2022 MELBOURNE CUP UPDATE: LUNAR FLARE SCRATCHED, 22 LEFT

2022 MELBOURNE CUP UPDATE: POINT NEPEAN SCRATCHED, 23 LEFT 

The official Melbourne Cup 2022 barrier draw has been locked in with all 24 Melbourne Cup horses allocated their starting positions for the time-honoured ‘race that stops the nation’ on Tuesday at Flemington.

Realm Of Flowers is drawn the most successful barrier in Melbourne Cup history coming up trumps with gate five. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

Race favourite, the James Ferguson-trained English raider Deauville Legend, will jump from barrier nine with three-time winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy to ride on 55kg.

Following Friday’s official withdrawal of the injured German raider Loft, the other internationally-trained Melbourne Cup 2022 horse is the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained Without A Fight in barrier 18 with English hoop William Buick riding.

Last spring Verry Elleegant made Melbourne Cup history as the first champion to start from gate 18 since barriers were officially introduced to the race in 1924.

The last time back-to-back Melbourne Cup winners jumped from the same barrier was in 2012 and 2013 with Green Moon and Fiorente both successful from gate five.

Barrier five is in fact the most successful in Melbourne Cup history producing eight winners since 1924 with Fiorente (2013) the last and is drawn in 2022 by Anthony & Sam Freedman‘s in-form lightweight mare Realm Of Flowers.

Barrier eleven with seven victories is the next best and was drawn this year by the best-backed mare in the field, the David Payne-trained Montefilia coming off a slashing fourth in the Caulfield Cup.

The last Melbourne Cup winner from the widest barrier was Brew from 22 in 2000.

This year the outside gate, barrier 24, was drawn by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s Sydney Cup winner Knights Order.

Most Successful Melbourne Cup Barriers:

• Barrier: 5 – 8 wins (last win Fiorente in 2013) – Drawn in 2022 by Realm Of Flowers
• Barrier: 11 – 7 wins (last win Americain in 2010) – Drawn in 2022 by Montefilia 
• Barrier: 10 – 6 wins (last win Protectionist in 2014) – Drawn in 2022 by Duais 
• Barrier: 14 – 6 wins (last win Makybe Diva in 2005) –  Drawn in 2022 by Gold Trip
• Barrier: 8 – 5 wins (last win Viewed in 2008) – Drawn in 2022 by High Emocean 

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained top-weight, Gold Trip (57.5kg), will look to be the heaviest-weighted Melbourne Cup winner since three-time champion Makybe Diva for her third in 2005 with 58kg starts from barrier 14.

Leading female Australian trainer Gai Waterhouse won her first ‘Loving Cup’ trophy in 2013 with Fiorente and saddles-up two in the 2022 Melbourne Cup field in partnership with Adrian Bott.

The stable’s well-backed import Hoo Ya Mal jumps from 15, while the aforementioned Sydney Cup winner Knights Order is in the outside barrier 24 draw.

Also drawing wide were Young Werther (21), Tralee Rose (22) and Saturday’s Lexus Archer Stakes runner-up Serpentine (23) for seven-time winning owner Lloyd Williams.

Looking to go back-to-back for the mares are the likes of Montefilia and Duais who are both being kept safe in Melbourne Cup betting and are drawn alongside each other in barriers 11 and 10 respectively.

The Maher/Eustace Turnbull Stakes winner Smokin’ Romans jumps from barrier 16 with jockey Jamie Kah looking to be just the second female Melbourne Cup winning jockey.

Michael Moroney‘s Geelong Cup winner Emissary drew near the inside with barrier three.

The 2022 Melbourne Cup runs as Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDT) on Tuesday’s bumper 10-race card.

Click here for the updated Melbourne Cup 2022 odds thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au following the official barriers.

2022 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw