Official 2016 Melbourne Cup Field

The 2016 Melbourne Cup field has been released and there are 24 horses set to contest the Group 1 event that will be held at Flemington on Tuesday.

Jameka will be one of the 24 runners in the 2016 Melbourne Cup field. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Jameka will be one of the 24 runners in the 2016 Melbourne Cup field. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Oceanographer has secured a place in the 2016 Melbourne Cup field with an outstanding victory in the Lexus Stakes at Flemington this afternoon.

Oceanographer needed to win the Lexus Stakes to earn a start in the Melbourne Cup and he stormed home to run down Tom Melbourne to stamp himself as a genuine Melbourne Cup contender.

Pentathlon failed to fire in the Lexus Stakes, but connections have still elected to pay up for the Melbourne Cup and he looks set to sneak into the field along with Rose Of Virginia.

Venegeur Masque and Tom Melbourne are the unlucky horses that have missed out.

There are 22 horses that were confirmed to contest the 2016 Melbourne Cup earlier today.

The Caulfield Cup is always the major lead-up to the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield winner Jameka has been cleared fit to contest the Melbourne Cup by Racing Victoria vets this morning.

Jameka was nothing short of outstanding in the Caulfield Cup and she has the opportunity to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Melbourne Cup/Caulfield Cup double.

The Team Freedman-trained duo of Our Ivanhowe and Exospheric, imported stayer Almoonqith, The Metropolitan winner Sir John Hawkwood and talented mare Real Love are also set to back-up from the Caulfield Cup.

Hartnell was no match for Winx in the 2016 Cox Plate, but he is still set to start the Melbourne Cup odds as favourite.

The Godolphin-owned galloper recorded a dominant victory over Jameka in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and before that he was outstanding in both the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m).

Godolphin are set to have a very strong hand in the 2016 Melbourne Cup and they may never have a better chance to win the race for the first time.

Saeed Bin Suroor’s yard will be represented by Secret Number and Beautiful Romance, while Charlie Appleby has Geelong Cup winner Qewy in the race.

Another racing operation that will be well represented in the 2016 Melbourne Cup is the Macedon Lodge team of Lloyd Williams.

Almandin secured a place in the Melbourne Cup with his victory in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m), while he will be joined in the race by Herbert Power Stakes winner Assign, Sydney Cup winner Gallante and Aidan O’Brien-trained Bondi Beach.

Bondi Beach is one of a number of European-trained horses that will go into the Melbourne Cup without a lead-up run in Australia – a formula that has not proven to be a winning run since Vintage Crop in 1993.

Goodwood Cup winner Big Orange, Japanese stayer Curren Mirotic, Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave and Willie Mullins-trained Heartbreak City will all have the chance to make Melbourne Cup history of Tuesday.

The likely 2016 Melbourne Cup field is rounded out by Chris Waller-trained Who Shot Thebarman, Moonee Valley Cup winner Grand Marshal, Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge and OTI Racing-owned Grey Lion.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.