A total of 40 horses remain in contention for a start in tomorrow week’s $6.2 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) following today’s closure of second acceptances.
Heading the list is Japan’s Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti, one of 11 internationally-trained horses now inside the top 24 and assured a start in the Flemington feature.
If all do start it will equal the record of 11 internationals from the 2011 Melbourne Cup won by French star Dunaden and in which horses trained abroad filled six of the first seven placings.
Click here to download an updated Order of Entry for the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup.
As expected Saturday’s Sportingbet Cox Plate placegetter Silent Achiever was the most notable withdrawal today, with Kirramosa, Hawkspur, Zanbagh and Black Tycoon the other top 24-ranked horses not to accept.
Their withdrawal has paved the way for Simon O’Donnell and Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing to boost their Cup assault with four OTI-owned horses now inside the top 24.
UK-trained Gatewood (16th), French-trained Au Revoir (22nd), and the Peter Moody pair Brambles (19th) and Lidari (23rd) make up the quartet with a fifth OTI-owned horse, UK-trained Lord Van Percy (31st), still in contention.
Moody is one of five trainers with multiple runners now inside the top 24. The others are Robert Hickmott (three), Chris Waller (three), Saeed bin Suroor (two) and Johnny Murtagh (two).
Last year’s winner Gai Waterhouse is represented solely by Sydney Cup winner The Offer (6th), while 12-time Cup winner Bart Cummings and his grandson James are now assured a start with veteran Precedence (18th).
The Mike Moroney-trained Araldo now sits at 24th in Order of Entry, but is not guaranteed a start with the winner of Saturday’s Lexus Stakes (2500m) and Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington both guaranteed a start if a final acceptor.
Notable acceptors outside the top 24 at present are Makybe Diva’s three-quarter sister and one-time Cup favourite La Amistad (27th), Geelong Cup winner Caravan Rolls On (28th) and racing.com Moonee Valley Cup winner Prince of Penzance (30th).
The Darren Weir-trained Prince of Penzance has risen in the Order of Entry after being handed a 2kg penalty this morning by Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager, Greg Carpenter, for his Group 2 win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Final acceptances for the Cup will be taken at 4.30pm on Saturday following the running of the Lexus and Mackinnon Stakes. The top 35-ranked horses will all be examined before that time by RV vets to determine their suitability to accept.
Click here to view the full form for the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup