The 166th running of the Lexus Melbourne Cup has its final cast. Final acceptances closed at 4:30pm AEDT on Saturday, October 31, locking in a field of 24 for Tuesday’s 3200m showpiece at Flemington, with the barrier draw completed at the track that evening on Derby Day.
The field wasn’t settled without drama. Defiantly, the four-year-old Kameko gelding trained by Joseph O’Brien, was ruled out on Saturday morning after failing a vet inspection — referred for an extra check after losing a shoe and showing gait changes on Thursday, then withdrawn on veterinary advice. His stablemate Kizlyar took his place as the 24th runner and drew barrier 20.
Elsewhere in the draw, Wine Dark Sea (barrier 23) and Enfjaar (barrier 8) passed their Saturday inspections. James J Braddock drew the outside gate 24, topweight Sons And Lovers (57.5kg, ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle) landed barrier 3, and Middle Earth — third in last year’s Cup — will jump from gate 1.
Ciaron Maher saddles a remarkable seven runners, while Joseph O’Brien has five, including last year’s runner-up Goodie Two Shoes from barrier 19. The race favourite, per Sporting Post and Paddy Power, is Geelong Cup winner Point Of Law (barrier 9, Ethan Brown); Trustyourinstinct — trained by O’Brien and ridden by James McDonald — is also prominent from barrier 18.
The A$10.2 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) runs at Flemington on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 3:00pm AEDT — “the race that stops a nation,” now with its full field finally set.
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Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.