The 2013 Melbourne Cup barrier draw and field has been released; with one of the strongest fields in the history of the race set to take part in the Group 1 event at Flemington on Tuesday.

Fiorente was the big winner in the 2013 Melbourne Cup barrier draw and will jump from barrier five at Flemington on Tuesday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Macedon Lodge team of Lloyd Williams makes up a quarter of the 2013 Melbourne Cup field and he has a number of excellent chances to give him his fifth victory in the race.

2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon (barrier ten) is attempting to become the first horse since champion mare Makybe Diva to win ‘the race that stops a nation’ in back-to-back years but will have to carry 57.5kg, three and half kilos more than the 54kg he lumped to victory in 2013.

The best backed of Williams’ six runners in the 2013 Melbourne Cup has been the highly-rated Sea Moon (barrier seven) who has improved each of his starts since making his Australian racing debut in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).

The Beat Hollow entire failed to fire in the Makybe Diva Stakes or Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) but produced strong staying efforts to be the first horse across the line in Listed The Bart Cummings (2520m) and the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m).

The Caulfield Cup is considered the major 2013 Melbourne Cup form race but no horse since Ethereal in 2001 has been able to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double; with even champion mare Makybe Diva unable to win Australia’s most famous handicap races in the same year.

The staying ability of Fawkner was questioned before his impressive Caulfield Cup victory and there are still those who doubt whether the Reset gelding can run a strong 3200 metres but he should get an excellent run into the race from barrier eight.

Rounding out the Williams-owned runners in the 2013 Melbourne Cup field and barrier draw are: The Metropolitan Handicap winner Seville (barrier nine), 2011 Ladbrokes St Leger winner Masked Marvel (barrier two) and Sydney Cup winner Mourayan (barrier 19).

Luca Cumani-trained Mount Athos and last year’s runner-up Fiorente have been battling for favoritism all week but Fiorente will be the new favourite after drawing barrier five in the 2013 Melbourne Cup barrier draw, while Mount Athos drew towards the outside of the field in gate 22.

Fiorente is yet to produce a bad performance since arriving in Australia before the Melbourne Cup last year and his lead-up to the race has been stellar; winning the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) before flashing home late to finish fourth in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and finish a tough third in the Cox Plate (2040m).

The lead-up form of Mount Athos has not been as impressive and the Montjeu gelding failed to fire in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (2414m) and the Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3218m) but returned to his best form with a narrow second place finish behind Harris Tweed in the Listed Goodwood Cup (2816m).

Irish St Leger winner Voleuse De Coeurs and French stayer Tres Blue have both been well-backed in 2013 Melbourne Cup betting markets but they are expecting to drift slightly after drawing barriers 21 and 20 respectively.

Other big winners in the 2013 Melbourne Cup barrier drew were Dandino (barrier four), Royal Empire (barrier 11) and Brown Panther (barrier six).

2013 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw