Has the Geelong Cup been killed off as a spectacle because of the presence of classy international stayers? Well, it looks like it. There are only 7 runners in Wednesday's big 2400m race - a key contest as far as getting into the Melbourne Cup is concerned.Race 7 - 4:00PM Centrebet Geelong Cup (2400 METRES)Of $300,000.1st $180,000, 2nd $54,000, 3rd $27,000, 4th $13,500, 5th $7,500, 6th $6,000, 7th $6,000, 8th $6,000 GROUP 3Handicap, Minimum Weight 54kg, Apprentices cannot claim.No Last 10 Horse

Has the Geelong Cup been killed off as a spectacle because of the presence of classy international stayers? Well, it looks like it. There are only 7 runners in Wednesday's big 2400m race - a key contest as far as getting into the Melbourne Cup is concerned.

Race 7 - 4:00PM Centrebet Geelong Cup (2400 METRES)
Of $300,000.1st $180,000, 2nd $54,000, 3rd $27,000, 4th $13,500, 5th $7,500, 6th $6,000, 7th $6,000, 8th $6,000 GROUP 3
Handicap, Minimum Weight 54kg, Apprentices cannot claim.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 x447x8x802 MALUCKYDAY (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jim Cassidy 3 58.5kg 107
2 441x53521x TAC DE BOISTRON (FR) Michael Kent Corey Brown 5 58.5kg 107
3 38x24x622x BRIGANTIN (USA) Andre Fabre Umberto Rispoli 1 57.5kg 105
4 214x111327 GATEWOOD (GB) John Gosden Glen Boss 7 55.5kg 101
5 x00021x233 EXCEPTIONALLY (NZ) Terry & Karina O'Sullivan Dean Yendall 6 54kg 98
6 x1117x2311 CHATEAU MARGAUX Peter G Moody Luke Nolen 2 54kg 93
7 90x0970170 BACK IN BLACK (NZ) John Steffert Craig Newitt 4 54kg 89

Staying superstar Dunaden has been penalised 1kg for the Melbourne Cup following his emphatic win in the Caulfield Cup. Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter says Dunaden is "one of the best 2400 metre horses in the world". He adds: "Dunaden beat one of the highest quality Caulfield Cup fields we've seen in the modern era and that victory demanded we reviewed his handicap weight for the Melbourne Cup...I'm very aware that there were horses he is likely to meet in the Melbourne Cup that didn't run on Saturday, horses like Mount Athos, Red Cadeaux, Green Moon, Galileo's Choice, Brigantin and Tac de Boistron, who all lay ahead of Dunaden...I thought long and hard about those horses as well when determining the penalty Dunaden should receive...It's a big challenge for him but he showed his class and showed he is one of the best stayers to have come to Australia...I think even with the one kilo, which equals two lengths in distance, he will still be hard to beat." Dunaden must now carry 59kgs in the Cup - 4.5kgs more than he had last year.