Dare To Dream is the odd horse out in Bart Cummings' team of Emirates Melbourne Cup contenders this year.The imported son of Danehill Dancer sits alongside Sanagas and Precedence as Cummings-trained runners still entered for Tuesday's great race, but he is the only one running on Victoria Derby Day.That's the formula that has been central to Cummings crafting his name as the Cups King.Of the iconic trainer's 12 Melbourne Cup winners, Saintly is the only one that didn't run in either the Mackinno

Dare To Dream is the odd horse out in Bart Cummings' team of Emirates Melbourne Cup contenders this year.

The imported son of Danehill Dancer sits alongside Sanagas and Precedence as Cummings-trained runners still entered for Tuesday's great race, but he is the only one running on Victoria Derby Day.

That's the formula that has been central to Cummings crafting his name as the Cups King.

Of the iconic trainer's 12 Melbourne Cup winners, Saintly is the only one that didn't run in either the Mackinnon Stakes or The Lexus Stakes, which is the event Dare To Dream will contest this year.

The Irish entire enters the 2500m Group 3 event at the foot of the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry and needs to secure the prized ballot exemption that accompanies Lexus victory to gain a start in the 3200m feature.

Dare To Dream is coming off a disappointing seventh as favourite in the Tatts Cup (2400m) at Randwick on 20 October, but before that was a closing third to Mourayan and Western Symbol in the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) and will have the blinkers reapplied this weekend.

Dare To Dream is in a similar predicament to his 12 rivals in the $250,000 Lexus with all entered for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, but the closest to a start in the field of 24 is the Robert Hickmott-trained Tanby who is at number 31 in the Order of Entry.

Last year's Victoria Derby third placegetter Sabrage and Geelong Cup winner Gatewood sit immediately below Tanby, while Permit (35), Exceptionally (36), Ibicenco (37) and Kelinni (38) are the others ranked in the 30s engaged in the Lexus.

Dame Claire (40), Fictional Account (41), Reuben Percival (42), Excluded (43) and Peal Of Bells (44) are those that sit just above Dare To Dream in the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry that will run on Saturday.

The Lexus Stakes isn't the only race on the Derby Day card that offers a free pass through to the Melbourne Cup with the $1 million Longines Mackinnon Stakes also offering a ballot exemption.

Four of the eight runners in the 2000m Group 1 remain in the Melbourne Cup, but only American import Winchester (six) and South Australian Derby winner Zabeelionaire (17) are guaranteed a Cup start.

The Danny O'Brien-trained Prairie Star (28) and John Steffert's Back In Black (45) are not yet guaranteed a run and while Back In Black needs to win to secure a start, Prairie Star could get in with a top-three finish.

Second placing would net him $180,000 and elevate him to 24th position, while $90,000 for third would lift him to 25th spot. (www.racingvictoria.net.au)