2016 Melbourne Cup Field Takes Shape: Second Acceptances

Lucy Henderson October 24, 2016

2016 Melbourne Cup Field Takes Shape: Second Acceptances

There are just 32 hopeful stayers still in the mix for the ‘race that stops a nation’ after the release of Melbourne Cup 2016 second acceptances.

Jameka

Caulfield Cup winner Jameka heads the updated 2016 Melbourne Cup ballot. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The world’s richest handicap, the $6 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) runs as Flemington Race 7 on Tuesday November 1.

Each year the Melbourne Cup field has a capacity 24 starters, but amazingly the 2016 edition of the two mile classic is in danger of not reaching that.

This time last spring there were 42 Melbourne Cup second acceptances.

It is only eight days until the Melbourne Cup takes centre stage at Flemington, and the attrition rate is one of the highest in recent history.

Melbourne Cup weights will be raised 1kg at final acceptance stage this Saturday with the withdrawal of the Chris Waller-trained Preferment.

The current heaviest weighted remaining Melbourne Cup chances are Michael Bell’s raider Big Orange (56kg) who was fifth in the race 12 months ago and Team Freedman’s Our Ivanhowe (56kg).

Heading this year’s Melbourne Cup second acceptances are headed by the Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka last seen winning the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

The four-year-old Myboycharlie mare is out to become the 12th horse in Melbourne Cup history to complete the Spring Cups double, the first since the great Kiwi mare Ethereal (2001).

Jameka is out to become the first Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double winner since Ethereal 15 years ago

Jameka is the sole remaining Melbourne Cup horse for Maher and after receiving 2kg in penalties she currently has 53.5kg, only a kilo more than her Caulfield Cup winning weight.

Post-second acceptances Jameka occupies the second line of all-in Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $7 for the win.

Her biggest danger and the one tipped most likely to join the esteemed list of Melbourne Cup winners is the John O’Shea-trained Hartnell.

The locally-trained Godolphin import is the powerhouse international stable’s best hope of breaking their Melbourne Cup duck.

O’Shea’s six-year-old son of Authorized beat home Jameka by the big 3.25 length margin two back at Flemington in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before his eight length thrashing by the world’s best Winx in last weekend’s Cox Plate.

Hartnell is favourite to hand Godolphin with a maiden Melbourne Cup win

His impressive win over Jameka has him as the Melbourne Cup betting favourite in 2016 out to join Green Moon (7th in 2012) and Fiorente (3rd in 2013) as the most recent Cox Plate graduates to back-up and win the Melbourne Cup next time out.

Also representing the Royal Blue Godolphin contingent in the latest round of Melbourne Cup entries are the English raiders Scottish ($15), Qewy ($26) and Oceanographer ($31) all prepared by Charlie Appleby; three of 10 internationals still in the mix.

Scottish (54.5kg) debuted down under with a second to Jameka in the Caulfield Cup carrying 55kg, the Teofilo five-year-old looking to be the first placegetter in that race to turn the tables in the two mile Flemington classic since the Japanese-trained Delta Blues (3rd in 2006) a decade ago.

Street Cry seven-year-old Qewy won the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) in his first Australian start on October 19 with stablemate Oceanographer running third under a half-length beaten.

Even with a half-kilo penalty, Qewy (50.5kg) a lightweight for the Melbourne Cup sitting 25th on the Melbourne Cup ballot with Oceanographer 29th in the order of entry.

Qewy is out to join Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) as raiders to win both the Geelong and Melbourne Cup back-to-back

French raiders Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) both completed the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double back-to-back in recent years.

Also in the mix for Godolphin are the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained duo of Beautiful Romance (20th with 51.5kg) and recent Doonside Cup winner Secret Number (23rd with 51kg).

O’Shea’s Turnbull Stakes third placegetter Tally (12th with 52.5kg) rounds out the Godolphin entries.

Along with Jameka (1st) and Scottish (2nd), the other Caulfield Cup placegetter Exospheric (3rd) is also still in Melbourne Cup contention.

The imported Beat Hollow stallion is prepared by Lee & Anthony Freedman.

Co-trainer Lee Freedman has trained five previous Melbourne Cup winners including the triple champion Makybe Diva (2004-05) for the second two of her trio of victories.

The best fancied of the 10 international Melbourne Cup hopefuls meanwhile at $10 for the win is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish galloper Bondi Beach (55kg) last seen running third over 2414m at home on September 10 in Group 3 company.

The Galileo stallion has been reportedly working well at Werribee as he looks to show up a more mature galloper than last year when 16th in the Melbourne Cup finishing order at just his sixth career start.

Notable withdrawals along with Preferment include last Saturday’s Crystal Mile winner The United States and Tarzino.

This Saturday’s Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) offers runners a final chance of making the Melbourne Cup line-up.

The 2016 Melbourne Cup final acceptances close at 4:30pm (AEDT) on Saturday after the Victoria Derby Day action.

See below for the full Melbourne Cup 2016 second acceptances and then head to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your early Melbourne Cup tips at the hottest odds.

2016 Melbourne Cup Second Declarations

Flemington Race 7 – 01/11/2016

# Form (Last 10) Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight
1 5324×47121 JAMEKA M 4 Ciaron Maher 1 53.5kg (includes 2.0kg penalty)
2 x221x66511 ALMANDIN (GER) G 7 Robert Hickmott 2 51kg (includes 1.0kg penalty)
3 7x5x23x11x BIG ORANGE (GB) G 6 Michael Bell 3 56kg
4 0x5501x586 OUR IVANHOWE (GER) H 7 Lee & Anthony Freedman 4 56kg
5 x300x620x9 CURREN MIROTIC (JPN) G 9 Osamu Hirata 5 55.5kg
6 50x5x21112 HARTNELL (GB) G 6 John O’Shea 6 55kg
7 0324×65272 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) G 8 Chris Waller 7 55kg
8 3333×26431 WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) G 8 William Mullins 8 55kg
9 1220x11x33 BONDI BEACH (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien 9 55kg
10 1413×18353 EXOSPHERIC (GB) H 5 Lee & Anthony Freedman 10 55kg
11 2251×31212 SCOTTISH (IRE) G 5 Charlie Appleby 11 54.5kg
12 11113×0230 TALLY H 4 John O’Shea 12 52.5kg
13 8533×72691 GRAND MARSHAL (GB) G 7 Chris Waller 13 53.5kg
14 069x031x27 GALLANTE (IRE) G 6 Robert Hickmott 14 53.5kg
15 x9065x8084 ALMOONQITH (USA) H 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 15 53.5kg
16 32114×2715 REAL LOVE M 6 Darren Weir 16 52kg (includes 0.5kg penalty)
17 2x1322x210 SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) G 8 John P Thompson 17 53kg (includes 1.5kg penalty)
18 00x101x11x HEARTBREAK CITY (FR) G 7 Tony Martin 18 53kg
19 111134×075 HOWARD BE THY NAME H 4 Darren Weir 19 51.5kg
20 x6153x1553 BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE (GB) M 5 Saeed Bin Suroor 20 51.5kg
21 17x20x9834 EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) H 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 21 52.5kg
22 8x1153x921 ASSIGN (IRE) G 6 Robert Hickmott 22 51kg (includes 1.0kg penalty)
23 361x2x12x1 SECRET NUMBER (GB) G 7 Saeed Bin Suroor 23 51kg
24 32x1837x82 GREY LION (IRE) H 5 Matt Cumani 24 51kg
25 22x00x22x1 QEWY (IRE) G 7 Charlie Appleby 25 50.5kg (includes 0.5kg penalty)
26 13254×0673 PENTATHLON (NZ) G 5 John Wheeler 26 50.5kg
27 462102×094 ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) M 7 Lee & Shannon Hope 27 50kg
28 x1145x5248 VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) G 5 Michael Moroney 28 50kg
29 x11x4017x3 OCEANOGRAPHER (GB) G 5 Charlie Appleby 29 50kg
30 x7733x8679 DE LITTLE ENGINE G 6 Danny O’Brien 30= 50kg
31 81642×4756 THE BANDIT (JPN) H 5 John Sadler 30= 50kg
32 1x110x2662 TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) G 6 Lee & Anthony Freedman 30= 50kg

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