The Melbourne Cup dream is still alive for the connections of 47 horses that were paid up at the third stage of declarations, with Saturday’s Derby Day meeting at Flemington to play a significant hand in shaping the final field.
Key absentees from the list of nominations were the Gai Waterhouse-trained Glencadam Gold, Peter Moody’s Manighar, It’s A Dundeel, Royal Descent, and early Cup favourite Puissance De Lune, who may not race again after being injured in the Cox Plate.
PICTURE GALLERY: Melbourne Cup horses at Werribee
For those runners caught on the wrong side of the final field of 24, Saturday’s Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes and Group 3 Lexus Stakes provide the winner with ballot exempt passage into the field, which in turn means that horses on the borderline of a cups start could be forced out.
The surprise packets left in the race were Chris Waller’s Cox Plate fourth Foreteller and West Australian Mr Moet, who was sixth in the Caulfield Cup. Waller and Adam Durrant, who trains Mr Moet, had been expected to bypass the race with the pair, but both horses seem set to take their chances.
Key Cups hopefuls that face a must-win scenario this Saturday include Caulfield Cup fourth Jet Away, English raider Forgotten Voice, and Moonee Valley Cup winner Precedence.
Bart Cummings’ Precedence was handed a 1kg penalty by Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter following its win on Saturday, but looks likely to need to win on Saturday to make the final field.
MELBOURNE CUP ORDER OF ENTRY
1 FAWKNER (Robert Hickmott) 6 g 54.5
2 DUNADEN (Mikel Delzangles) 8 h 58.5
3 GREEN MOON (Robert Hickmott) 7 h 57.5
4 RED CADEAUX (Ed Dunlop) 8 g 56.5
5 SEA MOON (Robert Hickmott) 6 h 56.5
6 SUPER COOL (Mark Kavanagh) 4 g 54.5
7 VOLEUSE DE COEURS (Michael Moroney) 5 m 54.0
8 FIORENTE (Gai Waterhouse) 6 h 55.0
9 HAWKSPUR (Chris Waller) 4 h 53.5
10 TRES BLUE (Gai Waterhouse) 4 h 51.0
11 BROWN PANTHER (Tom Dascombe) 6 h 55.0
12 FORETELLER (Chris Waller) 7 g 55.0
13 ETHIOPIA (Pat Carey) 5 g 54.5
14 DANDINO (Marco Botti) 7 h 54.5
15 VEREMA (Alain de Royer Dupre) 5 m 53.0
16 MOURAYAN (Robert Hickmott) 8 h 54.5
17 SEVILLE (Robert Hickmott) 6 h 54.5
18 DEAR DEMI (Clarrie Conners) 4 m 51.0
19 SILENT ACHIEVER (Roger James) 5 m 52.5
20 MOUNT ATHOS (Luca Cumani) 7 g 54.0
21 ROYAL EMPIRE (Saeed bin Suroor) 5 h 54.0
22 MASKED MARVEL (Robert Hickmott) 6 h 54.0
23 SIMENON (Willie Mullins) 7 g 53.5
24 MR MOET (Adam Durrant) 6 g 53.5
25 KELINNI (IRE) (Chris Waller) 6 g 53.0
26 IBICENCO (Peter Moody) 6 h 53.0
27 MY QUEST FOR PEACE (Peter Moody) 6 h 53.0
28 MORIARTY (Chris Waller) 6 g 53.0
29 PRECEDENCE (Bart and James Cummings) 8 g 53.0
30 JET AWAY (David Hayes) 7 h 53.0
31 MR O’CEIRIN (Ciaron Maher) 6 g 52.5
32 FORGOTTEN VOICE (Nicky Henderson) 9 g 52.5
33 MOUDRE (Ciaron Maher) 8 g 52.5
34 JULIENAS (Gai Waterhouse) 7 g 52.0
35 KINGDOMS (John O’Shea) 4 g 50.0
36 SHOREHAM (Saab Hasan) 4 g 50.0
37 ARALDO (Michael Moroney) 6 h 50.5
38 IRONSTEIN (Gerald Ryan) 8 g 50.5
39 MOTIVADO (David Hayes) 6 g 50.5
40 LET’S MAKE ADEAL (Nigel Blackiston) 4 m 50.0
41 VAQUERA (Gai Waterhouse) 4 m 50.0
SIX NOT YET QUALIFIED:
Gris Caro, Bass Straight, Caravan Rolls On, Garus, Opinion, Ruscello
