72 Horses In Melbourne Cup First Acceptances

72 horses remain in the hunt to contest the 2014 Melbourne Cup after first acceptances were released by Racing Victoria this afternoon.

Turnbull Stakes winner Lucia Valentina is one of 72 horses that has been included in the 2014 Melbourne Cup first acceptances.

Turnbull Stakes winner Lucia Valentina is one of 72 horses that has been included in the 2014 Melbourne Cup first acceptances. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Japanese stayers Admire Rakti and Bande have been in Australia for almost a month and they both remain in the Melbourne Cup entries and will make their Australian racing debuts in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18.

European stayers Dandino, Lord Van Percy, Mutual Regard, My Ambivalent, Red Cadeaux, Amralah, Protectionist, Seismos and Renew have also already arrived in Australia and have been included in the Melbourne Cup acceptances, while the likes of Cavalryman, Gatewood, Royal Diamond are confirmed to make the trip to Melbourne and are currently serving their quarantine requirements at Newmarket in England.

The Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) has become one of the most important lead-up races to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup and a number of horses coming out of the Group 1 event that was held at Flemington on Saturday.

Lucia Valentina stormed home late to record an impressive win in the Turnbull Stakes and stamp herself as a genuine contender for both the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup and has the chance to become the first horse since Let’s Elope in 1991 to win the Turnbull Stakes, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year.

The Peter Moody-trained duo of Lidari and Brambles finished second and third in the Turnbull Stakes and both remain in the Melbourne Cup entries, but popular grey Puissance De Lune has been removed from Melbourne Cup calculations after pulling up sore following Saturday’s race.

The Offer produced another credible performance to finish sixth in the Turnbull Stakes and remains close to the top of Melbourne Cup betting markets, while Stipulate, Saab Hasan-trained Shoreham, Kiwi mare Silent Achiever, Chelmsford Stakes winner Hawkspur, imported stayer Gris Caro, staying mare Let’s Make Adeal and 2012 winner Green Moon are the other horses to run in the Turnbull Stakes that have been included in the Melbourne Cup first acceptances.

Chris Waller pair Junoob and Opinion fought out the finish in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday and they have been included in the 2014 Melbourne Cup first acceptances, while third placegetter Araldo also looks to be on track for ‘the race that stops a nation’.

Other notable horses included in the 2014 Melbourne Cup first acceptances include Cox Plate favourite Fawkner, Makybe Diva’s three-quarters sister La Amistad, veteran stayer Precedence and The Bart Cummings winner Who Shot Thebarman.

Spillway was heavily backed heading into The Metropolitan, but was never able to get into the race and has been removed from the Melbourne Cup entries, while the connections of Epsom Handicap winner He’s Your Man, imported stayer Café Society and New Zealand Derby winner Puccini have also ruled their horses out of the Melbourne Cup.

Second acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken on October 27 before the final field and barrier draw are released at the end of Victoria Derby Day on November 1.

# Horse Trainer Hcp Rating
1 ADMIRE RAKTI (JPN) Tomoyuki Umeda 1.5
2 AKAVOROUN Ciaron Maher 99
3 ALI VITAL (NZ) Robbie Laing 86
4 AMRALAH (IRE) Robert Hickmott 5
5 ANCIENT KING (IRE) Peter G Moody 97
6 ARALDO (GB) Michael Moroney 99
7 AU REVOIR (IRE) Andre Fabre 6
8 BANDE (IRE) Yoshito Yahagi 3
9 BIG MEMORY (FR) Tony McEvoy 95
10 BLACK TYCOON Darren Weir 103
11 BONFIRE (GB) Gai Waterhouse 101
12 BRAMBLES (NZ) Peter G Moody 105
13 BRIGANTIN (USA) Chris Waller 8
14 CARAVAN ROLLS ON (GB) Danny O’Brien 95
15 CAVALRYMAN (GB) Saeed Bin Suroor 2.5
16 CELTIC PRINCE (NZ) Bjorn Baker 8.5
17 CONTRIBUTER (IRE) John O’Shea 6
18 DANDINO (GB) Marco Botti 3
19 DON DOREMO (NZ) Robbie Laing 67
20 ETHIOPIA Pat Carey 103
21 FAWKNER Robert Hickmott 113
22 GALLATIN John O’Shea 7.5
23 GATEWOOD (GB) John Gosden 4.5
24 GOLDONI (IRE) David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 84
25 GREEN MOON (IRE) Robert Hickmott 113
26 GRIS CARO (GB) Jake Stephens 97
27 HAWKSPUR Chris Waller 110
28 JUNOOB (GB) Chris Waller 104
29 KHALID (GB) Paul Perry 9.5
30 KIRRAMOSA (NZ) John Sargent 3.5
31 LA AMISTAD Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 100
32 LE ROI (GER) Tony McEvoy 99
33 LET’S MAKE ADEAL Nigel Blackiston 99
34 LIDARI (FR) Peter G Moody 103
35 LIKE A CAROUSEL Ken Keys 75
36 LORD VAN PERCY (GB) Andrew Balding 101
37 LUCIA VALENTINA (NZ) Kris Lees 3.5
38 MARKSMANSHIP (IRE) Ciaron Maher 96
39 MASKED MARVEL (GB) Robert Hickmott 100
40 MORE THAN SACRED Robert Smerdon 95
41 MR O’CEIRIN (NZ) Ciaron Maher 104
42 MUTUAL REGARD (IRE) Johnny Murtagh 4.5
43 MY AMBIVALENT (IRE) Roger Varian 3.5
44 NOBLE PROTECTOR (GB) Robert Smerdon 95
45 OMINOUS (GB) Nigel Blackiston 90
46 OPINION (IRE) Chris Waller 6
47 PINSTRIPE LANE (NZ) Leon & Troy Corstens 92
48 PRECEDENCE (NZ) Bart & James Cummings 106
49 PRETTY BLONDE Kym Healy 84
50 PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) Darren Weir 95
51 PROTECTIONIST (GER) Andreas Wohler 110
52 QUAYSIDE Peter G Moody 77
53 RED CADEAUX (GB) Ed Dunlop 2.5
54 RENEW (IRE) Marco Botti 89
55 ROYAL DIAMOND (IRE) Johnny Murtagh 4
56 SANGSTER (NZ) Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 105
57 SEA MOON (GB) Robert Hickmott 110
58 SEISMOS (IRE) Marco Botti 3.5
59 SERTORIUS Jamie Edwards & Bruce Elkington 105
60 SHOREHAM Saab Hasan 100
61 SIGNOFF (IRE) Darren Weir 92
62 SILENT ACHIEVER (NZ) Roger James 116
63 SLOW PACE (USA) Kris Lees 103
64 STIPULATE (GB) David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 104
65 THE OFFER (IRE) Gai Waterhouse 110
66 THUNDERBIRD ONE (NZ) Francis Finnegan 91
67 UNCHAIN MY HEART David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 98
68 WALTZING TO WIN David Huxtable 9.5
69 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) Chris Waller 105
70 WILLING FOE (USA) Saeed Bin Suroor 4.5
71 WISH COME TRUE (IRE) Peter G Moody 9
72 ZANBAGH Patrick Payne 100

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.