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.
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.
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.
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 |
