The field and barriers are set for the Group 1 $7.75 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with punters looking ahead to Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDT) on Tuesday for the 162^nd edition of the ‘race that stops a nation’.

Group 1 winning mare Montefilia is one of the best backed locals in the 2022 Melbourne Cup final field for Tuesday at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

There are twenty-four horses in the 2022 Melbourne Cup field including two internationally-trained raiders following the shock withdrawal of German galloper Loft on Friday due to a tendon injury.

James Ferguson’s heavily-backed English visitor, Deauville Legend, is the horse to beat dominating Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes with three-time winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.

Deauville Legend drew ideally in barrier nine at Tuesday afternoon’s Melbourne Cup 2022 barrier draw.

Deauville Legend firmed in the markets last weekend after the imported El Bodegon ran a slashing third to Anamoe first-up down under.

El Bodegon’s previous start in Europe produced a third behind Deauville Legend at York on August 17 in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur (2885m).

The suggestion is that Deauville Legend can now further frank that form and salute for the Melbourne Cup punters.

“Obviously, it was wonderful to see El Bodegon run so well in the Cox Plate, given they were work partners at home,” Ferguson told The Age earlier in the week.

“He [Deauville Legend] has travelled down here well. If you want to give me the Cup now, that would be great. But no, it’s an incredibly tough ask. Everything has to go your way.

“He brings a level form into the race, which is nice, but there are 24 runners and everything needs to go right, and he needs to be in as good a form, if not better, than we had him at York.

“He’s travelled over well, and he’s working nicely at Werribee, and they’ve done a great job, and we’re just looking forward to the day.”

The other international looking to steal the ‘Loving Cup’ trophy from Aussie shores is Without A Fight for British horseman Simon & Ed Crisford in barrier 18.

No Melbourne Cup winner, since gates were introduced, had won from barrier 18 until Verry Elleegant last year.

It is an all-English affair with the UK’s William Buick to ride the son of Teofilo, best known for his Grand Cup – Silver Cup Stakes double over 2787m at York earlier in the year.

The other visiting international jockey with a ride in the Melbourne Cup field this year is Ireland’s Wayne Lordan who flies in to take the sit on The Andrew Ramsden winner Point Nepean out wide in barrier 20 for record-holding seven-time winning owner Lloyd Williams.

Williams will be dually represented in the field this year after the eleventh-hour inclusion of Serpentine who also drew out in gate 23 with work to do on the quick back-up.

The 2020 Epsom Derby winner, a disappointment prior to Saturday down under, was brave fighting all-the-way and holding for second after leading throughout in the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes on Derby Day.

That performance saw him pass the ballot clause and gain a Melbourne Cup run with 53.5kg and jockey John Allen, originally booked to ride Godolphin’s non-acceptor Alegron, picking up the mount.

Racing first-up down under for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott is Craig Williams’ mount, four-year-old Territories entire Hoo Ya Mal, getting some early love from the punters with gate 15.

Williams completed the grand slam of Aussie Group 1s back in 2019 with his success on Vow And Declare, and looks to be taking the reins of a genuine chance again this spring.

Sydney Cup winner Knights Order, third in the Caulfield Cup last time out, is the other Waterhouse/Bott runner and is proven at the distance having won the 2021 Brisbane Cup and this year’s Sydney Cup over two miles.

Knights Order drew the extreme outside in barrier 24 of 24.

Vow And Declare meanwhile returns for another Melbourne Cup drawn ideally in barrier four and joined by stablemate Young Werther out in gate 21 for O’Brien.

Leading Australian training duo Ciaron Maher & David Eustace will saddle-up an impressive five Melbourne Cup contenders led by the 57.5kg top-weight Gold Trip.

Gold Trip, out to carry the most weight to a Melbourne Cup victory since three-time hero Makybe Diva (58kg in 2005), has his third run in as many weeks having come three the other spring majors.

The gutsy galloper was runner-up in the Caulfield Cup before a credible ninth when dropped back in distance for the weight-for-age Cox Plate on October 22.

Gold Trip was narrowly beaten late by Durston, subsequently ruled out of a Melbourne Cup bid for last year’s winning trainer Chris Waller, in the Caulfield Cup and the team believe he has the right qualities to challenge again up in distance for the two-mile Melbourne Cup test from barrier 14.

The other Maher/Eustace-trained Melbourne Cup runners are Turnbull Stakes champ Smokin’ Romans (barrier 16), Grand Promenade (barrier 1), Bendigo Cup winning mare High Emocean (barrier 8) and fellow 50kg light-weight Interpretation (barrier 6).

Other notable Melbourne Cup acceptors include David Payne’s Group 1 winning mare Montefilia coming off a Caulfield Cup fourth in gate 11, Australian Cup – Tancred Stakes double winner Duais one closer the rails in barrier 10 and fellow smart mare Realm Of Flowers who drew the most successful Melbourne Cup barrier in history starting from the coveted gate five.

2022 Melbourne Cup Final Field, Barriers, Weights & Jockeys

Table Credit: Racing Australia.