For the 22 second acceptors that sit outside the top 24 in the Melbourne Cup 2012 order of entry there are only a couple of chances left for them to make the cut before Tuesday week’s showdown, including the $200,000 Group 2 Lexus Stakes (2000m) at Flemington Racecourse this Saturday.

Gatewood is the most notable 2012 Lexus Stakes nominee needing the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption

One of two races on the Victoria Derby Day program offering a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption to the winner along with the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), the 2012 Lexus Stakes drew 21 nominations.

The majority of the field are among the 46 Melbourne Cup 2012 second acceptances taken by Racing Victoria on Monday morning and sit below the 24-horse cut off for the final field.

2012 Melbourne Cup hopefuls and their current ballot position nominated for the Lexus Stakes include:

• Moudre (25th) – Ciaron Maher’s out of form stayer finished 16^th in the Turnbull then 14^th in the Caulfield Cup, on the cusp of a Melbourne Cup start but even if they make the field their form isn’t there
• Tanby (31st) – Lloyd Williams-owned import in excellent form coming off a win in the Listed The Bart Cummings (2520m), also won the Bendigo Cup this time last year before missing out on a Cups’ bid
• Sabrage (32nd) – Michael Moroney’s Charge Forward four-year-old was keeping in touch with the season’s top stayers before their 16^th to reigning Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup
• Gatewood (33rd) – John Gosden-trained British raider won the Geelong Cup first-up in Australia last time out which has produced the past two Melbourne Cup winners but needs to win again on Derby Day to sneak into the field
• Exceptionally (36th) – Nice Ekraar mare ran a slashing third in both the Naturalism Stakes and Herbert Power but couldn’t beat home any of her rivals when dead last in the Geelong Cup
• Permit (35th) – Chris Waller-trained import has only raced in Sydney this time in, most recently finishing fifth in the Tattersalls Club Cup on October 20, can they improve on their form in Melbourne?
• Ibicenco (37th) – Luca Cumani already has two horses safely in the Melbourne Cup field, this Shirocco five-year-old looking to make it a trifecta but there’s work to do after their less than impressive seventh in the MV Gold Cup last weekend
• Kelinni (38th) – Another Waller hopefuls, this one in ace form in Sydney with a handful of runs and a second to Glencadam Gold last time out in The Metropolitan

Other Lexus Stakes 2012 nominees needing to win to move up the Melbourne Cup order of entry then include:

• Dame Claire (40th)
• Fictional Account (41st)
• Reuben Percival (42nd)
• Excluded (43rd)
• Peal Of Bells (44th)
• Dare To Dream (46th)

The shortest-priced of these gallopers in the latest Melbourne Cup odds at bookmaker.com.au is Gatewood paying $26 who has also been nominated for the Mackinnon Stakes 2012 at the meeting.

“If we think it isn’t the best option for his Melbourne Cup chances then we will run in the Lexus,” Gatewood’s part-owner Terry Henderson from OTI Racing said.

“Backing him up shouldn’t be an issue as he has just come through the run at Geelong so well.”

As you can see it is shaping up as a hot Lexus Stakes showdown in 2012 as it was last year when Niwot won and earned a Melbourne Cup call up finishing the best of the Aussie-bred horses in the $6.2 million showdown on the first Tuesday of November when eighth to Dunaden.

The 2012 Lexus Stakes final field is due for release on Wednesday with Races.com.au to publish all the Victoria Derby Day fields and barriers.

To get in on the early Melbourne Cup betting action and back your favourites before prices change following the Lexus Stakes results, head to bookmaker.com.au today!

2012 Lexus Stakes Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 03/11/2012