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The field for this year\u2019s Melbourne Cup is set, and the time has come to pick your runners in the elite 24-horse field for Tuesday\u2019s great race.<\/p>\n
We take you through every horse and their chances in the chase for history in the race that stops the nation.<\/p>\n
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Gold Trip is aiming to defend his Melbourne Cup title.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Penny Stephens<\/cite><\/p>\n Last year\u2019s Melbourne Cup winner is arguably in better form this year, having won the Turnbull Stakes in dominant style at the start of October. Gold Trip ran a cracking third in the Caulfield Cup with a big weight, wasn\u2019t far off Romantic Warrior in the Cox Plate, and is proven over the 3200 metres. Has to be considered one of the leading chances, despite a tipped firm track.<\/p>\n Given the ultimate gear change heading into this campaign, the former French galloper would need to find some of the form he showed at home to be competitive here. He did run ninth in a Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe, the world\u2019s toughest race, and he also won a Tatts Gold Cup over 2000m, beating 2021 Cox Plate winner State Of Rest. But his Australian form hasn\u2019t stacked up to date. Damien Oliver has the ride in his final Cup before retirement.<\/p>\n He started a $12 chance in last year\u2019s Melbourne Cup but finished 13th, not liking the soft ground. He resumed in Brisbane over the winter and relished the good tracks there, winning back-to-back races, but his win in last month\u2019s brutal Caulfield Cup has stamped him as one of the country\u2019s top stayers. So long as he finds another dry track, he presents as a leading contender to achieve what no horse has done since Ethereal in 2001 in winning the cups double.<\/p>\n The first Japanese horse that we\u2019ve had in the Cup since Caulfield Cup winner Mer De Glace finished sixth in 2019. His form overseas is terrific. He placed fourth in the 3200m Tenno Sho at Kyoto, a great indicator of his staying ability. But he was unable to fight out the finish in last month\u2019s quickly run Caulfield Cup under Damian Lane. Breakup would need to improve sharply on that effort, but don\u2019t write him off.<\/p>\n Vauban, one of the favourites for this year\u2019s Melbourne Cup.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Vauban has been one of the Cup favourites since his win at Royal Ascot in June, where he beat Absurde by 7.5 lengths. He backed up that victory at Naas in Ireland, beating Valiant King by 1.5 lengths. Trained by Willie Mullins, the Irish training legend has unfinished business here, having come close with Max Dynamite twice, running second to Prince Of Penzance in 2015 and third to Rekindling in 2017.<\/p>\n One of the best locally trained competitors, Soulcombe, who is part-owned by a number of Richmond footballers including Tom Lynch and retired star Jack Riewoldt, has the perfect profile to be competitive on Tuesday. He made his Australian debut in Cup week last year, winning the 2600m Queen Elizabeth Stakes by two-and-a-quarter lengths, rocketing down the Flemington straight to stamp himself as a horse to watch 12 months on. This spring, he\u2019s won the Heatherlie Handicap over 1700m, finished fourth in the Underwood and third in the Turnbull, before his seventh-placed finish in the Caulfield Cup. Just needs to jump well after missing the start at Caulfield.<\/p>\n One big question ahead of Tuesday\u2019s race is whether Soulcombe can jump with the field in the Cup.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Racing Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n The stablemate of Vauban, Absurde will also run in Australia for the first time on Tuesday, having spent the past few weeks in quarantine at Werribee. While Vauban thrashed him by 7.5 lengths at Royal Ascot in June, Absurde\u2019s win in the Ebor Handicap at York in August is enough to believe they might not actually be that far apart. Having avoided a brutal Caulfield Cup, he might be the fresh horse on the scene.<\/p>\n Building a strangely similar profile to stablemate Persan, who finished fifth in the 2020 Melbourne Cup after winning his way through the grades in the preceding 12 months. Right You Are won six races over the summer and autumn, culminating in the Mornington Cup win in April. His most recent run, fifth in the Caulfield Cup, exceeded expectations. He could be one of the best roughies in the race.<\/p>\n Winner of the 2019 Melbourne Cup, could Vow And Declare do something that\u2019s never been achieved and win another Melbourne Cup four years later? His run in last month\u2019s Might And Power Stakes, when second to Alligator Blood, was outstanding, and he franked that form by finishing second in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup behind Cleveland. We know he stays the trip, so he has to be a top-six chance.<\/p>\n An outstanding win in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup means he warrants serious consideration as a Melbourne Cup contender. He was hyped as a Cup contender last year, but never competed, instead making his Australian debut in Sydney in the autumn. Now that he\u2019s in his second campaign in Australia, he looks better acclimatised and is peaking at the right time.<\/p>\n Ashrun had a bold performance to run second in this year\u2019s Geelong Cup and guarantee his spot in the Melbourne Cup field. He had terrific form coming to Australia in 2020, and ran fourth in the Geelong Cup there before winning the Hotham Handicap on Derby Day, only to finish 10th three days later in the Cup. He resumed in September this year after more than 1000 days off, but appears to be hitting his straps now. He\u2019s a smokey.<\/p>\n Fourth at his most recent start in the Herbert Power, which was certainly the best of his four runs this campaign, and appears to be trending in the right direction. Daqiansweet Junior finished third in the 2022 Sydney Cup and sixth in last year\u2019s Melbourne Cup, so the 3200m poses no fears.<\/p>\n An import from the Joseph O\u2019Brien stable, he made his Australian debut in the Caulfield Cup but couldn\u2019t manage to finish better than 12th. He did run third in the Irish St Leger over 2800m, so the extra distance should suit.<\/p>\n Sheraz was eighth in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup but was beaten by less than two lengths. He will drop in weight and we know he stays the distance, given he ran second in the 2022 Sydney Cup on a heavy track. But his form is questionable, after that finish in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup.<\/p>\n Lastotchka has come a long way in a short space of time to get to the Melbourne Cup.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Intriguing galloper purchased out of France by Australian Bloodstock, who won last year\u2019s Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip and have also won another Melbourne Cup with Protectionist. The mare\u2019s form in France was extremely competitive, she\u2019s lightly raced with four wins from 12 starts, gets into this Cup with just 51kg and looks suited to the distance. She is a good outsider\u2019s chance.<\/p>\n Won the group 1 Irish Oaks at the Curragh last year, before joining Chris Waller\u2019s team earlier this year. But Magical Lagoon has not made much of an impression while in Australia though, so it would shock to see him turn his form around to be a major player in this year\u2019s Cup.<\/p>\n A good winner of the Herbert Power Stakes under Joao Moreira, was fourth in the group 1 Metropolitan before that, and won the Newcastle Cup before that. Hasn\u2019t been out to 3200m, and this will be a big jump in grade, so he\u2019s not a standout horse, but he warrants his spot in the field.<\/p>\n An Epsom Derby winner in 2020 who is building a nice profile in Australia. Serpentine was second in the Tatts Cup at Randwick behind Athabascan, fourth in a 2500m handicap at Flemington, and then third in the Bart Cummings at his most recent start. He finished 20th in last year\u2019s Cup, but had to back up three days after running in the Hotham Handicap. It wouldn\u2019t be a shock to see him finish in the top four.<\/p>\n Former Epsom Derby winner Serpentine.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Racing Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n Finished second to Major Beel in this year\u2019s ATC Derby as a three-year-old, but has struggled to make an impression against the older horses since then. Would be a shock to see him win.<\/p>\n Formerly known as Scriptwriter, More Felons made his Australian debut in the Geelong Cup, finishing fifth for trainer Chris Waller. He ran seventh to Vauban and Absurde at Ascot in June, then ran second in a 2816m race at York, before his eighth-placed finish in the Ebor Handicap. Jamie Kah will ride, and he\u2019s very well weighted compared to Vauban and Absurde.<\/p>\n Booked his place in the Melbourne Cup with a strong win in the 2500m Bart Cummings, and then lost no admirers after finishing third in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup at his last start. Lightly raced with no weight, he\u2019s one who could beat the handicapper.<\/p>\n A lightly raced son of Galileo, who won the Bendigo Cup at his most recent start to move up the order of entry. He had good form overseas before joining Ciaron Maher and David Eustace\u2019s team before last year\u2019s spring carnival. He did not finish last year\u2019s Cup, having been eased down after the jockey detected a breathing issue. But he is worth giving another chance.<\/p>\n1.GOLD TRIP (Fra), 58.5kg<\/h3>\n
2. ALENQUER (Fra), 56.5kg<\/h3>\n
3. WITHOUT A FIGHT (Ire), 56.5kg<\/h3>\n
4. BREAKUP (Jpn), 55kg<\/h3>\n
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5. VAUBAN (Fra), 55kg<\/h3>\n
6. SOULCOMBE (GB), 53.5kg<\/h3>\n
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7. ABSURDE (Fra), 53kg<\/h3>\n
8. RIGHT YOU ARE, 53kg<\/h3>\n
9. VOW AND DECLARE, 53kg<\/h3>\n
10. CLEVELAND (Ire), 52kg<\/h3>\n
11. ASHRUN (Fra), 51.5kg<\/h3>\n
12. DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR (NZ), 51.5kg<\/h3>\n
13. OKITA SOUSHI (Ire), 51.5kg<\/h3>\n
14. SHERAZ (Fra), 51.5kg<\/h3>\n
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15. LASTOTCHKA (Fra), 51kg<\/h3>\n
16. MAGICAL LAGOON (Ire), 51kg<\/h3>\n
17. MILITARY MISSION (Ire), 51kg<\/h3>\n
18. SERPENTINE (Ire), 51kg<\/h3>\n
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19. VIRTUOUS CIRCLE (NZ), 51kg<\/h3>\n
20. MORE FELONS (Ire), 50.5kg<\/h3>\n
21. FUTURE HISTORY (GB), 50kg<\/h3>\n
22. INTERPRETATION (Ire), 50kg<\/h3>\n
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