Beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Yucatan is among the nominations for the 2018 Group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Ladbrokes Park at Sandown on Saturday.

Yucatan was sent out as the $6 favourite for the 2018 Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington last Tuesday, but struggled at the end of the two miles to finish in eleventh spot, eleven and three quarter lengths behind the winner Cross Counter.

Yucatan has been transferred from champion trainer Aidan O’Brien to owner Lloyd Williams’ stable at Mount Macedon under the care of trainer Liam Howley who has also nominated the Williams owned Homesman, Sir Isaac Newton, Midterm and last year’s winner The Taj Mahal in the Zipping Classic.

The sixteen nominations for the 2018 Zipping Classic also included Melbourne Cup also-rans Ventura Storm, tenth, and Who Shot Thebarman, seventeenth.

The Liam Howley trained The Taj Mahal will be chasing back to back wins in the Zipping Classic after beating his stablemate and 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Alamadin last year.

The Taj Mahal was a winner three starts back in the Group 3 $200,000 JRA Cup (2040m) at The Valley on September 28 while his latest outing produced a ninth to Ventura Storm in the Group 2 $500,000 McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at The Valley on October 27.

Lindsay Park co-trainer Tom Dabernig is expecting a better showing from Ventura Storm over the 2400m of the Zipping Classic after failing to handle the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup.

“He pulled up fine so we thought we’d give him another try before putting him out,” co-trainer Tom Dabernig told AAP.

“Mark Zahra rode him well but he just didn’t stay the trip so we’ll keep him to 2400 metres maximum as of now.”

Caulfield training partnership Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have nominated English imports Dal Harraild and Wall Of Fire while Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra has entered Sheezdashing.

Earlier betting for the Zipping Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au has Yucatan as the $2.80 favourite ahead of his stablemates Homesman at $3.20 and The Taj Mahal at $8.

Betting for the 2018 Zipping Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.80 Yucatan, $3.20 Homesman, $8 The Taj Mahal, $10 Libran, Lord Fandango, Midterm, Our Libretto, Ventura Storm, $12 Sheezdashing, $16 Dal Harraild, Sir Isaac Newton, Who Shot Thebarman, $26 Wall Of Fire, $61 Berisha, $101 Noumea, Sherlock Holmes.

Nominations for the 2018 Zipping Classic (2400m)

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Hcp Rating
1	6731×76940	WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ)	G	10	Chris Waller	1	59kg	110
2	829×794010	VENTURA STORM (IRE)	G	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	2	59kg	105
3	53x16x2172	HOMESMAN (USA)	G	5	Liam Howley	3	59kg	110
4	41x8x79159	THE TAJ MAHAL (IRE)	H	5	Liam Howley	4	59kg	108
5	x436013x10	YUCATAN (IRE)	H	5	Liam Howley	5	59kg	108
6	x39770x364	LORD FANDANGO (GER)	H	6	Archie Alexander	6	59kg	102
7	420×837833	LIBRAN (IRE)	G	8	Chris Waller	7	59kg	104
8	6x10x24682	DAL HARRAILD (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	8	59kg	103
9	48x220x040	WALL OF FIRE (IRE)	H	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	9	59kg	101
10	42223×3658	SHEEZDASHING	M	4	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	10	56kg	92
11	2x12714x00	SHERLOCK HOLMES (IRE)	G	7	Eric Musgrove	11	59kg	84
12	14229×8068	BERISHA	G	7	John Sadler	12	59kg	90
13	40×11117	OUR LIBRETTO (NZ)	M	5	Grahame Begg	13	57kg	90
14	x8650x4365	SIR ISAAC NEWTON (GB)	G	7	Liam Howley	14	59kg	98
15	3305531384	NOUMEA (IRE)	G	6	Eric Musgrove	15	59kg	78
16	164x0x0254	MIDTERM (GB)	G	6	Liam Howley	16	59kg	98