A Melbourne Cup ballot exemption is up for grabs at Flemington on Saturday in the 2020 The Bart Cummings where the Chris Waller-trained Shared Ambition is tipped to salute.

Shared Ambition is tipped to win the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption in Saturday’s 2020 The Bart Cummings. Photo: Steve Hart.

Master Sydney horseman Waller withdrew his progressive Born To Sea five-year-old Shared Ambition from the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney on Epsom Day in favour of a run at HQ on the Turnbull Stakes Day card.

Shared Ambition is one of a capacity line-up of stayers chasing the ballot free ride into the Group 1 $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) back at the track on the first Tuesday of November via a win in Saturday’s Group 3 $500,000 The Bart Cummings (2510m).

Won last year by Surprise Baby, The Bart Cummings is shaping-up as a highly competitive staying showdown.

Sitting top of the markets at $4.80 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au, Shared Ambition jumps from a midfield gate with last year’s Melbourne Cup winning jockey Craig Williams aboard on 58.5kg.

A winner of six of his 13 starts to date, the imported galloper chases his first victory since a Black-Type at Randwick back in March.

He presents fit third-up this weekend on the back of a second to Taikomochi in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) in Sydney and races in Melbourne for the first time since a Melbourne Cup Day victory last November.

Occupying the second line of The Bart Cummings betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $5.50 in an open market is the Robert Hickmott-trained Schabau to be ridden by Perth’s premier hoop William Pike.

The German-bred son of Pastorius has an excellent Flemington record with three wins and a third from five previous starts at the iconic track including his victory in last year’s Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m).

This prep Schabau comes off back-to-back thirds, the latest only a length off Lord Belvedere over the same track and distance as The Bart Cummings when carrying two kilos more than his 55kg allocation for this weekend.

In a tight market the other best fancied following closely in The Bart Cummings odds are the Schabau’s last-start conqueror Lord Belvedere ($6) and the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Steel Prince ($6.50) drawn the second outside alley.

Seven-year-old Lord Belvedere is a Flemington specialist undefeated with a flawless four-from-four record at the track ahead of Saturday.

He also has outstanding form at the distance (4:3-1-0) and comes back from 59kg to 57.5kg as he looks for a fourth consecutive win having also gone out a back-to-back winner at Flemington in the winter.

Dour stayer Steel Prince also has a solid Flemington strike-rate (4:2-1-0) and gets back to the track for the first time since crossing only two lengths back ninth to Vow And Declare in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

He is third-up and fit this weekend following an improved third only three-quarters of a length beaten by Orderofthegarter in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 19.

Other notable hopes on the Melbourne Cup path include the rails-drawn Persan ($11) coming off a string of top two runs for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace and the Matthew Cumani-trained Creedence ($12) chasing a third straight victory.

Click here for the latest The Bart Cummings 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 The Bart Cummings Field

Table Credit: Racing Australia.