Lloyd Williams has lost one of his two representatives in the 2011 Melbourne Cup field with his smart stayer Mourayan the first official withdrawal from today’s $6 million Flemington feature.
Mourayan was horse No. 10 in the Melbourne Cup field, and their scratching from the ‘race that stops a nation’ means that just 23 horses will line up in Flemington Race 7 this afternoon.
Mourayan has been scratched from the 2011 Melbourne Cup Field
Drawn in barrier 14, Mourayan was rated a $16 chance in the latest Melbourne Cup betting markets at Luxbet.
Their withdrawal leaves Williams and trainer Robert Hickmott with one remaining Melbourne Cup starter, #17 At First Sight, a horse paying around $14 in the Luxbet markets and that the Races.com.au team rate their Top 4 Melbourne Cup 2011 Tips.
Six-year-old Alhaarth stallion Mourayan was found to be slightly lame after their eye-catching second behind fellow Melbourne Cup acceptor Tullamore ($21 Luxbet) in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
After the race vets examined them and said they were still suitable to be accepted for the Melbourne Cup, which they were.
Having failed to improve as expected, however, Mourayan has been scratched from the 2011 Melbourne Cup on vets advice.
This news will come as a bitter blow to those in the Luca Cumani camp as their horse Bauer, the popular grey veteran runner-up to Viewed in the 2008 Melbourne Cup, missed out on a start in the 2011 Melbourne Cup having just missed the final cut sitting 25th on the order of entry at acceptance time last Saturday.
There are no Melbourne Cup emergencies as per the official race conditions.
It will be the second successive year that a below capacity Melbourne Cup field jumps from the barriers at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
Twelve months ago it was actually Bauer who was withdrawn due to injury concerns, Americain emerging as last year’s Melbourne Cup winner.
Americain is back again for the 2011 Melbourne Cup to defend their title and prior to the scratching of Mourayan were sitting as the $5 favourite in the Luxbet Melbourne Cup odds.
See below for the updated 2011 Melbourne Cup field.
To check out how the scratching of Mourayan has affected the Melbourne Cup 2011 betting markets, head to Luxbet now!
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Updated 2011 Melbourne Cup Field
*Note horses drawn in barrier 15 – 24 will all move in one gate due to the scratching of Mourayan
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13X66X10X1 | AMERICAIN (USA) | Alain de Royer Dupre | Gerald Mosse | 15 | 58kg | 117 |
| 2 | 01794X1311 | JUKEBOX JURY (IRE) | Mark Johnston | Neil Callan | 6 | 57kg | 115 |
| 3 | 12X3X12X91 | DUNADEN (FR) | Mikel Delzangles | Christophe Lemaire (late alt) | 13 | 54.5kg (Pen. 0.5kg) | 111 |
| 4 | X446X13137 | DRUNKEN SAILOR (IRE) | Luca Cumani | Dwayne Dunn | 8 | 54kg | 110 |
| 5 | 2312X24201 | GLASS HARMONIUM (IRE) | Michael Moroney | Ms Lisa Cropp | 23 | 54kg | 115 |
| 6 | 2573X34844 | MANIGHAR (FR) | Luca Cumani | Damien Oliver | 21 | 54kg | 110 |
| 7 | 3621X5X406 | UNUSUAL SUSPECT (USA) | Michael Kent | Brad Rawiller (late alt) | 7 | 54kg | 110 |
| 8 | 2164112461 | FOX HUNT (IRE) | Mark Johnston | Silvestre De Sousa | 19 | 53.5kg (Pen. 0.5kg) | 109 |
| 9 | 111X4215X5 | LUCAS CRANACH (GER) | Anthony Freedman | Corey Brown | 11 | 53.5kg | 109 |
| 10 | 2042X04312 | MOURAYAN (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Hugh Bowman | 14 | 53.5kg | 108 |
| 11 | X025X67009 | PRECEDENCE (NZ) | Bart Cummings | Darren Beadman | 2 | 53.5kg | 107 |
| 12 | 9X20141053 | RED CADEAUX (GB) | Ed Dunlop | Michael Rodd | 16 | 53.5kg | 109 |
| 13 | 341FX60220 | HAWK ISLAND (IRE) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 18 | 53kg | 109 |
| 14 | 262X1421X3 | ILLO (GER) | Bart Cummings | Jim Cassidy | 1 | 53kg | 106 |
| 15 | 189X223274 | LOST IN THE MOMENT (IRE) | Saeed Bin Suroor | William Buick | 3 | 53kg | 108 |
| 16 | 12X1X02241 | MODUN (IRE) | Saeed Bin Suroor | Kerrin McEvoy | 5 | 53kg | 108 |
| 17 | 23245X0622 | AT FIRST SIGHT (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Steven King | 10 | 52.5kg | 106 |
| 18 | 2DX2235013 | MOYENNE CORNICHE (GB) | Brian Ellison | Brett Prebble | 17 | 52kg | 103 |
| 19 | 534X755580 | SAPTAPADI (IRE) | Brian Ellison | Chris Symons | 22 | 52kg | 103 |
| 20 | 41312X8070 | SHAMROCKER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Luke Nolen | 24 | 52kg | 108 |
| 21 | 2114331510 | THE VERMINATOR | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 4 | 52kg (Pen. 2.0kg) | 105 |
| 22 | 1421X83832 | TULLAMORE (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse | Chris Munce | 12 | 52kg | 106 |
| 23 | 0121X07201 | NIWOT | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dean Yendall | 9 | 51kg | 101 |
| 24 | 1142X06530 | OLDER THAN TIME | Gai Waterhouse | Tim Clark | 20 | 51kg | 103 |
