2016 Melbourne Cup Nominations: 31 Internationals

August 30, 2016

2016 Melbourne Cup Nominations: 31 Internationals

Thirty-one international stayers are among the 124 official Melbourne Cup 2016 nominations received by Racing Victoria for the ‘race that stops a nation’ this week.

Prince Of Penzance

Last year’s winner Prince Of Penzance is one of 124 Melbourne Cup 2016 nominations. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

The world’s richest handicap race, the $6 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) lights up Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday November 1.

Nominations for the two mile classic closed at midday on Tuesday August 29 and the 124 Melbourne Cup entries are down from 140 this time last Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

What has remained steady for the past three seasons now is the number of overseas-trained nominees with 31 internationals entered in 2014, 2015 and now 2016.

Entries from England, Ireland, Japan, American and the Czech Republic were all received making the Melbourne Cup field a genuine international affair this season.

One of the headline overseas raiders is Da Big Hoss, the Michael Maker-trained stallion the premier stayer in the USA last seen winning Arlington’s Group 3 St Leger (2716m) in mid-August.

2016 Melbourne Cup Nominations Feature

  • 124 total entries
  • 31 overseas entries including Da Big Hoss from North America
  • 7 Aidan O’Brien-trained entries including early favourite Order Of St George
  • Two previous winners with Prince Of Penzance (2015) and Protectionist (2014)
  • 11 for last year’s winning trainer Darren Weir
  • 12 for five-time winning trainer Lee Freedman

Early favourite in Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish galloper Order Of St George.

Part-owned by five-time Melbourne Cup winning horseman Lloyd Williams, the Galileo stallion has won a host of races in Europe of late including the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup (4000m) in June and the Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial (2816m) last time out on August 20.

O’Brien has saddled-up seven Melbourne Cup horses for just the one third place finish to date, the 2014 Cox Plate winning trainer (with Adelaide) in with seven entries this spring.

Along with Order Of St George O’Brien has nominated for: last year’s 16th-placed Bondi Beach, Housesofparliment, Idaho, Sword Fighter, The Major General and Unicorn.

Other standout international entries include the Michael Bell-trained Big Orange from the UK and the Charlie Appleby-trained Scottish also from Newmarket in Great Britain.

Duke Of Marmalade gelding Big Orange ran fifth in last year’s race as a $61 roughie and was last seen winning the Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3219m) over the two miles at home.

Teofilo five-year-old Scottish meanwhile won a Group 3 in York last start and is being tipped by Racing Victoria’s international scout Leigh Jordon as Godolphin’s best Melbourne Cup hope in 2016.

The past two Melbourne Cup winners are also in the mix again shooting for a second win in the dour staying showdown with the Darren Weir-trained Prince Of Penzance (2015) and German raider Protectionist (2014).

Weir took out the Melbourne Cup in massive upset last November with Prince Of Penzance a 101/1 roughie for the win.

Prince Of Penzance was last seen running second last (11th) in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 27 and is out to become the first back-to-back Melbourne Cup champion since superstar mare Makybe Diva won her third on the trot in 2005.

Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Darren Weir is back with 11 nominations this spring including the defending champion Prince Of Penzance

Darren Weir has a total of 11 Melbourne Cup hopefuls this year with other standouts for the stable including former Perth Cup winning mare Real Love, the 2014 fourth-placed Signoff and Japanese raider Tosen Stardom who is also in the mix for the Cox Plate.

Five-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer Lee Freedman beats Weir by one with a dozen entries in 2016 including last year’s Caulfield Cup third placegetter Our Ivanhowe, SA Derby placegetter Cool Chap and smart Irish import Tom Melbourne.

Protectionist is back in Germany prepared by Andreas Wholer and back in top form, the now seven-year-old Monsun stallion having won his past three on the trot including a Group 1 over 2400m in mid-August.

The most notable omission from the 2016 Melbourne Cup nominations was last year’s runner-up Max Dynamite

Robert Hickmott has 10 entries led by The United States who runs in Saturday’s Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley; Hickmott best known for his 2012 Melbourne Cup win with Green Moon.

Mick Price has last year’s VRC Derby winner Tarzino in the mix after a run in the Caulfield Cup on October 15, while fellow four-year-old Tavago is a big hope for New Zealand’s Trent Busuttin.

The ATC Derby winner from the autumn is yet to step out this season but is likely to kick off in the Makybe Diva Stakes Saturday week at Flemington.

The last four-year-old Melbourne Cup winner was Shocking back in 2009 for Mark Kavanagh.

The most notable omission from this year’s Melbourne Cup nominations meanwhile is the William Mullins-trained Irish stayer Max Dynamite who ran second last year.

2016 Melbourne Cup Nominations: Notable Omissions

  • Max Dynamite (William Mullins)
  • Albert (Noriyuki Hori)
  • Amralah (Robert Hickmott)
  • Fame Game (Yoshitada Munakata)

Also missing from the list were Japanese stayers Albert, Last Impact and Fame Game who placed 13th to Prince Of Penzance last November.

Japan is still represented with standout entry Curren Mirotic, the veteran Heart’s Cry nine-year-old a multiple Group 1 winner and placegetter.

The 2016 Melbourne Cup first acceptances close on October 4 followed by second declarations three weeks later and the final field on Victoria Derby Day, October 29, the Saturday before the race.

Now then is the best time to get in on the generous futures Melbourne Cup odds on offer at Ladbrokes.com.au!

2016 Melbourne Cup Nominations

Flemington Race 7 – 01/11/2016

# Form (Last 10) Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp. Rating
1 31x221x66x ALMANDIN (GER) G 7 Robert Hickmott 97
2 01x9065x8x ALMOONQITH (USA) H 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 105
3 212x1x7x ALOFT (IRE) H 5 Robert Hickmott 90
4 12x26x5x6x ALPINE EAGLE H 5 Tony McEvoy 103
5 69x603116x AMEXED (NZ) G 6 Tony Gollan
6 146x511x ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller
7 03x8148x0x ARAB DAWN (GB) G 6 John O’Shea 99
8 x5x8x1153x ASSIGN (IRE) G 6 Robert Hickmott 92
9 1x0x00915x AUTHORITARIAN G 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman 74
10 60x406x46x AZURITE (IRE) G 6 Tony McEvoy 76
11 23x111321x BARSANTI (IRE) G 5 Roger Varian
12 1x22x BATTLECAMP (NZ) G 4 Lee & Anthony Freedman 66
13 13x BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE (GB) M 5 Saeed Bin Suroor
14 1x8331x07x BERISHA G 5 Robert Smerdon 97
15 7x5x23x11x BIG ORANGE (GB) G 6 Michael Bell
16 7x7814251x BOLD SNIPER (GB) G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 96
17 1220x11x3x BONDI BEACH (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
18 0Dx13x312x CLONDAW WARRIOR (IRE) G 10 William Mullins
19 5x1321213x COOL CHAP G 4 Lee & Anthony Freedman
20 2x1x2x3x CURREN MIROTIC (JPN) G 9 Osamu Hirata
21 1x1x DA BIG HOSS (USA) H 6 Michael J Maker
22 6324210x8x DANDY GENT G 5 Terry & Karina O’Sullivan 86
23 872188512x DANE HUSSLER M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 73
24 5212246x5x DANJEU (IRE) G 6 John P Thompson
25 23x10x003x DARLUX (FR) G 6 Brian McGrath 64
26 16x7733x8x DE LITTLE ENGINE G 6 Danny O’Brien 93
27 1246x3269x DEE I CEE (NZ) G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
28 0x3121x22x DIVAN (NZ) G 5 Robert Hickmott 86
29 43x433191x DREADED (NZ) G 4 Lee & Anthony Freedman 65
30 1x11x2x ELITE ARMY (GB) G 6 Saeed Bin Suroor
31 x456x9253x ERUPT (IRE) H 5 Francis-Henri Graffard
32 x97170x96x ESCADO G 7 Matt Laurie 101
33 572217x20x EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) H 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 106
34 1413x1835x EXOSPHERE (GB) H 5 Sir Michael Stoute
35 110010x90x EXTRA CHOICE (NZ) G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 71
36 x13057741x FANATIC (NZ) M 4 Graeme Sanders
37 2x009x830x FOUNDRY (IRE) G 7 Robert Hickmott 97
38 143x60x46x FRANCIS OF ASSISI (IRE) G 7 Charlie Appleby
39 35x8421x7x GABELLA (FR) M 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 93
40 x0069x031x GALLANTE (IRE) G 6 Robert Hickmott
41 3x08533x7x GRAND MARSHAL (GB) G 7 Chris Waller
42 32x1837x8x GREY LION (IRE) H 5 Matt Cumani
43 98046x000x GUST OF WIND (NZ) M 5 John Sargent
44 4x2117x8x HANS HOLBEIN (GB) H 5 Robert Hickmott 92
45 x4650x5x2x HARTNELL (GB) G 6 John O’Shea
46 28x332722x HAURAKI G 5 John O’Shea
47 1x HEARTBREAK CITY (FR) G 7 Tony Martin
48 2231122x4x HEAVENS ABOVE M 5 Tim Martin
49 8x41211x1x HE’S OUR ROKKII (NZ) G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 99
50 5070x67x5x HI WORLD H 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman 99
51 5x2134412x HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
52 212111134x HOWARD BE THY NAME H 4 Darren Weir
53 14x23321x IDAHO (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
54 IMPORTANT MESSAGE (GB) H 5 Saeed Bin Suroor
55 1x45324x4x JAMEKA M 4 Ciaron Maher 105
56 9x6x1164x KILIMANJARO (IRE) G 5 Robert Hickmott 90
57 2322x0117x KINEMA (IRE) G 6 Ralph Beckett
58 14141x994x LORD DISICK G 5 Michael Moroney
59 36x163x LORD MACAU G 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 64
60 x05x26x34x MANATEE (GB) H 6 John O’Shea
61 3673x7689x MANNDAWI (FR) G 7 Darren Weir 94
62 x976144x3x MASTER ZEPHYR (GB) G 5 Darren Weir 88
63 2622114x8x MIME (NZ) M 4 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
64 10x3419x1x MISS ROSE DE LAGO M 6 Danny O’Brien 105
65 653113x67x NOZOMI G 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman 86
66 x1x0x0730x OBSERVATIONAL (GB) G 6 Robert Hickmott 97
67 OCEANOGRAPHER (GB) G 5 Charlie Appleby
68 62x083111x O’LONERA G 4 Cindy Alderson 81
69 7x23240x6x ORBEC (FR) G 6 John P Thompson
70 2111x11x1x ORDER OF ST GEORGE (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
71 9230x5501x OUR IVANHOWE (GER) H 7 Lee & Anthony Freedman
72 x131130x9x PEMBERLEY (NZ) G 5 Ciaron Maher 82
73 x00111132x PENTATHLON (NZ) G 5 John Wheeler
74 615x05212x PLYMOUTH ROAD (NZ) G 4 Lee & Anthony Freedman 66
75 1907x4110x PREFERMENT (NZ) H 5 Chris Waller 115
76 55821x2x0x PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) G 7 Darren Weir 113
77 x0800x111x PROTECTIONIST (GER) H 7 Andreas Wohler
78 416x411x0x PROVOCATIVE (NZ) M 4 Tony Pike 102
79 03x165x17x QEWY (IRE) G 7 Charlie Appleby
80 x232x1114x RAW IMPULSE (GB) H 5 Darren Weir 90
81 333132114x REAL LOVE M 6 Darren Weir 108
82 22x1113x RED CARDINAL (IRE) G 5 Andreas Wohler
83 6x94121x REPLIQUE (NZ) M 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
84 x063540x2x RISING ROMANCE (NZ) M 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 107
85 675462102x ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) M 7 Lee & Shannon Hope 88
86 817x9x399x RULING DYNASTY H 5 James Cummings
87 816113x88x SACRED MASTER (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller
88 3x1412x SARRASIN (GB) H 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman 95
89 33x153413x SCHERZOSO G 5 Tony McEvoy 89
90 2251x3121x SCOTTISH (IRE) G 5 Charlie Appleby
91 122x323x5x SECOND BULLET G 6 Danny O’Brien 93
92 213141x24x SECOND WAVE (IRE) G 5 Charlie Appleby
93 5361x2x12x SECRET NUMBER (GB) G 7 Saeed Bin Suroor 105
94 0x25305x9x SET SQUARE M 5 Ciaron Maher 105
95 2x2124x00x SHAMKIYR (FR) G 6 Darren Weir 90
96 1x2110x0x SHIMRANO (GER) H 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman
97 4x8xD21x0x SIGNOFF (IRE) G 7 Darren Weir 107
98 32x145x22x SINGING (FR) H 7 Kris Lees
99 4212x1322x SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) G 8 John P Thompson
100 6xD1x1x20x SKY HUNTER (GB) G 7 Saeed Bin Suroor
101 447204x77x SPIRITJIM (FR) H 7 Chris Waller
102 34x29x STONE WARRIOR (NZ) G 4 Lee & Anthony Freedman
103 32314x797x STORM THE STARS (USA) H 5 Chris Waller
104 2157134x6x SWACADELIC (GER) G 6 Aaron Purcell 94
105 3x213115x SWORD FIGHTER (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
106 4821x7x00x TALL SHIP (IRE) G 6 Darren Weir 100
107 5x11113x0x TALLY H 4 John O’Shea 98
108 31x4214x8x TARZINO (NZ) H 4 Mick Price 109
109 2113061x TAVAGO (NZ) G 4 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 108
110 410x81642x THE BANDIT (JPN) H 5 John Sadler 78
111 x43114326x THE MAJOR GENERAL (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
112 2610x5212x THE UNITED STATES (IRE) H 7 Robert Hickmott 111
113 004451176x THUNDER DOWN UNDER H 4 Chris Waller
114 171x110x2x TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) G 6 Lee & Anthony Freedman 97
115 5x0x51709x TOSEN STARDOM (JPN) H 6 Darren Weir 108
116 135240x34x TRIP TO PARIS (IRE) G 6 Ed Dunlop
117 121x TRIP TO RHODOS (FR) G 8 Pavel Tuma
118 026850555x TUNES G 8 Grant Young
119 UNICORN (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
120 x2x1145x5x VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) G 5 Michael Moroney 78
121 124x91259x WHITE DOLLAR SIGN G 5 John Thom 65
122 1x90324x6x WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) G 8 Chris Waller
123 3333x2643x WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) G 8 William Mullins
124 2x0071x07x ZANTECA (NZ) M 7 Darren Weir 93

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