Jon Snow has officially been ruled out of the 2017 Melbourne Cup Field and will not take to the track in the famous Flemington Race 7 next Tuesday.
ATC Derby winner Jon Snow has been ruled out of the 2017 Melbourne Cup field. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained ATC Derby winner was found to be two out of five lame in his near-side foreleg and is not permitted to accept for the Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Baker never thought the Victoria Racing Club Committee would allow the horse to run, continuing the team’s luckless spring carnival down under.
“We know the horse. They reckon he’s 2/5 lame, I don’t think they’ll let him run,” Baker said before the official call.
“He’s had this problem of being a bit scratchy in New Zealand and in Sydney but he comes right.”
With final Melbourne Cup acceptances closing at 4:30pm (AEST) this afternoon, the official 24 horses to line-up in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’ is becoming clearer.
Irish trainer Willie Mullins has three in the line-up now with Max Dynamite and Wicklow Brave ed by eleventh hour escapee Thomas Hobson.
Thomas Hobson will be ridden by the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira who was runner-up aboard Heartbreak City in the 2016 Melbourne Cup results.
Jon Snow was to be ridden by Stephen Baster, but Baster is now without a ride in the race unlikely to be able to get down to the 50kg required to partner the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-rained Lexus Stakes winner Cismontane.
Almandin remains the $6.50 favourite in Melbourne Cup betting pre-field, the Lloyd Williams-raced defending champion out to hand his owner with a sixth ‘Loving Trophy’.
Williams will saddle-up six Melbourne Cup horses with the favourite to be ed by international visitors Rekindling, Johannes Vermeer, US Army Ranger, along with the imported Bondi Beach and Gallante both trained by Robert Hickmott.
See below for the 2017 Melbourne Cup Field as it stands before the official final announcement after the Victoria Derby Day racing action, all markets still open at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Melbourne Cup Field Prediction
To Be Confirmed at 4:30pm (AEDT)
| 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 | x11x330x90 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 0 | 54kg | 106 |
| 9 | 1x2x30x91x | MAX DYNAMITE (FR) | G | 8 | William Mullins | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 10 | 121x5x7620 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 0 | 54kg | 106 |
| 11 | 0x81424440 | WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) | G | 9 | William Mullins | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 12 | 3642×94491 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 0 | 54kg | 107 |
| 13 | 113×550214 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 0 | 53.5kg | 104 |
| 14 | 428×320386 | US ARMY RANGER (IRE) | H | 5 | Joseph O’Brien | 0 | 53.5kg | 106 |
| 15 | 6510×39341 | BOOM TIME | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 0 | 53kg (includes 1.0kg penalty) | 102 |
| 16 | 031x270x07 | GALLANTE (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 0 | 53kg | 103 |
| 17 | 746Px61652 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 0 | 53kg | 107 |
| 18 | 202x024x1x | NAKEETA (GB) | G | 7 | Iain Jardine | 0 | 53kg | 105 |
| 19 | 2612×05442 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 5 | Nick Olive | 0 | 53kg | 108 |
| 20 | 11x6248x22 | WALL OF FIRE (IRE) | H | 5 | Hugo Palmer | 0 | 53kg | 105 |
| 21 | 9P01712x72 | THOMAS HOBSON (GB) | G | 8 | William Mullins | 0 | 52kg | 103 |
| 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 |
