Every jockey, trainer and owner dreams of etching their name into the Melbourne Cup's storied history.
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For the punters, the Melbourne Cup provides a chance to get behind the best stayers in the business and turn a few dollars into a memorable win.
The field for the famed race was locked in on Saturday night and the time to study the form has arrived.
Opinions differ on the impact of last week's scratching of Caulfield Cup winner Durston and second-favourite Loft, with Deauville Legend firming into $3.60 favouritism in the Bet365 market.
Like so many editions of the Melbourne Cup, the form lines can be hard to track, given the mix of European runners and divergent Australian paths to the feature.
Throw in the challenges of negotiating handicaps and determining which horses can run out 3200 metres and the $7.75 million race is often a gambler's nightmare.
Top weight Gold Trip has firmed into $12 however he will be required to carry 57.5kg. If he wins, it will be the biggest weight since Makybe Diva won with 58kg in 2005.
The Ciaron Maher-David Eustace gelding was impressive running second in the Caulfield Cup but struggled on the short back up in the Cox Plate.
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A win for Knights Order ($26) would also go against history, just three eight-year-olds have won the Melbourne Cup. It's a group that includes 2020 winner Twilight Payment.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Knights Order is a proven stayer and claimed this year's Sydney Cup. The form translated to the spring and he finished third in the Caulfield Cup. Carrying 55.5kg, he remains a chance, particularly if the rain hits, however barrier 24 dampens his chances.
It's not hard to figure out why Deauville Legend has firmed into $3.60 since Loft's scratching. He's not quite at Incentivise odds but he's a clear standout. Beware a short-priced favourite in the Melbourne Cup.
A four-year-old wearing the same colours as 2020 Everest Winner Classique Legend, Deauville Legend has three wins and three seconds from seven starts. The resume includes a victory over 2615m in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy and a last-start triumph in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
If you want to throw your support behind an Australian success story, joint second-favourite Montefilia ($12) is a wise choice.
The mare defeated last year's winner Verry Elleegant in March's Group 1 Ranvet Stakes and produced an eye-catching fourth in the Caulfield Cup. She's widely considered the best local hope.
Edward Cummings' Duais ($23) has struggled throughout the spring but she's in the mix if she can reproduce the autumn form that saw her claim a Group 1 at Flemington and the 2400m Tancred Stakes. Cummings is confident he can recreate his grandfather Bart's Cup heroics.
With Loft out, the money has come for another import, Without A Fight firming into $12. The distance is unlikely to prove an issue and he knows how to win with seven victories from 17 starts, but he struggled in his only Group 1 race in March.
Realm Of Flowers ($13) has emerged as the preferred light-weight option in the market, the mare to carry just 50kg.
The horse has thrived in the wet in Sydney this prep, running third on heavy tracks in both the Listed City Tattersalls Club Cup and the Group 1 Metropolitan.
This brings us to the roughies. A handful could provide a handy payday if they salute at long odds, including Adelaide Cup winner Daqiansweet Junior ($51).
High Emocean ($51) is in form after winning last week's Bendigo Cup and Camorra ($51) is another Irish raider with black-type wins to his name. Arapaho ($101) relishes longer distances while Stockman ($31) thrives in the wet.
Final Melbourne Cup field
No - Horse - Trainer - Jockey - Barrier - Weight
1 - GOLD TRIP (FR) - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - Mark Zahra - 14 - 57.5kg
2 - DUAIS - Edward Cummings - Hugh Bowman - 10 - 55.5kg
3 - KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) - Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott - Tim Clark - 24 - 55.5kg
4 - MONTEFILIA - David Payne - Jason Collett - 11 - 55.5kg
5 - NUMERIAN (IRE) - Annabel Neasham - Tommy Berry - 7 - 55.5kg
6 - WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) - Simon & Ed Crisford - William Buick - 18 - 55.5kg
7 - CAMORRA (IRE) - Ben & JD Hayes - Ben Melham - 17 - 55kg
8 - DEAUVILLE LEGEND (IRE) - James Ferguson - Kerrin McEvoy - 9 - 55kg
9 - STOCKMAN (NZ) - Joseph Pride - Sam Clipperton -2 - 54kg
10 - VOW AND DECLARE - Danny O'Brien - Blake Shinn - 4 - 54kg
11 - YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) - Danny O'Brien - Damian Lane - 21 - 54kg
12 - HOO YA MAL (GB) - Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott - Craig Williams - 15 - 53.5kg
13 - SERPENTINE (IRE) - Robert Hickmott - John Allen - 23 - 53.5kg
14 - DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR (NZ) - Phillip Stokes - Daniel Moor - 13 - 53kg
15 - GRAND PROMENADE (GB) - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - Harry Coffey - 1 - 53kg
16 - ARAPAHO (FR) - Bjorn Baker - Rachel King - 19 - 52.5kg
17 - EMISSARY (GB) - Michael Moroney - Patrick Moloney - 3 - 51.5kg
18 - LUNAR FLARE - Grahame Begg - Michael Dee - 12 - 51.5kg
19 - SMOKIN' ROMANS (NZ) - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - Jamie Kah - 16 - 51.5kg
20 - TRALEE ROSE (NZ) - Symon Wilde - Dean Yendall - 22 - 51.5kg
21 - POINT NEPEAN (IRE) - Robert Hickmott - Wayne Lordan - 20 - 51kg
22 - HIGH EMOCEAN (NZ) - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - 8 - Teo Nugent - 50kg
23 - INTERPRETATION (IRE) - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - 6 - Craig Newitt - 50kg
24 - REALM OF FLOWERS - Anthony & Sam Freedman - Damien Thornton - 5 - 50kg
Cameron Mee
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
