By HRI Foreign Staff — This year, the Melbourne Cup will be taking place at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Tuesday 2nd November, at 3 pm local time. So what is the Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most famous horse race. The reason it is so famous and popular is that the race is the ultimate test of staying power and stamina for horses and their jockeys, as it is raced over a whopping 3,200 metres. Not only that but the Melbourne Cup is believed to be the most gruelling event in Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival.
If you want to know more about this year’s Melbourne Cup, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading below to find out more about this brilliant event, including the 2021 field and the order of entry:
The Melbourne Cup Field & Order of Entry
In horse racing terminology, the field is the line-up of horses that will be participating in each race. For most horse racing fans, the announcement of the Melbourne Cup field is one of the most anticipated moments in the horse racing calendar. Typically, the final announcement, about which horses will be racing in which event, takes place on the Saturday evening before the event.
Here’s what the field looks like this year:
1. Twilight Payment – this is a 58kg horse from Ireland. Twilight Payment will be starting at Barrier 2.
2. Incentivise – Incentivise is a favourite to win this event this year. Incentivise weighs 57kg, but he has a 1.5kg penalty. Incentivise will be starting at Barrier 16.
3. Spanish Mission – another favourite to win the competition is Spanish Mission. Spanish Mission is travelling from the USA for the competition. He weighs 57kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 14.
4. Verry Elleegant – Verry Elleegant is a New Zealand horse that weighs 57kg. Verry Elleegant will be starting at Barrier 19.
5. Explosive Jack – Another horse from New Zealand, Explosive Jack weighs in at 54kg. Explosive Jack will be starting at Barrier 4.
6. The Chosen One – a New Zealand contender, The Chosen One weighs in at 54kg. The Chosen One will be starting at Barrier 5.
7. Delphi – Delphi is an Irish horse that weighs 53.5kg. This horse has a 1kg penalty. Delphi will be starting at Barrier 3.
8. Ocean Billy – Ocean Billy is travelling from New Zealand for the competition. He weighs 53.5kg. Ocean Billy will be starting at Barrier 13.
9. Selino – Another horse from Great Britain, Selino weighs 53.5kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 24.
10. Johnny Get Angry – weighing just 53kg, this horse is another contender for the title. Johnny Get Angry will be starting at Barrier 22.
11. Knights Order – Knights Order is another Irish horse that weighs 53kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 9.
12. Persan – this horse weighs 53kg and will be starting at Barrier 11.
13. Carif – this horse weighs 52.5kg. He will be starting at Barrier 8.
14. Master of Wine – who wouldn’t want to support a horse with a name like this. Master of Wine is the only horse entering from Germany. He weighs 52.5kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 6.
15. Pondus – this horse from Great Britain weighs 52.5kg. Pondus will be starting at Barrier 1.
16. Grand Promenade – this is another horse that will be travelling from the UK for the competition. It weighs 52kg and has a 1kg penalty. Grand Promenade will be starting at Barrier 21.
17. Miami Bound – Miami Bound weighs just 52kg. He will be starting at Barrier 17.
18. Port Guillaume – this is a French horse that weighs 52kg. He will be starting at Barrier 23.
19. She’s Ideel – another lightweight horse weighing just 52kg. She’s Ideel will be starting at Barrier 20.
20. Future Score – Future Score is an Irish horse that weighs 51.5kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 15.
21. Tralee Rose – Another NZ horse, Tralee Rose weighs 51kg. Tralee Rose will be starting at Barrier 12.
22. Floating Artist – this horse from Great Britain weighs just 50kg, making him one of the lightest in the field. It will be starting at Barrier 10.
23. Great House – this is another Irish horse that weighs just 50kg. This horse will be starting at Barrier 7.
24. Sir Lucan – this Irish horse weighs just 50kg and will be starting at Barrier 18.
Which Horses Are Favourites to Win This Year?
Despite the Melbourne Cup being a 24-horse race, punters have already proclaimed it a two-horse race, with overseas horse Spanish Mission the only threat to the current favourite Incentivise. However, this doesn’t mean that these horses will be victorious.
Before choosing a horse to back, there’s a lot of things you need to consider. Not only do you need to think about how far the horse has travelled, the weight of the horse, the jockey, and what condition the horse is in, but you also need to take into account things like barrier draw. While in theory, the barrier draw shouldn’t have an enormous impact on the outcome of the race, evidence suggests that certain barriers perform better than others.
The Most Successful Melbourne Cup Barriers
In the past, these have been the most successful barriers in the Melbourne Cup:
• Barrier 5 has had a total of 8 wins.
• Barrier 11 has had 7 wins.
• Barrier 10 and Barrier 14 – both of these barriers have had 6 wins.
• Barrier 8 has had 5 wins.
The Melbourne Cup was first introduced in 1861. Since then, it has gone on to become one of the most popular events in the world, with thousands of people tuning in to watch their favourite horses and jockeys race each year.
If you’ve ever been to the Melbourne Cup, then you’ll understand why it’s often called “the race that stops a nation.” It doesn’t get any better or bigger than this.
