Lexus Stakes 2015 nominations for Flemington Racecourse’s Victoria Derby Day on Saturday feature a host of stayers looking for the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption on offer to the winner.

Twenty-fourth on the Melbourne Cup ballot – Beaten Up is nominated for both the 2015 Lexus Stakes and Mackinnon on Derby Day this weekend at Flemington. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Run just three days before the ‘race that stops a nation’, this weekend’s $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) attracted 29 nominations.

Sixteen of those also hold an entry for Tuesday week’s $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) back at the track over the two miles on November 3.

The last Melbourne Cup winner to back-up and win the Melbourne Cup was the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking (2009) who completed the double as a four-year-old.

Last year’s Lexus Stakes winner Signoff meanwhile went on to run a brave fourth behind German raider and runaway Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.

A number of Lexus Stakes nominated gallopers are right on a cusp of a start in the Melbourne Cup field of 24 following second declarations on Monday morning including the Chris Waller-trained Beaten Up (24^th).

He could be pushed out of the starting 24 by the winner of the Lexus and the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) this weekend, Waller’s recent The Metropolitan runner-up holding an entry for both races.

The next Lexus Stakes nominees on the Melbourne Cup ballot are the Jamie Edwards-trained Sertorius (25^th), the Lloyd Williams-owned The United States (26^th) and international raider Secret Number (27^th) prepared by Saeed Bin Suroor.

Galileo stallion The United States won last Saturday’s Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) earning a 2.5kg Melbourne Cup weight penalty and is right on the edge of making the field for 2012 winning trainer with Green Moon Robert Hickmott.

The United States currently pays $34 in futures Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the full Flemington line-up on Saturday for Derby Day.

A $41 hope in those all-in Melbourne Cup betting markets, Secret Number is yet to race in Australia but has winning form over Saturday’s distance last start in early September.

Saeed Bin Suroor, who has saddled-up 20 previous Melbourne Cup runners for three seconds and a third in the two mile classic, also has Elhaame nominated for the Lexus on the back of two wins back home earlier this season.

The other Melbourne Cup hopes and their position in the order of entry for the world’s richest handicap nominated for the Lexus are: Thunder Lady (30^th), Like A Carousel (31^st), Excess Knowledge (32^nd), Bohemian Lily (33^rd), Chance To Dance (34^th), Havana Cooler (35^th), Ruling Dynasty (36^th), Elhaame (=37^th), Ethiopia (=37^th), High Midnight (=37^th), Thunder Set (=37^th) and Zanteca (=37^th).

All of those horses are triple-figure outsiders in Melbourne Cup betting and two are prepared by Gai Waterhouse who won the Melbourne Cup with Fiorente (2013) – Bohemian Lily and Excess Knowledge.

In-form O’Reilly mare Bohemian Lily comes off a string of good runs this campaign including her third to Amralah in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 10 and her third to The United States in last Saturday’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

Stablemate Excess Knowledge is also in nice form, the Monsun stallion coming off back-to-back seconds at Caulfield including in the Herbert Power Stakes after jumping from the outside alley (13 of 13).

See below for the full Lexus Stakes 2015 nominations then visit Ladbrokes.com.au to sign-up to the bookie offering an Extra 50% on your very first Fixed Odds winner on the Flemington card in Races 1 – 5 on Saturday!

2015 Lexus Stakes Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 31/10/2015