainers: Simon & Ed Crisford
One of the leading contenders among the overseas brigade, Without A Fight boasts a consistent career record that includes two wins over 2,787m in England this year.
He's reportedly settled well since arriving in Australia and has met with solid support in the betting thanks to having form on wet ground, an in-form stable and a world-class jockey.
One thing to note is that he's been racing in small fields recently so it will be interesting to see how he handles having 20-plus challengers on Tuesday.
$41: 21st. Camorra
6yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 17 | 55kg
Jockey: Ben Melham | Trainers: Ben & JD Hayes
Camorra put together a fair record in Ireland before being bought by Australian connections on the back of a victory in the Curragh Cup (2,816m) in June.
His trainers Ben and JD Hayes are prepared to overlook his latest start; a well-beaten eighth in the Irish St Leger (2,816m) when he was unwanted in the betting behind Europe's champion stayer Kyprios.
The brothers will be hoping to emulate their father David (Jeune 1994) and grandfather Colin (At Talaq 1986, Beldale Ball 1980) as Cup-winning trainers.
$4.40 fav: 4th. Deauville Legend
4yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 9 | 55kg
Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy | Trainer: James Ferguson
The formula of bringing well-performed Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds to Australia for the Cup has proven successful in recent times, and it's easy to see why Deauville Legend has been at the top of betting for some time.
He finished ahead of Cup rival Hoo Ya Mal over 2,412m two runs ago, and then was impressive winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes (2,385m) defeating El Bodegon, which came out a week ago and ran third to Anamoe in the Cox Plate (2,040m).
Deauville Legend, however, won't have the same weight advantage in the Cup as successful European three-year-olds like Rekindling (1st, 2017), Cross Counter (1st, 2018), Il Paradiso (3rd, 2019) and Tiger Moth (2nd, 2020).
At just his eighth race start, he'll be ridden by three-time Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy (Brew 2000, Almandin 2016, Cross Counter 2018).
$16: 8th. Stockman
6yo gelding (New Zealand) | Barrier 2 | 54kg
Jockey: Sam Clipperton | Trainer: Joe Pride
Stockman boasts a stout staying pedigree and tuned up nicely for the Cup with a strong-finishing eighth over an unsuitable 2,000m of the Rosehill Cup on Saturday.
Before that he scored a dominant win, albeit against a weaker field than he'll face on Tuesday, in the St Leger (2,600m) in Sydney.
His lone start at 3,200m was a forgivable well-beaten seventh behind Knights Order in the Sydney Cup (3,200m), when many runners failed on a bottomless wet track.
$21: 10th. Vow And Declare
7yo gelding (Australia) | Barrier 4 | 54kg
Jockey: Blake Shinn | Trainer: Danny O'Brien
The Cup champion of three years ago is back for a third tilt at the great race after also finishing 18th in 2020.
Even though Vow And Declare has gone winless since that famous day in 2019, he's been showing glimpses of his old form in four runs since returning from injury this spring.
He was far from disgraced when sixth, beaten 2 lengths, in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) behind Durston, and expect him to produce another honest effort on Tuesday.
$31: 15th. Young Werther
5yo gelding (New Zealand) | Barrier 21 | 54kg
Jockey: Damian Lane | Trainer: Danny O'Brien
Don't be alarmed by the fact that Young Werther has only won one race (his first career start in September 2020) — he's been racing competitively at the highest level ever since.
Injury sidelined him for the better part of a year before he returned this spring with a couple of promising runs, including a close third to Smokin' Romans in the Turnbull Stakes (2,000m).
Forget his 10th in the Cox Plate (2,040m) last start when he battled away fairly behind the champion Anamoe — Young Werther will relish being back on the wide expanses of his home track Flemington.
$13: 11th. Hoo Ya Mal
4yo stallion (Great Britain) | Barrier 15 | 53.5kg
Jockey: Craig Williams | Trainers: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Hoo Ya Mal was an expensive purchase for Australian connections after finishing second at 150-1 in this year's English Derby (2,420m), and he's out to emulate Rekindling (2017) and Cross Counter (2018) as Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds to win the Cup.
A two-time race winner, he disappointed at his latest start when eighth in the English St Leger (2,922m), and his former trainer conceded at the time that Hoo Ya Mal "looked a bit weak" over the distance on very soft ground.
That doesn't bode well if there's a wet track for the Cup, but Gai Waterhouse has kept him up to the mark since arriving Down Under and remains hopeful of a forward showing on Tuesday.
$31: 20th. Serpentine
6yo gelding (Ireland) | Barrier 23 | 53.5kg
Jockey: John Allen | Trainer: Robert Hickmott
The form shown by this Irish import in his first four Australian runs had been a far cry from his dramatic victory in the 2020 English Derby (2,420m).
But a gear change and a free-striding ride saw Serpentine produce a much better effort to finish second in Saturday's Archer Stakes (2,500m) and secure a spot in the Cup.
Horses backing up from Saturday often run well in the Cup, and Serpentine offers owner Lloyd Williams his lone chance this year for an eighth Cup victory following the scratching of stablemate Point Nepean.
$61: 6th. Daqiansweet Junior
5yo gelding (New Zealand) | Barrier 13 | 53kg
Jockey: Daniel Moor | Trainer: Phillip Stokes
Daqiansweet (pronounced dish-arn-sweet) Junior did his early racing in New Zealand before joining the Phillip Stokes stable and stringing a few wins together last summer as he stepped up in distance.
The five-year-old is proven at the Cup distance of 3,200m having won the Adelaide Cup in March and finishing third to Knights Order in the Sydney Cup.
Although not beaten far, Daqiansweet Junior hasn't finished better than seventh at his three runs this spring, with Stokes preparing the horse with the sole aim of peaking on Tuesday.
$71: 14th. Grand Promenade
7yo gelding (Great Britain) | Barrier 1 | 53kg
Jockey: Harry Coffey | Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Grand Promenade ran a bold sixth in last year's Cup behind Verry Elleegant, but his lead-up form this time round is not as strong on paper.
He was expected to run a better race than his ninth in the Herbert Power (2,400m), and the heavy track was against him last start in the Moonee Valley Cup (2,500m) in which he finished fourth and eight lengths behind Cup rival Lunar Flare.
Offering a second Cup ride for Harry Coffey, Grand Promenade is one of five horses lining up in the race for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
$61: 11th. Arapaho
6yo gelding (France) | Barrier 19 | 52.5kg
Jockey: Rachel King | Trainer: Bjorn Baker
This former French galloper took a while to hit his straps after landing in Australia, and it's been racing over longer distances that seems to have brought the best out of Arapaho in recent months.
Victory in the Premier's Cup (2,000m) in Sydney was followed by placings in the Tatts Cup (2,400m) and Newcastle Cup (2,300m), where he finished behind eventual Caulfield Cup winner Durston.
Arapaho then was no match for Stockman when second in the St Leger (2,600m) in Sydney.
The step up again to 3,200m is an unknown, although he does perform well on wet tracks.
$26: 2nd. Emissary
6yo gelding (Great Britain) | Barrier 3 | 51.5kg
Jockey: Patrick Moloney | Trainer: Michael Moroney
Emissary worked his way into the Cup field on the back of strong-finishing win in the Geelong Cup (2,400m), which has proven to be a handy form line for the Melbourne Cup in recent times — Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) did the double.
That effort was his second win this spring but a turnaround from his previous eighth in the Herbert Power Stakes (2,400m) at Caulfield.
The form from Emissary's Geelong win was franked when runner-up that day, Surefire, won Saturday's Archer Stakes (2,500m), defeating Serpentine.
The step up to 3,200m on Tuesday is an unknown for the former European galloper, however trainer Michael Moroney knows what it takes to win the Cup, having claimed victory in 2000 with Brew.
Scratched: . Lunar Flare
7yo mare (Australia) | Barrier 12 | 51.5kg
Jockey: Michael Dee | Trainer: Grahame Begg
UPDATE: THIS HORSE HAS BEEN SCRATCHED
Sired by Cup 2013 winner Fiorente, Lunar Flare has proved herself to be a strong stayer in the past season or so and booked her spot in Tuesday's race through the win-and-you're-in Bart Cummings (2,500m) here at Flemington on October 1.
She was no match for Francesco Guardi when second in last week's Moonee Valley Cup (2,500m), but he won't be there on Tuesday and she finished well in front of her other rivals that day.
Remarkably, Lunar Flare is the first Cup runner for top trainer Grahame Begg and will be ridden by Saturday's Derby-winning jockey Michael Dee.
While she's not hopeless on soft tracks, she doesn't want it too wet either.
$17: 7th. Smokin' Romans
6yo gelding (New Zealand) | Barrier 16 | 51.5kg
Jockey: Jamie Kah | Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Smokin' Romans is a horse that keeps getting better with age, rising through the ranks to score at the highest level, albeit somewhat of a surprise, in the Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) this spring.
That win saw him start favourite in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m), but not everything went right for star jockey Jamie Kah that day so she'll be out to make amends on Tuesday.
Don't be surprised of a bold showing from Smokin' Romans, who stays down in the weights, has a liking of Flemington and an ability to handle wet tracks.
$51: 17th. Tralee Rose
6yo mare (New Zealand) | Barrier 22 | 51.5kg
Jockey: Dean Yendall | Trainer: Symon Wilde
Tralee Rose was injured when running ninth in last year's Cup and wasn't seen at the races until she resumed in August.
But it hasn't been a successful return so far, with the mare finishing last in her first two runs back and then 13th in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) behind Durston.
Connections are hoping that a tweak in her training will turn things around and get her showing glimpses of the form that saw her win last year's Geelong Cup (2,400m).
Scratched: . Point Nepean
5yo stallion (Ireland) | Barrier 20 | 51kg
Jockey: Wayne Lordan | Trainer: Robert Hickmott
UPDATE: THIS HORSE HAS BEEN SCRATCHED
The past two runs by Point Nepean have certainly taken the shine off his reputation as an emerging staying talent, highlighted by a win in the Andrew Ramsden (2,800m) in May that booked his spot in the Cup.
But his two runs this spring were below par on face value, the most recent being 14th in the Herbert Power Stakes (2,400m).
While he has to be taken on trust, Point Nepean's camp remains confident he can turn things around and peak for his grand final and deliver owner Lloyd Williams an eighth Cup trophy.
$41: 3rd. High Emocean
6yo mare (New Zealand) | Barrier 8 | 50kg
Jockey: Teo Nugent | Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
High Emocean gets into the Cup field due to a high attrition rate among other contenders, yet she still boasts two wins in her past three starts.
She ploughed her way through a heavy track on Wednesday to win the Bendigo Cup (2,400m); before that she finished on the heels of Lunar Flare in the Bart Cummings (2,500m).
This is certainly a much tougher assignment, which is reflected in her odds, but High Emocean does have good stamina and races well on wet tracks.
$51: Failed to finish. Interpretation
5yo stallion (Ireland) | Barrier 6 | 50kg
Jockey: Craig Newitt | Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
This European import scraped into the Cup field due to a high attrition rate among other contenders.
Interpretation boasts a staying pedigree but has let the punters down a couple of times this spring, although he's been far from disgraced.
His most recent starts produced a third behind Lunar Flare in the Bart Cummings (2,500m) here at Flemington and sixth behind Emissary in the Geelong Cup (2,400m).
$8: 5th. Realm Of Flowers
6yo mare (Australia) | Barrier 5 | 50kg
Jockey: Damien Thornton | Trainers: Anthony & Sam Freedman
It's been almost 18 months since her last victory, but Realm Of Flowers is among the better chances lining up on Tuesday.
She's shown talent as a stayer throughout her career and missed a run in last year's Cup through injury.
The six-year-old comes into the Cup after placings in the Tatts Cup (2,400m) and the Metropolitan (2,400m), both on wet tracks in Sydney.
Realm Of Flowers appreciates having her runs spaced and expect her to be strong at the end of the 3,200m.
Odds are official starting price
Credits
- Reporting: Daniel Franklin
- Illustration: Tim Madden
- Development: Colin Gourlay and Andrew Kesper
