The race that will stop the nation is just around the corner. It’s time for Australians who attend horse racing once a year to find out if Melbourne Cup statistics matter to them. In terms of where the horses start, it is clear that some have produced many more winners than others. Barriers 14, 10, 5 and 11 have had the most Melbourne Cup winners, while barrier 18 seems to be less fortunate.
Barrier 18 was thought to be without a winner until 2021 when Werry Elegant won and the curse appeared to be broken. Wherry Elegant was banned at 19 but was changed to 18 after the release of another name called Future Score. The same thing happened in 1963 when Gatum Gatum went over at barrier 18 and won the race.
Other hurdles that have failed to produce a Melbourne Cup winner are 7, 12, 19 and 23. Trainers, owners and athletes all have different opinions on the best barrier to start with and most agree that they prefer not to pull it too close or too wide inwards.
Speaking of setbacks, champion jockey James MacDonald lost the Melbourne Cup after Melbourne Cup winner Via Sistina was disqualified from the nationals. McDonald claimed his 100th Group 1 win in the Cox Plate with Via Citina winning his Australian weight class for the third consecutive year following success with Romantic Warrior and Anamo.
It remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old New Zealand star will have another go at the Melbourne Cup. McDonald will fly the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained King of Thunder in the $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) after Godolphin’s team withdrew from Saturday at Flemington. MacDonald and O’Shea have won Group 1 seven times previously, most recently eight years ago.
King of Thunder jumped from the first box while favorite and eventual Group 1 winner El Castello jumped from the widest gate of the 16-furlong field. Moonee Valley Vase winner and second favorite Red Ace fared better from box 4, while third favorite Keeneland started from box 11.
