The David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained eight-year-old mare Unchain My Heart slipped into the final spot on the 2014 Melbourne Cup order of entry following the withdrawal of The Offer but Hayes is hoping for some more abdications from the 23 horses above the mare.

Unchain My Heat is currently No.24 in the Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) order of entry, but the winners of this weekend’s Group 2 Lexus Stakes (2500m) and Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) are guaranteed a start if they are nominated for the $6.2 million feature race, making them exempt from the ballot and pushing Unchain My Heart off the field.

Hayes is looking for one of the horses to fail the mandatory vet checks on Thursday and Friday so his mare won’t have to run in the Lexus Stakes, for which she has been accepted, and gain a safe spot guaranteeing her automatic entry for the Flemington race next Tuesday.

The trainer believes the “law of averages” is in his favour.

“The law of averages is that one of the 24 will get vetted out,” Hayes told TVN.

“Well, that’s what I’m hoping for. Could there be 24 horses that are perfectly sound?”

Unchain My Heart featured among the 2014 Lexus Stakes final field Wednesday morning, drawing wide in gate 13. However she will definitely be scratched from the race if there’s a casualty among the 23 horses ahead of her in the Melbourne Cup.

Should she miss out on the 2014 Melbourne Cup, Unchain My Heart will be aimed toward the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) instead

“If she is going to get into the Cup, I won’t run her in the Lexus,” Hayes said.

“If she’s not going to get a run in the Cup, I’ll run in the Lexus and then take her to the Sandown Cup.

“Her record over 2400 metres is not that good, but stretch her out to 2600 metres and beyond and she really performs.”

Ladbrokes.com.au don’t think she has what it takes to win the Melbourne Cup, offering incredibly rough odds of $201. However this may shorten dramatically if she’s guaranteed a spot on the field in the coming days.

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