Update: Loft will not be accepted for the 2022 Melbourne Cup field 

Punters are counting down the hours until the official 2022 Melbourne Cup field and barriers are announced by Racing Victoria on Saturday afternoon, and below we have the likely 24 Melbourne Cup horses and confirmed jockeys for the 162^nd edition of the ‘race that stops a nation’.

Duais is one of the best fancied Australian-trained horses in the likely 2022 Melbourne Cup field for next Tuesday. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Group 1 $7.75 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) is one of the world’s most iconic horse races and has attracted a typically top-class field of both local and international talent this year.

In breaking Melbourne Cup news from Friday morning, the highly fancied German raider Loft has come out due to tendon swelling.

The Marcel Weiss-trained Belmont Gold Cup winner was to have been ridden by Australia’s leading hoop James McDonald.

McDonald was looking for back-to-back Melbourne Cup wins by a jockey for the first time since the Glen Boss treble on Makybe Diva (2003-05), but could be left without a ride after the shock withdrawal of the second favourite.

Loft was a $7 chance in betting at the time of his pre-acceptance scratching.

Heading the updated all-in Melbourne Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au are the overseas visitors, the James Ferguson-trained Deauville Legend ($4) and Without A Fight ($9).

Three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy is booked to partner British Sea The Stars gelding Deauville Legend on 55kg, the galloper last seen winning a Group 2 over 2385m at York by nearly three lengths with 58kg back in August.

Internationally Trained 2022 Melbourne Cup Horses 

• Deauville Legend (James Ferguson) to be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy
• Loft (Marcel Weiss) to be ridden by James McDonald
• Without A Fight (Simon & Ed Crisford) to be ridden by William Buick

The Simon & Ed Crisford-trained Without A Fight is the second UK stayer making a bid at the ‘Loving Cup’ trophy on Tuesday, and York’s Grand Cup winner will have English hoop William Buick aboard on 55.5kg.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott will have two Melbourne Cup runners saddling-up the well-supported Epsom Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal ($16) with Craig Williams to ride and the autumn’s Sydney Cup hero Knights Order ($21) for jockey Tim Clark coming off a Caulfield Cup third.

Grahame Begg’s The Bart Cummings winning mare Lunar Flare ($21) is assured of a run and will be ridden by Michael Dee, as is the Robert Hickmott-trained roughie Point Nepean ($51) for seven-time winning owner Lloyd Williams who has Ireland’s Wayne Lordan travelling down under for the ride.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained French expat Gold Trip ($13) will cart the 57.5kg Melbourne Cup top-weight with Mark Zahra riding.

If successful, Gold Trip will become the heaviest-weighted Melbourne Cup winner since Makybe Diva for her third with 58kg back in 2005.

2022 Melbourne Cup Top-Weights

• Gold Trip (57.5kg) to be ridden by Mark Zahra
• Knights Order (55.5kg) to be ridden by Tim Clark
• Loft (55.5kg) to be ridden by James McDonald
• Without A Fight (55.5kg) to be ridden by William Buick
• Numerian (55.5kg) to be ridden by Tommy Berry

Two other class Group 1 winning mares looking to go back-to-back for the girls after Verry Elleegant’s 2021 success are the Edward Cummings-trained Duais ($15) to be ridden by Hugh Bowman and the David Payne-trained Montefilia ($13) for jockey Jason Collett both in on 55.5kg.

With the devastating news for Chris Waller stable that this year’s Caulfield Cup champion Durston would not take part in the Melbourne Cup after failing a mandatory pre-race scan on Thursday, last year’s winning trainer is unlikely to have a runner in 2022.

Waller still officially has Crystal Pegasus safely inside the order of entry at number 21, but has suggested the team will not be accepting.

If confirmed, that will see Wednesday’s Geelong Cup winning mare High Emocean come in as a live chance on just 50kg after she was not penalised for her win.

Maher & Eustace could incredibly be represented by five horses in this year’s Melbourne Cup field.

Along with Gold Trip the team also have Grand Promenade and Smokin’ Romans safely inside the top 24, while Interpretation is now also likely to gain a run having been number 26 on the order of entry before the official withdrawal of Loft.

The Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes on Derby Day offered a final spot in the Melbourne Cup field, but was won by Chris Waller’s unnominated Surefire.

Second in the Lexus Archer Stakes in a fighting finish having led nearly all-the-way was the Robert Hickmott-trained Serpentine who is now into the Melbourne Cup field, to be ridden by John Allen, joining Point Nepean for Team Williams.

Final acceptances for the famous two-mile handicap closing at 4:30pm (AEDT).

The official 2022 Melbourne Cup barrier draw will then be conducted live from Flemington Racecourse after the racing.

Click here for the latest all-in Melbourne Cup 2022 odds thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.

Note: All horses, saddle cloth numbers, weights and jockeys are subject to change with the official Melbourne Cup 2022 field still to be confirmed.

Likely 2022 Melbourne Cup Field & Jockeys