The 2016 Melbourne Cup barrier draw has been completed and released; confirming alleys for all twenty-four stayers confirmed in the final field for the world’s richest two-mile race.
Jameka will leave from the ideal barrier 3 in the 2016 Melbourne Cup. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Race favourite Hartnell’s incredible run of form culminated in second in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last weekend and has been allocated the central Melbourne Cup barrier 12.
A multiple Group 1 winner, Hartnell won each of the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) by a combined seventeen lengths leading into his Cox Plate second.
Godolphin have a combined total of five runners in the 2016 Melbourne Cup field; the Charlie Appleby-trained Qewy and Oceanographer have drawn barriers 15 and 11 respectively, while Saeed Bin Suroor will saddle Beautiful Romance (barrier 1) and Secret Number (barrier 10).
Jameka has returned to racing in career-best form this season and while yet to be tested at two miles, has drawn ideally into the Melbourne Cup field in barrier 3.
Winner of last year’s edition of the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m), Jameka clearly required a couple of runs and more distance to find peak condition this time, but more than announced her intentions with a dominant win in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m).
Having progressed to second behind Hartnell in the Turnbull Stakes, the daughter of Myboycharlie completed an ideal Melbourne Cup lead-in via a three length win in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) a fortnight ago.
Wicklow Brave has performed irably in some of Britain’s standout staying races this year but has been charged with overcoming barrier 24 for his first Australian run in the Melbourne Cup.
Third in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup (3299m) on August 19th, the Beat Hollow gelding charged home to win the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) last time out on September 11th.
Bondi Beach has remained prominent in Melbourne Cup betting through recent months and the British raider’s chances of saluting have only improved after drawing into the race in barrier 5.
Third in each of the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes (2414m) and Group 3 Enterprise Stakes (2414m) at his two most recent starts, Bondi Beach is weighted well and will be given a great ride by 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Ryan Moore.
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| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7x5x23x11x | BIG ORANGE (GB) | Michael Bell | Jamie Spencer | 7 | 57kg | – | 117 |
| 2 | 0x5501x586 | OUR IVANHOWE (GER) | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Dwayne Dunn | 6 | 57kg | – | 116 |
| 3 | x300x620x9 | CURREN MIROTIC (JPN) | Osamu Hirata | Tommy Berry | 18 | 56.5kg | – | 116 |
| 4 | 1220x11x33 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore | 5 | 56kg | – | 116 |
| 5 | 1413×18353 | EXOSPHERIC (GB) | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Damien Oliver | 13 | 56kg | – | 117 |
| 6 | 50x5x21112 | HARTNELL (GB) | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 12 | 56kg | – | 123 |
| 7 | 0324×65272 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 20 | 56kg | – | 115 |
| 8 | 3333×26431 | WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) | William Mullins | Frankie Dettori | 24 | 56kg | – | 117 |
| 9 | x9065x8084 | ALMOONQITH (USA) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Michael Walker | 19 | 54.5kg | – | 112 |
| 10 | 069x031x27 | GALLANTE (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Blake Shinn | 2 | 54.5kg | – | 114 |
| 11 | 8533×72691 | GRAND MARSHAL (GB) | Chris Waller | Ben Melham | 9 | 54.5kg | – | 115 |
| 12 | 5324×47121 | JAMEKA | Ciaron Maher | Nicholas Hall | 3 | 54.5kg | 2.0kg | 119 |
| 13 | 00x101x11x | HEARTBREAK CITY (FR) | Tony Martin | Joao Moreira | 23 | 54kg | – | 113 |
| 14 | 2x1322x210 | SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) | John P Thompson | Blake Spriggs | 14 | 54kg | 1.5kg | 114 |
| 15 | 17x20x9834 | EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Vlad Duric | 21 | 53.5kg | – | 111 |
| 16 | x6153x1553 | BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE (GB) | Saeed Bin Suroor | Damian Lane | 1 | 52.5kg | – | 110 |
| 17 | x221x66511 | ALMANDIN (GER) | Robert Hickmott | Kerrin McEvoy | 17 | 52kg | 1.0kg | 108 |
| 18 | 8x1153x921 | ASSIGN (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 22 | 52kg | 1.0kg | 104 |
| 19 | 32x1837x82 | GREY LION (IRE) | Matt Cumani | Glen Boss | 16 | 52kg | – | 107 |
| 20 | 11x4017x31 | OCEANOGRAPHER (GB) | Charlie Appleby | Chad Schofield | 11 | 52kg | 1.0kg | 107 |
| 21 | 361x2x12x1 | SECRET NUMBER (GB) | Saeed Bin Suroor | Stephen Baster | 10 | 52kg | – | 112 |
| 22 | 3254×06737 | PENTATHLON (NZ) | John Wheeler | Mark Du Plessis | 4 | 51.5kg | – | 102 |
| 23 | 22x0Fx22x1 | QEWY (IRE) | Charlie Appleby | Craig Williams | 15 | 51.5kg | 0.5kg | 107 |
| 24 | 62102×0940 | ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) | Lee & Shannon Hope | Ben E Thompson (a) | 8 | 51kg | – | 100 |
