Favourite Vauban draws perfect barrier for Melbourne Cup

Vauban has drawn barrier three in the 2023 Melbourne Cup. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos)

The final field and barrier draw for the 2023 Melbourne Cup has been confirmed, with 24 runners set to do battle over the 3200m at Flemington on November 7.

Before the barrier draw, the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban was the race favourite with online bookmakers at +260, closely followed by Gold Trip (+350) and 2023 Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight (+600).

Shortly after the draw was completed, bookmakers were quick to reel in the favourite to his current quote of +220, due to the son of Galiway receiving barrier three, which has held three winners of Melbourne Cup.

The last runner to win the Melbourne Cup from barrier three was Media Puzzle, who was piloted by Damien Oliver, who will be riding in the last Melbourne Cup of his illustrious career.

Reigning champion Gold Trip (+360) jumped out of barrier 14 in the 2022 Melbourne Cup but will now have to contend with an inside draw (2), which will be the first time in Australia that the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained galloper has drawn a barrier inside of five.

James McDonald will take the ride on Gold Trip after Mark Zahra chose to stay with Without A Fight after his Caulfield Cup victory, but it remains to be seen if Zahra made the correct decision after his charge drew barrier 16.

Without A Fight will be seeking to become the first horse to complete the Caufield Cup/Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001, as well as the first runner to win from barrier 16 since 1998.

More Felons (+3300) will have to overcome starting from the Birdcage, after the Chris Waller-trained import drew barrier 24 at his second start for his new trainer.

Joining him on the outside will be Cleveland (23), Sheraz (22), Lastotchka (21) and Okita Soushi (20), who will all have to overcome outside barriers to win.

Although a gate outside of 20 looks horrible, the wide gates may not be that, as barrier 21 has produced four winners, which is the fourth-most of any barrier.

Since the barrier draw, the Ebor Handicap winner Absurde has seen his price pushed out from +1700 to +2500, as has Soulcombe from the Waller stable, who has also seen a drift in price from +700 to +1100.

The 2023 Melbourne Cup will jump at its traditional 3pm AEDT time slot and is scheduled to be run as race seven at Flemington on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

2023 Melbourne Cup Final Field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds
1 Silks
Gold Trip
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
James McDonald
2
58.5kg
+340
2 Silks
Alenquer
Michael Moroney
Damien Oliver
9
56.5kg
+5000
3 Silks
Without A Fight
Anthony & Sam Freedman
Mark Zahra
16
56.5kg
+600
4 Silks
Breakup
Taisuya Yoshioka
Kohei Matsuyama
18
55kg
+1700
5 Silks
Vauban
Willie Mullins
Ryan Moore
3
55kg
+240
6 Silks
Soulcombe
Chris Waller
Joao Moreira
4
53.5kg
+1000
7 Silks
Absurde
Willie Mullins
Zac Purton
8
53kg
+2200
8 Silks
Right You Are
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
John Allen
15
53kg
+7000
9 Silks
Vow And Declare
Danny O’Brien
Billy Egan
19
53kg
+3000
10 Silks
Cleveland
Kris Lees
Michael Dee
23
52kg
+2600
11 Silks
Ashrun
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Kerrin McEvoy
11
51.5kg
+4000
12 Silks
Daqiansweet Junior
Phillip Stokes
Daniel Stackhouse
12
51.5kg
+9000
13 Silks
Okita Soushi
Joseph O’Brien
Dylan Gibbons
20
51.5kg
+7000
14 Silks
Sheraz
Chris Waller
Beau Mertens
22
51.5kg
+12500
15 Silks
Lastotchka
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
Craig Williams
21
51kg
+2500
16 Silks
Magical Lagoon
Chris Waller
Mark Du Plessis
7
51kg
+9000
17 Silks
Military Mission
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Rachel King
5
51kg
+4500
18 Silks
Serpentine
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Jye McNeil
1
51kg
+6000
19 Silks
Virtuous Circle
Liam Howley
Craig Newitt
6
51kg
+9000
20 Silks
More Felons
Chris Waller
Jamie Kah
24
50.5kg
+3000
21 Silks
Future History
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Hollie Doyle
13
50kg
+2600
22 Silks
Interpretation
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Teo Nugent
17
50kg
+6000
23 Silks
Kalapour
Kris Lees
Zac Lloyd
14
50kg
+5000
24 Silks
True Marvel
Matthew Smith
Ben Thompson
10
50kg
+15000

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