The 2014 Melbourne Cup form guide can be difficult to read for once-a-year punters, so our team of horse racing experts have done the hard work and have complied all you need to know about every horse in the field into a single paragraph to help you find the winner of ‘the race that stops a nation’.
Update: There has been plenty of action in 2014 Melbourne Cup betting markets following the scratching of Cavalryman and we have updated our information about all 24 runners in the 2014 Melbourne Cup field.
1. Admire Rakti
Admire Rakti stamped himself as Melbourne Cup favourite with an impressive victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 11 and is a proven stayer that will have no trouble running out a strong 3200 metres.
Update: Admire Rakti remains steady in 2014 Melbourne Cup betting markets a a quote of $6 and still looks like to
2. Cavalryman
Cavalryman has found career best form this season after taking out the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (2414m) and Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3218m) and his performance in the 2012 edition of the Melbourne Cup was much better than it looked on paper.
Update: Cavalryman has been scratched from the 2014 Melbourne Cup after being found with swelling in his near fore fetlock.
3. Fawkner
Fawkner finished a close second behind Adelaide in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley and he will be settled closer to the speed than he did when a fast-finishing sixth behind Fiorente last year.
Update: Fawkner has been backed into $7.50.
4. Red Cadeaux
Red Cadeaux has failed to fire in his two race starts this preparation, but he has a remarkable record in the Melbourne Cup; finishing second by a pixel to Dunaden in 2012 and second again last year.
Update: Red Cadeaux has been on the drift since the 2014 Melbourne Cup field was released on Saturday and he is now out to a quote of $21.
5. Protectionist
Protectionist won the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m), the same race won by Americain in 2010 before he went on to win the Melbourne Cup, in France before making the trip to Australia and he made his Australian racing debut with a fast-finishing fourth behind Big Memory in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 11.
Update: Protectionist has been $7 out to $8, but he remains one of the leading chances to take out the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
6. Sea Moon
Scratched
7. Seismos
Seismos worked his way into Melbourne Cup calculations when he beat Red Cadeaux and Willing Foe in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2670m) at Newbury on August 16, but he was disappointing when 15th in the Caulfield Cup.
Update: There has been little betting support for Seismos and he is out to $101 after being available at $34 earlier in the week.
8. Junoob
Junoob produced an exceptional staying effort to take out the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 after being set a tough task by jockey Blake Shinn and he was far from disgraced when seventh in the Melbourne Cup.
Update: Junoob has flown under the radar heading into the Melbourne Cup, but he is still available at $26.
9. Royal Diamond
Royal Diamond took out the 2012 edition of the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) and won the British Champions Long Distance Cup (3218m) at the end of last year, but he could prove too dour for a race like the Melbourne Cup.
Update: All the money has been for Royal Diamond’s stablemate and he is friendless in betting.
10. Gatewood
Gatewood failed to fire in his previous stint in Australia, outside of a win in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), and he performed well since returning to Europe, but probably lacks the class to win the Melbourne Cup.
Update: Gatewood has remained steady at $71 over the past 48 hours.
11. Mutual Regard
Mutual Regard produced the best performance of his career to win the Ebor Handicap (2800m) at his last start before making the trip to Australia and there was plenty of merit in his third place finish behind Pale Mimosa in the Listed Challenge Stakes (2816m).
Update: Mutual Regard has been one of the best-backed runners and he is now into a quote of $8.50.
12. Who Shot Thebarman
Who Shot Thebarman was never able to figure in the Caulfield Cup, but he has recorded two wins from as many starts at Flemington after taking out the Girls Day Out Handicap (2000m) and the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2520m) in his first two starts in Melbourne.
Update: Who Shot Thebarman was the best-backed runner overnight, but he has now drifted out to a quote of $21.
13. Willing Foe
Willing Foe has always been considered the right sort of horse for the Melbourne Cup and will be close to peak fitness after he returned to racing following a yearlong injury lay-off with credible performances in Geoffrey Freer Stakes and Irish St Leger.
Update: Willing Foe has been very steady in betting at $26.
14. My Ambivalent
My Ambivalent is an enigmatic mare that has Group 1 form around some of the best horses in the world, but is no certainty to run out a strong 3200 metres and missed a run in the Caulfield Cup due to a hoof issue.
Update: My Ambivalent has been backed from $51 into $34.
15. Precedence
Precedence would be a popular winner of the Melbourne Cup, but his lead-up run in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Cox Plate Day was not particularly impressive and it is tough to see him improve on his eight place finish in the 2011 edition of the race.
Update: There has been a sprinkling of sentimental money for Precedence and he is into $81.
16. Brambles
Brambles was touted as a Melbourne Cup contender in 2012 and finally gets his chance after missing two years of racing due to injury, but it is tough to see him winning over 3200 metres based on his performances in the Caulfield Cup and the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Update: Brambles has been one of the biggest drifters in betting and he is out to $81.
17. Mr O’Ceirin
Mr O’Ceirin has not recorded a race win since he took out the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield last year and he could finish no better than seventh in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (2025) in his final race start before the Melbourne Cup.
Update: There has been no interest in Mr O’Ceirin ar the Melbourne Cup odds of $21.
18. Au Revoir
Au Revoir made his Australian racing debut with a credible third place finish in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and he is expected to take up the running in the early stakes of the Melbourne Cup and attempt to turn the race into a genuine staying test.
Update: Au Revoir is on the same line of betting as Brambles at a quote of $81.
19. Lidari
Lidari faded late to finish sixth in the Caulfield Cup and that performance, as well as his breeding, suggests that he will struggle to run out a tough 3200 metres in ‘the race that stops a nation’ at Flemington tomorrow.
Update: Lidari has been backed from $81 back into $71.
20. Opinion
Opinion did not handle the tight-turning Moonee Valley track at his last start, but he was second in the Sydney Cup in the autumn and hit the line strongly behind stablemate Junoob in The Metropolitan.
Update: There has been no love for Opinion and he remains at Melbourne Cup odds of $61.
21. Araldo
Araldo has been plagued by poor barriers during his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign, but he produced strong Melbourne Cup trials when third in The Metropolitan and fifth in the Caulfield Cup.
Update: Araldo has received plenty of support in each way betting and he remains at $26.
22. Lucia Valentina
Lucia Valentina took out the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and she ran the fastest closing sectionals in the final stages of the Caulfield Cup, but will be stepping up to 3200 metres for the first time in her racing career.
Update: Lucia Valentina has remained steady at a quote of $7 and has been one of the best-backed runners to win the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
23. Unchain My Heart
Unchain My Heart took out the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) over the famous 3200 metre course at Flemington, but she was poor in the Herbert Power Stakes and was only able to beat home a single runner in the Caulfield Cup.
Update: There has been a sprinkling of support for Unchain My Heart and she is into $101 after being available at $201 yesterday.
24. Signoff
Signoff has followed an almost identical path to the Melbourne Cup as 2009 winner Shocking and he stamped himself as a genuine lightweight chance after he scored a comfortable victory in the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) on Saturday.
Update: Signoff has been easy in Melbourne Cup betting and is out to $8.50.
For more information on every horse in the field visit our complete 2014 Melbourne Cup Form Guide.