KINGSTON, Jamaica - The 2021 Melbourne Cup field, run over a distance of 3200 metres or two miles) has been locked in and the all-important barrier draw conducted.
It is not disaster for Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise but he has eased out from AU$2.30 to AU$2.50 in betting after drawing barrier 16 for Tuesday’s race.
Overcoming a wide barrier is not anything new for Incentivise, having jumped from barrier 18 to win the Caulfield Cup.
Second favourite Spanish Mission, only confirmed as a starter on Saturday afternoon, fared better and drew barrier 14 while fellow contender Twilight Payment drew gate 2.
Verry Elleegant was fourth in the line of betting and was also only locked in as a starter on Saturday afternoon but has drawn in 19 in a disastrous result.
Great House had only locked in his spot in the Cup with a win in the Group 3 Hotham Stakes.
Now the Irish import has received another boost having drawn gate number seven.
You may as well rip up your ticket if you have backed Sir Lucan after he drew barrier 18, a position no horse has ever won the Cup from.
MELBOURNE CUP 2021
FINAL FIELD (in post-position order)
- TWILIGHT PAYMENT (IRE) G9 Joseph O’Brien 58kg (2)
- INCENTIVISE G5 Peter G Moody 57kg (1.5kg penalty) (16)
- SPANISH MISSION (USA) H6 Andrew Balding 57kg (14)
- VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) M6 Chris Waller 57kg (19)
- EXPLOSIVE JACK (NZ) H4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 54kg (4)
- THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) H6 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 54kg (5)
- DELPHI (IRE) H5 Anthony & Sam Freedman 53.5 (3)
- OCEAN BILLY (NZ) G6 Chris Waller 53.5kg (13)
- SELINO (GB)G6 Chris Waller 53.5kg (24)
- JOHNNY GET ANGRY (NZ) G4 Denis Pagan 53kg (22)
- KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) G7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 53kg (9)
- PERSAN G5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 53kg (11)
- CARIF G6 Peter & Paul Snowden 52.5kg (8)
- MASTER OF WINE (GER) G7 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 52.5kg (6)
- PONDUS (GB) G6 Robert Hickmott 52.5kg (1)
- GRAND PROMENADE (GB) G6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 52kg (21)
- MIAMI BOUND (NZ) M5 Danny O’Brien 52kg (17)
- PORT GUILLAUME (FR) G5 Ben & JD Hayes 52kg (23)
- SHE’S IDEEL M6 Bjorn Baker 52kg (20)
- FUTURE SCORE (IRE)G7Matt Cumani 51.5kg (15)
- TRALEE ROSE (NZ) M5 Symon Wilde 51kg (12)
- FLOATING ARTIST (GB) G6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 50kg (10)
- GREAT HOUSE (IRE) G5 Chris Waller 50kg (7)
- SIR LUCAN (IRE) H4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 50kg (18)
