Full Field Subscribed For Melbourne Cup

While G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looked like being knocked out of next Tuesday’s A$6 million G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup by Saturday’s leap-frogging G2 Lexus S. winner Excess Knowledge (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), another twist was in store on Saturday when his stablemate Amralah (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), last-start winner of the G2 Herbert Power S., was withdrawn from the field by owner Lloyd Williams after it was revealed that veterinary treatment he was administered for a sore neck had not cleared his system as advised and would render him ineligible to run.

The United States will duly take his place in the field and will jump from barrier three under ‘The Magic Man’ Joao Moreira.

Perennial Melbourne Cup bridesmaid Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) has returned to Australia for a fifth shot at the race and his owner, the Hon. Ronald Arculli, stepped up to the plate himself at the draw, selecting a plum berth in number eight. Fellow Ed Dunlop-trained raider Trip To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), one of 12 international runners in the field, will start from barrier 14, which has housed the winner of the Melbourne Cup on six occasions.

However, the stall from which the highest number of winners has started–gate 11–went the way of Chris Waller’s 2014 Victoria Derby winner Preferment (NZ), who would be a fitting winner of the race for his sire, the former New Zealand champion Zabeel (NZ), who died in September at the age of 29.

Rich Ricci, the American-born, British-based jumps owner who has the majority of his large string with Willie Mullins in Ireland, drew gate two for his winning hurdler and G2 Lonsdale Cup hero Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}). Sporting his trademark dark glasses, Ricci commented, “I’m happy with that but we’re winners already as everyone in Australia has treated us so well. Hopefully we can do it on Tuesday.”

Asked whether his horse is good enough to win the Melbourne Cup, he quipped, “He’s good enough to win the County Hurdle at Cheltenham!”

Max Dynamite’s trainer Willie Mullins, who has previously been represented by two other dual-purpose horses in the race in Holy Orders (Ire) and Simenon (Ire), added, “We’re very happy with how he’s trained, now we just need Frankie [Dettori] to arrive in good form from the Breeders’ Cup.”

Few trainers know more about winning the Melbourne Cup than Lee Freedman, whose representatives, including Makybe Diva (GB), have triumphed on six occasions. Freedman was adamant that his wide draw of 22 for Our Ivanhowe (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) is of no consequence. He said, “barriers are immaterial in the Melbourne Cup. I couldn’t be happier with our horse–he’s set to peak this week.”