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Race pundits are flocking to place their bet on Deauville Legend to claim victory in this year’s Melbourne Cup after a dream barrier draw over the weekend.
The four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival kicked off with Derby Day on Saturday and will conclude at 3pm AEDT on Tuesday with the 3,200m ‘race that stops the nation’ in Flemington.
The winner of the 2022 Melbourne Cup will take home $7,750,000 in prize money, with pundits widely supporting the James Ferguson-trained Deauville legend to claim Cup glory after pulling barrier nine on Saturday night.
The English trainer said he couldn’t have picked a better gate number.
‘I am satisfied. I didn’t want a very wide draw and I didn’t want a low draw, so (gate) nine is absolutely perfect for us,” he said.
“With the pace that’s on the outside, they’re going to make a clip to get there.
“Ideally we can get early doors in a nice position and we don’t have to work too hard to get there.”
UK stayer Deauville Legend with jockey Kerrin McEvoy (pictured) is firm favorite to win the 2022 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday
Glamorous racing expert Francesca Cumani, 39, backs Deauville Legend.
The internationally acclaimed race commentator helped launch the Channel 10 tent at Flemington Racecourse on Thursday.
She was joined by Eddie Maguire, who recently signed a new deal with the network.
Cumani, who also presents for ITV Racing in the UK, is returning to jet set after welcoming her second child Teddy George in June – her first child with boyfriend Max Johnson.
Also favorites were Chris Vernuccio and Brad Waters of Herald Sun, Ben Dorries of Newscorp and Jack Smallhorn of Racing Nation.
While Herald Sun’s Scott Gullan likes to keep another UK stayer, Without a Flight.
Stunning race presenter Francesca Cumani supports Deauville Legend (pictured at the Channel 10 tent in Flemington)
The Deauville Legend coach believes he will have the best possible chance under veteran Melbourne Cup winning Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy.
“I would like him to have a nice blanket so he can relax and travel vigorously,” he said.
“You don’t want to be too far back in a field that’s so full and you don’t want to be behind a lot of horses coming back.”
Deauville Legend is currently offering $3.60 for the win and $1.80 for a seat through TAB’s fixed odds market starting at noon on Sunday.
In his final race, Deauville Legend won the 2385m Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes in the UK, running 4.3 lengths ahead of El Bodegon, third place runner on Cox Plate.
But the Melbourne Cup will be uncharted territory for Deauville Legend, who has never raced further than 2,615m and never ridden on a soft or hard track.
A capacity field has signed up for the race, with the hookups of 24 runners paying for Saturday’s deadline.
Duais, trained by Edward Cummings, grandson of Melbourne Cup legend Bart, has pulled barrier 10 alongside the favourite.
Hugh Bowman riding Duais (pictured) during the Breakfast With The Stars Trackwork Session at Flemington Racecourse on October 25
German stayer Loft was another favourite, but withdrew on Friday due to a tendon problem.
Montefilia, Without A Fight and Gai Waterhouse-trained Hoo Ya Mal split the second bet after pulling gates 11, 18 and 15 respectively.
The 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare will start from barrier four.
Grand Promenade, one of the five runners for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, has the inner gate.
Knights Order has drawn the largest of the 24 starters.
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace (pictured) after Bella Nipotina won race 11, the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes, during Cox Plate Day at Melbourne’s Moonee Valley Racecourse on October 22
Montefilia has pulled barrier 11 (Photo: Jason Collett on Montefilia wins race five of the Ranvet Stakes during Sydney Racing Longines Golden Slipper Day, at Rosehill Gardens on March 19)
Of qualifying, a return to the form that took him to an Epsom Derby win has given imported keeper Serpentine a Melbourne Cup lifeline.
Serpentine had to finish in the top three in the Archer Stakes at Flemington and finished second to Surefire after leading an empty field.
He pulled barrier 23 on Sunday.
Surefire is not one of the entries for Tuesday’s $8 million race.
Racegoers on Victoria Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse on October 29 (pictured)
The Archer Stakes served as the final qualifying race for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, but only seven runners lined up on Victoria Derby day.
Serpentine had finished at the tailenders in four Australian starts for a syndicate of powerful owners led by seven-time Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams.
He looked like a shadow of the horse that landed the 2020 Epsom Derby for champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
But even after Saturday’s defeat, Williams’ son Nick said there were encouraging signs to allow Serpentine to join his stable mate Point Nepean in the Melbourne Cup after passing a voting clause.
“We will certainly accept (in the cup). It was a much improved run today,” he said.
“From that run you’d say the better, so we’ll accept it with him and see how we go.”
Out and racing: The sun shone early on Saturday as Derby Day crowds flocked to Flemington for the start of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (pictured)
However, the world’s most famous thoroughbred surgery has resigned themselves to not having a Melbourne Cup runner.
Godolphin, founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had high hopes for Alegron to improve after a failed Caulfield Cup.
But the stayer failed, finishing sixth out of seven runners—nearly eight lengths from the winner.
Run over 2500m in Group 3, the Archer Stakes has lost its significance as a Melbourne Cup guide since Shocking completed the double in 2009.