The official 2017 Melbourne Cup Final Field of 24 Horses is all but confirmed after the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Cismontane got the eleventh hour start in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’.
Lexus Stakes winner Cismontane has made the 24 horse Melbourne Cup 2017 field. Photo: Steve Hart.
Final acceptances for the Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) close at 4:30pm (AEDT) this afternoon before the live Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw takes place from 5:30pm at Flemington Racecourse.
Irish horseman William Mullins and connections have a tough call to make about what horses they accept for in the two mile classic after former No. 24 on the ballot Thomas Hobson was leapfrogged by today’s Lexus Stakes winner Cismontane.
Mullins has the 2015 runner-up Max Dynamite and nine-year-old Wicklow Brave guaranteed a start and one would need to not run to allow Thomas Hobson into the line-up.
Max Dynamite is a $15 chance to win first-up down under and Zac Purton has the ride, while veteran stayer Wicklow Brave comes off an unplaced Group 1 Caulfield Cup (1200m) run and is a $51 roughie.
Thomas Hobson remains at $15 in pre-field Melbourne Cup betting at Jon Snow will fail to be ed fit to run allowing for an attrition rate to move the international galloper back into the race.
See below for the likely 2017 Melbourne Cup Field before checking out the latest markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Melbourne Cup Field: Pre-Final Acceptances
Flemington Race 7 (3:00pm) – 07/11/2017
| No. | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x2822x1229 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 7 | James Cummings | 0 | 57.5kg | 115 |
| 2 | 665111×214 | ALMANDIN (GER) | G | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 0 | 56.5kg | 112 |
| 3 | 212×681352 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 0 | 56kg | 112 |
| 4 | 242x11711x | TIBERIAN (FR) | H | 6 | Alain Couetil | 0 | 55.5kg | 110 |
| 5 | 232x1521x6 | MARMELO (GB) | H | 5 | Hughie Morrison | 0 | 55kg | 109 |
| 6 | 1132x11x5x | RED CARDINAL (IRE) | G | 6 | Andreas Wohler | 0 | 55kg | 109 |
| 7 | 3x45712x23 | JOHANNES VERMEER (IRE) | H | 5 | Aidan O’Brien | 0 | 54.5kg | 108 |
| 8 | 7311×68139 | JON SNOW (NZ) | H | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 0 | 54.5kg | 108 |
| 9 | x11x330x90 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 0 | 54kg | 106 |
| 10 | 1x2x30x91x | MAX DYNAMITE (FR) | G | 8 | William Mullins | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 11 | 121x5x7620 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 0 | 54kg | 106 |
| 12 | 0x81424440 | WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) | G | 9 | William Mullins | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 13 | 3642×94491 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 14 | 113×550214 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 0 | 53.5kg | 104 |
| 15 | 428×320386 | US ARMY RANGER (IRE) | H | 5 | Joseph O’Brien | 0 | 53.5kg | 106 |
| 16 | 6510×39341 | BOOM TIME | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 0 | 53kg (includes 1.0kg penalty) | 102 |
| 17 | 031x270x07 | GALLANTE (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 0 | 53kg | 103 |
| 18 | 746Px61652 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 0 | 53kg | 107 |
| 19 | 202x024x1x | NAKEETA (GB) | G | 7 | Iain Jardine | 0 | 53kg | 105 |
| 20 | 2612×05442 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 5 | Nick Olive | 0 | 53kg | 108 |
| 21 | 11x6248x22 | WALL OF FIRE (IRE) | H | 5 | Hugo Palmer | 0 | 53kg | 105 |
| 22 | 210×140124 | REKINDLING (GB) | H | 4 | Joseph O’Brien | 0 | 51.5kg | 110 |
| 23 | 214×839410 | AMELIE’S STAR | M | 6 | Darren Weir | 0 | 51kg | 103 |
| 24 | x232521033 | CISMONTANE (NZ) | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 0 | 50kg | 84 |
