UPDATE: No. 18 Lunar Flare (12) has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup field. 

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There are twenty-two of the season’s best stayers remaining in the mix to face off at HQ on Tuesday for the world-famous Group 1 $7.75 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), and below we take a look at the pros and cons of every runner ahead of the famous Flemington Race 7.

On Monday the 2022 Melbourne Cup field was reduced in size with the official scratching of the Robert Hickmott-trained Andrew Ramsden winner Point Nepean due to an elevated blood count, while on race morning Lunar Flare (lame off fore) also came out.

There are still 22 horses to do the Melbourne Cup form on with Deauville Legend the internationally-trained favourite, Realm Of Flowers the market mover right down in the weights and Hoo Ya Mal on debut down under for the Waterhouse/Bott stable among the headliners.

So, let’s get into it so you can get over to Ladbrokes.com.au to lock in your Melbourne Cup tips!

1. Gold Trip (14)

• Pros: Class import. Right stable. Profiles well.
• Cons: Untested beyond 2400m. Carries top-weight.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $21

2. Duais (10)

• Pros: Australian Cup – Tancred Stakes double winner. Cummings training. Drawn well.
• Cons: Heavy track no good. Out of the money this campaign.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*:  $21

3. Knights Order (24)

• Pros: Proven two-miler. Sydney Cup winner leading all-the-way. Handles wet.
• Cons: Flemington track. Outside barrier.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*:  $16

4. Montefilia (11)

• Pros: Strong trail finishing 4^th in the Caulfield Cup. Ready to peak. Great barrier.
• Cons: Weight. Does she get the trip?

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $11

5. Numerian (7)

• Pros: Neasham stable. Tough Caulfield Cup 5^th. Good staying pedigree. Wears noseband.
• Cons: Flemington.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*:  $51

6. Without A Fight (18)

• Pros: Tough English stayer. Back to 55.5kg. Teofilo breeding. Buick abaord.
• Cons: Untested on Heavy going. Barrier.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $11

7. Camorra (17)

• Pros: Curragh Cup winner.
• Cons: Horror last start performance beaten 20 lengths. Wet form of late poor.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $51

8. Deauville Legend (9)

• Pros: Brilliant 2.8 Voltigeur win last start. Well bred. Form recently franked. McEvoy factor.
• Cons: No wet track form. 3YO northern hemisphere with 55kg.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $3.50

9. Stockman (2)

• Pros: In-form. Down in weights. Loves the wet track.
• Cons: Quick back-up from Rosehill Cup (8^th). Melbourne way of racing?

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $26  

10. Vow And Declare (4)

• Pros: 2019 champion. Back to best form. Caulfield Cup 6^th excellent. Shinn rides. Right gate.
• Cons: History against. Don’t want it heavy.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $26  

11. Young Werther (21)

• Pros: Previous suggestions he’ll stay. Melbourne Cup winning trainer. Derby placings.
• Cons: Poor gate. Cox Plate 10^th less than great. Wide gate.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $34

12. Hoo Ya Mal (15)

• Pros: Targeted for this. Waterhouse/Williams Cup winners. Well-weighted (53.5kg)
• Cons: Poor last start in English St Leger walking home. Prefer firmer track.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $15

13. Serpentine (23)

• Pros: Lightly-raced. Brave 2^nd in Lexus Archer last Saturday. Top breeding (Galileo). Lloyd Williams.
• Cons: Quick back-up. Wet track worries. Poor gate.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $41  

14. Daqiansweet Junior (13)

• Pros: Gets the trip. Adelaide Cup winner. Sydney Cup 3^rd.
• Cons: Poor wet track form. Not at his best. 10^th last time out here.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $34

15. Grand Promenade (1)

• Pros: Strong stayer. Sixth last year.
• Cons: 12 lengths MV Cup last start. Rails draw could see him caught-up.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $67

16. Arapaho (19)

• Pros: Down in weights. Strong wet track form. Stays.
• Cons: Outclassed?

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*:  $61

17. Emissary (3)

• Pros: Geelong Cup winner. Down 4.5kg in the weights.
• Cons: Moloney handles the high-pressure ride?

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $21

18. Lunar Flare (12) – SCRATCHED

• Pros: The Bart Cummings winner. Light weight. Handles wet. Michael Dee flying. Good gate.
• Cons: Internationals the danger.

19. Smokin’ Romans (16)

• Pros: Turnbull winner. Proven at track.
• Cons: Disappointing Caulfield cup run. Is Kah at her best?

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $17

20. Tralee Rose (22)

• Pros: Caulfield Cup (13^th) run better than reads. Gets trip.
• Cons: Going better last year and only ran 9^th. Injured after that.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $71

21. Point Nepean (20) – Scratched

22. High Emocean (8)

• Pros: Bendigo Cup winner. High flying stable. Loves the wet track. Light weight.
• Cons: Not the strongest form lines. Better mares in the race. Tough up in grade.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $26

23. Interpretation (6)

• Pros: Stable confident he’ll run distance. Light weight. The Bart Cummings 3^rd.
• Cons: Poor wet track form. Geelong Cup 6^th less than ideal lead-up.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $51

24. Realm Of Flowers (5)

• Pros: Barrier 5 most successful in history. Heavily backed. Gets distance. Missed last year.
• Cons: Sydney form lines hard to stack-up this year. Missed Lexus lead-up.

Current Melbourne Cup 2022 Odds*: $11

*All 2022 Melbourne Cup odds are from Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change.