Perth Cup 2015 favourite Real Love was last night one of a capacity field of stayers accepted for the Ascot New Year’s Day feature, Adam Durrant’s in-form mare coming up trumps with barrier five for Thursday.

Mr Moet carries the 59kg top weight in Thursday’s 2015 Perth Cup field at Ascot. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Overnight Perth Racing released the official 16-starter, two-emergency field for this summer’s $500,000 Group 2 Golden River Developments Perth Cup (2400m) the Ladbrokes.com.au favourite for which is Real Love.

She will jump from barrier four if the emergencies don’t get a run with Perth’s premier jockey William Pike to ride the daughter of Desert King on the 54kg minimum.

Four-year-old Real Love has had two previous runs over the mile and a half back in the autumn when runner-up in the Group 3 W.A. Oaks (2400m) and third in the Group 2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m).

This campaign she’s been in ace form once again including back-to-back wins at her two latest starts winning the Group 3 Queen’s Cup (2200m) by two and a half lengths and the Listed W.A. St. Leger (2100m) on December 20 over W.A. Oaks winner Balmont Girl.

Real Love carried 56kg to victory last start with Pike in the saddle and so will appreciate the hoop staying on as well as the two kilo drop down in weights.

Second best in Perth Cup betting is then W.A. St. Leger runner-up Balmont Girl for Paula Wagg.

The four-year-old Balmont mare ran second to Elite Belle three back in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) before a disappointing 10^th in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).

She re-found her form in the W.A. St. Leger however when only half a length off the Perth Cup favourite with Shaun O’Donnell riding her on 56kg.

For Thursday’s rematch Balmont Girl has O’Donnell aboard once more but has work to do from barrier 15, possibly 13, with a weight increase too up to 57kg.

The wide draw and hefty allocation could see her Perth Cup price ease out as 57kg is the most weight she’s ever been asked to carry.

Another livewire chance on the 54kg minimum along with the favourite is then the Grant Williams-trained Respondent in barrier 12 (into 10) with Brad Parnham in the saddle.

The W.A.T.C. Derby winner from the autumn was outclassed in both the Railway Stakes (7^th) and Kingston Town Classic (13^th) earlier this campaign before showing improvement when third in the W.A. St. Leger last time out.

There, with Parnham aboard, he was beaten only half a length by the winner when carrying 58kg and the four kilo drop to 54kg on Thursday puts in him right in the frame.

Along with Real Love Durrant has also accepted for the 59kg top weight Mr Moet who is a multiple Group 1 performer in Melbourne and the rails-drawn Chester Road (58kg) coming off a dead-heat for fifth with Mr Moet in the Group 2 C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) from December 20.

The best over the line in the C.B. Cox Stakes and backing up on Thursday is then the Daniel Morton-trained Red Blast who crossed 0.35 lengths off Elite Belle in the weight-for-age feature.

Morton’s Universal Prince five-year-old goes from 59kg and barrier 10 that day to gate eight and 54kg for the Perth Cup making him a genuine chance and likely market mover.

The second heaviest weighted Perth Cup hope is Fred Kersley’s Group 1 winner Ihtsahymn with 58.5kg, the Ihtiram four-year-old coming off a C.B. Cox Stakes fourth.

Other notable Perth Cup hopefuls for 2015 then include the Neville Parnham-trained Cox Stakes third placed Group 3 winner Bass Strait and Justin Warwick’s Queen’s Cup runner-up behind Real Love two back Son Of Something drawn in the two widest barriers with 18 and 17 (16 and 15 on race day) respectively.

See below for the full Perth Cup 2015 field, barriers, jockeys and weight.

Our No. 1 recommended online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au open their updated Perth Cup odds shortly so make sure you have an account open and ready to go for the New Year!

2015 Perth Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Ascot Racecourse – 01/01/2015