The race to secure a start in the Melbourne Cup remains the toughest in years with only three of the top 38 ranked horses withdrawn by today's 10am second acceptance deadline. Peter Moody's injured star Manighar and the Robert Hickmott-trained pair Seville and Midas Touch were the only prominent horses withdrawn from Flemington's $6.2 million feature on 6 November. The strong acceptance rate amongst high ranked horses means that five internationally-trained horses - Lost In The Moment (Saeed bin
The race to secure a start in the Melbourne Cup remains the toughest in years with only three of the top 38 ranked horses withdrawn by today's 10am second acceptance deadline. Peter Moody's injured star Manighar and the Robert Hickmott-trained pair Seville and Midas Touch were the only prominent horses withdrawn from Flemington's $6.2 million feature on 6 November. The strong acceptance rate amongst high ranked horses means that five internationally-trained horses - Lost In The Moment (Saeed bin Suroor), Brigantin (Andre Fabre), Shahwardi (Alain de Royer Dupre), Gatewood (John Gosden) and Ibicenco (Luca Cumani) - remain outside the starting line-up of 24. Of the top 24 ranked horses at present, 16 are Australian-trained with Moody, Hickmott, Bart Cummings, Gai Waterhouse, Team Hawkes and Michael Kent all boasting two entries within.
The second acceptance fee was paid for a total of 46 horses - one less than 2011 - with the Cup field to be determined after final acceptances are taken at 5pm this Saturday, 3 November. Two races at Flemington on Saturday, the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m), afford those currently outside the top 24 an opportunity to secure a Cup start with a ballot exemption on offer for the winner of each. The trio of Cup contenders who contested Saturday's Sportingbet Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, Ethiopia, Southern Speed and Green Moon, were all paid for by their connections.
MELBOURNE CUP
1 Americain (USA) (Alain de Royer Dupre)
2 Back in Black (NZ) (John Steffert)
3 Brigantin (USA) (Andre Fabre)
4 Cavalryman (GB) (Saeed Bin Suroor)
5 Dame Claire (NZ) (Pat Carey)
6 Dare to Dream (IRE) (Bart Cummings)
7 Dunaden (FR) (Mikel Delzangles)
8 Ethiopia (Pat Carey)
9 Exceptionally (NZ) ( Terry & Karina O'Sullivan)
10 Excluded (NZ) (Robert Hickmott)
11 Fictional Account (IRE) (David Hayes)
12 Fiorente (IRE) (Gai Waterhouse)
13 Galileo's Choice (IRE) (Dermot K Weld)
14 Gatewood (GB) (John Gosden)
15 Glencadam Gold (IRE) (Gai Waterhouse)
16 Green Moon (IRE) (Robert Hickmott)
17 Ibicenco (GER) (Luca Cumani)
18 Ironstein (Gerald Ryan)
19 Jakkalberry (IRE) (Marco Botti)
20 Kelinni (IRE) (Chris Waller)
21 Lights of Heaven (NZ) (Peter G Moody)
22 Lost in the Moment (IRE) (Saeed Bin Suroor)
23 Maluckyday (NZ) ( Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes)
24 Moudre (Ciaron Maher)
25 Mount Athos (IRE) (Luca Cumani)
26 Mourayan (IRE) (Robert Hickmott)
27 My Quest for Peace (IRE) (Luca Cumani)
28 Niwot ( Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes)
29 Peal of Bells (Gwenda Markwell)
30 Permit (GB) (Chris Waller)
31 Prairie Star (FR) (Danny O'Brien)
32 Precedence (NZ) (Bart Cummings)
33 Red Cadeaux (GB) (Ed Dunlop)
34 Reuben Percival (NZ) (Gai Waterhouse)
35 Sabrage (Michael Moroney)
36 Sanagas (GER) (Bart Cummings)
37 Shahwardi (FR) (Alain de Royer Dupre)
38 Southern Speed ( Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas)
39 Spechenka (Ben Ahrens)
40 Tac de Boistron (FR) (Michael Kent)
41 Tanby (Robert Hickmott)
42 Unusual Suspect (USA) (Michael Kent)
43 Vatuvei (Peter G Moody)
44 Voila Ici (IRE) (Peter G Moody)
45 Winchester (USA) (John Sadler)
46 Zabeelionaire (NZ) (Leon Corstens)