Melbourne Cup Lineup and Barrier Draw Released Buckaroo Half Yours Secure Prime Positions While James McDonald Prepares for Challenging Race
The highly anticipated barrier draw for the Lexus Melbourne Cup was held on Saturday evening, revealing crucial positions for 24 contenders in the prestigious race. The event officially marks the countdown to the race that captures the nation’s attention.
Key Competitors and Barrier Assignments
Half Yours, a potent pre-race favorite and the recent Caulfield Cup victor, has secured barrier eight. This positioning offers significant advantages under the experienced guidance of jockey Jamie Kah.
Another strong contender, Buckaroo, trained by Chris Waller, will start from barrier 12. Meanwhile, the notable overseas entrant Al Riffa will commence from gate 19.
Full Field and Barrier Draw
| Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Riffa | Joseph O’Brien | Mark Zahra | 59 |
| 2 | Buckaroo | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 57 |
| 3 | Arapaho | Bjorn Baker | Rachel King | 56.5 |
| 4 | Vauban | Waterhouse and Bott | Blake Shinn | 56.5 |
| 5 | Chevalier Rose | Hisashi Shimizu | Damian Lane | 55.5 |
| 6 | Presage Nocturne | Alessandro Botti | Stephane Pasquier | 55.5 |
| 7 | Middle Earth | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 54.5 |
| 8 | Meydaan | Simon and Ed Crisford | James McDonald | 54 |
| 9 | Absurde | Willie Mullins | Kerrin McEvoy | 53.5 |
| 10 | Flatten The Curve | Henk Grewe | Thore Hammer Hansen | 53.5 |
| 11 | Land Legend | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 53.5 |
| 12 | Smokin’ Romans | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 53 |
| 13 | Changingoftheguard | Kris Lees | Tim Clark | 53 |
| 14 | Half Yours | Tony and Calvin McEvoy | Jamie Melham | 53 |
| 15 | More Felons | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 53 |
| 16 | Onesmoothoperator | Brian Ellison | Harry Coffey | 53 |
| 17 | Furthur | Andrew Balding | Michael Dee | 52 |
| 18 | Parchment Party | William Mott | Johnny Velazquez | 52 |
| 19 | Athabascan | John O’Shea and Tom Charlton | Declan Bates | 51.5 |
| 20 | Goodie Two Shoes | Joseph O’Brien | Wayne Lordan | 51.5 |
| 21 | River of Stars | Chris Waller | Beau Mertens | 51.5 |
| 22 | Royal Supremacy | Ciaron Maher | Robbie Dolan | 51 |
| 23 | Torranzino | Paul Preusker | Celine Gaudray | 51 |
| 24 | Valiant King | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 51 |
The draw was a significant milestone as it revealed positioning for key challengers. Racing fans and experts are eager to see how the placements will impact the race on Tuesday afternoon.
World-renowned jockey James McDonald faces challenges as his horse, Meydaan, has drawn barrier 22. This adds an extra layer of complexity to the competition.
With the Melbourne Cup nearly upon us, the excitement continues to build for one of horse racing’s most celebrated events.
