Melbourne Cup 2020: Preview & Predictions
The ‘race that stops the nation’ takes centre stage on Tuesday as the prestigious Melbourne Cup is run at Flemington Racecourse.
Held over a distance of 3,200 metres with total prize money of $7,750,000, the race attracts top-class horses from around the world.
A maximum field of 24 will go to post for an event that is a true test of stamina and cements the winner’s status as a great of the staying ranks.
Read on as we take a look at the 2020 Melbourne Cup and pick out four contenders who are prominent in the horse racing betting to win the race.
Melbourne Cup 2020 Runners
The 44 entrants for the Melbourne Cup will be whittled down to a final field of 24 after the running of the Hotham Handicap on Saturday.
The winner of that race is eligible to take the final spot for the big one, potentially knocking the Willie Mullins trained True Self out of the line-up. The declarations are as follows:
| Horse | Trainer | Weight | |
| 1 | VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) | Chris Waller | 55.5kg |
| 2 | SIR DRAGONET (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 55.5kg |
| 3 | OCEANEX (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 51.5kg |
| 4 | PERSAN | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 51kg |
| 5 | ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien | 58.5kg |
| 6 | VOW AND DECLARE | Danny O’Brien | 57kg |
| 7 | AVILIUS (GB) | James Cummings | 57kg |
| 8 | RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE) | Danny O’Brien | 53.5kg |
| 9 | MASTER OF REALITY (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien | 56kg |
| 10 | TWILIGHT PAYMENT (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien | 55.5kg |
| 11 | TIGER MOTH (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien | 52.5kg |
| 12 | MUSTAJEER (GB) | Kris Lees | 55kg |
| 13 | STRATUM ALBION (GB) | Willie Mullins | 55kg |
| 14 | PRINCE OF ARRAN (GB) | Charlie Fellowes | 54.5kg |
| 15 | WARNING | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 53kg |
| 16 | SURPRISE BABY (NZ) | Paul Preusker | 54.5kg |
| 17 | DASHING WILLOUGHBY (GB) | Andrew Balding | 54.5kg |
| 18 | FINCHE (GB) | Chris Waller | 54.5kg |
| 19 | ETAH JAMES (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 52.5kg |
| 20 | MIAMI BOUND (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | 51kg |
| 21 | THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 53.5kg |
| 22 | STEEL PRINCE (IRE) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 53.5kg |
| 23 | KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) | Danny O’Brien | 53.5kg |
| 24 | TRUE SELF (IRE) | Willie Mullins | 52kg |
| 25 | SAN HUBERTO (IRE) | Matt Cumani | 53.5kg |
| 26 | NICKAJACK CAVE (IRE) | Peter G Moody | 53.5kg |
| 27 | PLATINUM INVADOR (NZ) | Peter G Moody | 53kg |
| 28 | ASHRUN (FR) | Andreas Wohler | 53kg |
| 29 | HUSH WRITER (JPN) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 52.5kg |
| 30 | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 52.5kg |
| 31 | SKYWARD (FR) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 52.5kg |
| 32 | SOUND (GER) | Michael Moroney | 52kg |
| 33 | AZURO (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 52kg |
| 34 | CHAPADA | Michael Moroney | 52kg |
| 35 | CARIF | Peter & Paul Snowden | 52kg |
| 36 | HAKY (IRE) | Archie Alexander | 52kg |
| 37 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | Archie Alexander | 51kg |
| 38 | PONDUS (GB) | Joseph O’Brien | 51kg |
| 39 | SCHABAU (GER) | Robert Hickmott | 50.5kg |
| 40 | ATTORNEY (FR) | Matthew Smith | 50kg |
| 41 | LORD BELVEDERE (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 50.5kg |
| 42 | ADMIRE ROBSON (JPN) | Paul Preusker | 50kg |
| 43 | FUTURE SCORE (IRE) | Matt Cumani | 50kg |
| 44 | SARACEN KNIGHT (IRE) | Danny O’Brien | 50kg |
Melbourne Cup 2020: Four to Follow
Tiger Moth
Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has made no secret of his desire to win the Melbourne Cup, and his Tiger Moth could be tough to beat.
The three-year-old finished second behind Santiago in the Irish Derby, before demolishing a classy field in the Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown during September.
The son of Galileo has been laid out for the race and is potentially the best horse that O’Brien has ever sent to Australia.
Sir Dragonet
One of the biggest threats to O’Brien’s hopes of winning the race comes in the shape of a horse that he previously trained.
Sir Dragonet produced some solid performances in Europe, before being sold and placed in the care of local co-trainers Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.
That move paid immediate dividends as Sir Dragonet won the Cox Plate and the extra distance of the Melbourne Cup should be right up his street.
Russian Camelot
Russian Camelot has been prominent in the betting for the Melbourne Cup since claiming an impressive victory in the South Australian Derby during the Adelaide Autumn Carnival.
He has since finished third in the Cox Plate behind Sir Dragonet, but the longer distance at Flemington will be more to his liking.
However, O’Brien’s Armory finished second in that race, which gives him an excellent idea of where he stands with Tiger Moth.
Anthony Van Dyck
Anthony Van Dyck won the Epsom Derby as a three-year-old, before finishing as runner-up in the Irish equivalent later in the year.
The horse has produced some impressive performances this season, most notably when beating Stravidairus in the Prix Foy at Longchamp.
He has since been beaten a head by Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup, but should reverse that form over the more extended trip.
Melbourne Cup Prediction: Aidan O’Brien is desperate to win the race, and Tiger Moth looks well in at the weights. The Cox Plate form line gives the Irish trainer a handle on the main opposition, and he is strongly fancied to break his duck on Tuesday.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.