Melbourne Cup 2021 finishing order: Where every horse crossed the finish line

No horse had won the Melbourne Cup from barrier 18 before Tuesday. Where every horse finished, what the hoops said and full dividends.

Champion mare Verry Elleegant has upstaged hot favourite Incentivise to win this year’s Melbourne Cup in emphatic style at Flemington.

She gives trainer Chris Waller his first win in the famous race.

Verry Elleegant becomes the first horse to shoulder 57kg or more to win the Melbourne Cup since the great Makybe Diva completed her Cup three-peat in 2005 with 58kg.

Where every horse finished.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Verry Elleegant

2. Incentivise

3. Spanish Mission

*************************

4. Floating Artist

5. The Chosen One

6. Grand Promenade

7. Delphi

8. Selino

9. Tralee Rose

10. She’s Ideel

Sydney jockey James Mcdonald celebrates his win aboard Verry Elleegant. Picture: Getty Images

11. Twilight Payment

12. Miami Bound

13. Great House

14. Sir Lucan

15. Explosive Jack

16. Master Of Wine

17. Pondus

18. Carif

19. Knight’s Order

20. Persan

21. Port Guillaume

22. Johnny Get Angry

23. Ocean Billy

McDonald returns to scale hugging the grand mare. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

1. VERRY ELLEEGANT

Weight: 57kg Odds: $18

Prizemoney: $4.4 million

James McDonald: I was very confident in the mare today. Thoughts went through my mind at the 500m when I saw Incentivise getting shoved along but I knew he would fight. There wasn’t a horse that was going to come from behind me, it was just a matter of catching him.

Clinton Payne says: That is why he’s the best. Barrier 18, and by the time they link with the course proper she’s one off and travelling sweetly — she only travels like that for McDonald. Down by the Maribyrnong, he lets her stride three wide, onto the back of Spanish Mission, tags him until straightening and then bang, it’s over by the 300m.

2. INCENTIVISE

Weight: 57kg Odds: $2.90 fav

Prizemoney: $1.1 million

Brett Prebble: Courageous effort. His first time to this trip and it took a champion to beat him.

Payne says: Found a spot outside the lead leaving the straight. Copped some midrace pressure near the 1200m and left in front on straightening — brave right to the line. Ridden like the best horse but the winner was in another class.

3. SPANISH MISSION

Weight: 57kg Odds: $10

Prizemoney: $550,000

Craig Williams: I had the option of being one horse in but I decided to be on the back of Grand Promenade, I thought it would take me nicely into the race and we did. But when Verry Elleegant came around me, she was towing. My horse did a really good job.

Payne says: Settled forward of midfield three wide with cover. Had an unimpeded run, moved up four wide straightening, couldn’t go with the winner but kept finding the line.

4. FLOATING ARTIST

Weight: 50kg Odds: $11

Prizemoney: $350,000

Teo Nugent (a): Super run. Landed in a beautiful spot out of the gates. We followed Incentivise and he travelled so strong the whole way. I thought at the top of the straight that he gave a lovely kick for me and he’s run a very good fourth.

Payne says: Made use of the lightweight early and found himself in the second pair, a horse of the fence. Trailed Incentivise into the straight, held ground right to the line. Faultless ride.

5. THE CHOSEN ONE

Weight: 54kg Odds: $31

Prizemoney: $230,000

Damian Lane: He’s run a massive race. Trained to the minute and ran his best. Payne says: Put into the race early, relaxed and settled midfield. Trailed Verry Elleegant into the straight but no match. Given every chance.

Verry Elleegant thunders to the front in this year’s race which stops a nation.

6. GRAND PROMENADE

Weight: 52kg Odds: $15

Prizemoney: $160,000

Kerrin McEvoy: He’s run a good race. We didn’t have any luck. Got caught wide the trip but he stuck on well.

Payne says: Never on the track, raced three wide facing the breeze. Moved forward near 1200m but couldn’t get in, stuck on well considering how hard he worked.

7. DELPHI

Weight: 53.5kg Odds: $19

Prizemoney: $160,000

Damien Oliver: We had a great run. He feels like more of a mile-and-a-half horse than a two-miler.

Payne says: Made use of the soft draw and had an economical run, forward of midfield. Across heels and presented at the top of the straight, had his chance.

8. SELINO

Weight: 53.5kg Odds: $81

Prizemoney: $160,000

Ronnie Stewart: A little further back than I would have wanted to be. Just couldn’t find the right horse to take me into the race. A good staying effort.

Payne says: Went back from draw and made up more ground than any other runner. Lacks the class of the first few, ran as good as he could.

9. TRALEE ROSE

Weight: 51kg Odds: $21

Prizemoney: $160,000

Dean Holland: She had a really nice run. She toughed it out but she’s probably not sharp enough when you need her.

Payne says: Found herself in the perfect trailing spot three pairs from the speed. Under pressure before the turn, whacked away.

McDonald with coveted Cup trophy. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

10. SHE’S IDEEL

Weight: 52kg Odds: $101

Prizemoney: $160,000

Craig Newitt: She ran well again.

Payne says: Jagged across behind the field in the first furlong but was that far back she lost sight the bunny. Made some ground but never a factor.

11. TWILIGHT PAYMENT

Weight: 58kg Odds: $13

Prizemoney: $160,000

Jye McNeil: He wasn’t able to get into his usual role and at the halfway point he really struggled.

Payne says: Couldn’t go with them early and found himself worse than midfield. No nine-year-old has won the Cup and he never looked like changing that piece of history, under a ride and the whip before the turn.

12. MIAMI BOUND

Weight: 52kg Odds: $151

Prizemoney: $160,000

Patrick Moloney: She wouldn’t go in the first 1000m. If she had have jumped and travelled she might have run top eight. She whacked away and got the ones that were tiring.

Payne says: Got way out of her ground. Passed those that didn’t run the trip down the running, her last 200m split was the sixth best in the race.

13. GREAT HOUSE

Weight: 50kg Odds: $26

Prizemoney: Nil

Michael Dee: I could feel he was coming under pressure about the 600 or 700, he was gone by then but he tried really hard all the way to the line.

Payne says: Given the perfect ride in the first 1000m but he didn’t have the engine to make use of it at the back end of the race.

14. SIR LUCAN

Weight: 50kg Odds: $26

Prizemoney: Nil

Glen Boss: He’s a juvenile. I had no power from the 1000m mark.

Payne says: Went back and had a quiet run. Never came into it.

McDonald cannot believe he has won the famous Flemington classic. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

15. EXPLOSIVE JACK

Weight: 54kg Odds: $51

Prizemoney: Nil

John Allen: He was disappointing. He whacked away, but he’s missing a bit of scrap.

Payne says: Did no work in the run, worse than midfield on the rail. Plodded home.

16. MASTER OF WINE

Weight: 52.5kg Odds: $91

Prizemoney: Nil

Fred Kersley: Nice.

Payne says: Settled back in the field and never came into it.

17. PONDUS

Weight: 52.5kg Odds: $21

Prizemoney: Nil

Rachel King: Just raced a bit dour and couldn’t sprint off that speed.

Payne says: Did no work from his inside draw but was struggling a fair way from home and didn’t stay.

18. CARIF

Weight: 52.5kg Odds: $101

Prizemoney: Nil

Blaike McDougall: Got in a nice position. He travelled well. Just the class factor when they quickened up, he was under pressure.

Payne says: Copped a bit of a buffeting coming to the winning post the first time, settling back inside Spanish Mission. First horse beaten.

19. KNIGHTS ORDER

Weight: 53kg Odds: $101

Prizemoney: Nil

Daniel Stackhouse: He’s just not going anywhere at the moment.

Payne says: Put into the box seat down the straight the first time. Under a ride 600m from home and proceeded to give ground.

20. PERSAN

Weight: 53kg Odds: $31

Prizemoney: Nil

Luke Currie: I didn’t think he would lead but he was sort of out at the 600m.

Payne says: Strode out freely to take up the running but barely gave a yelp and was calling for the oxygen after wilting prior to the turn.

Verry Elleegant after her crowning achievement. Picture: Getty Images

21. PORT GUILLAUME

Weight: 52kg Odds: $101

Prizemoney: Nil

Harry Coffey: He didn’t run out a strong 3200m in a strong pressure race.

Payne says: Young Harry Coffey did a great job early to have the import travelling a couple of pairs back from Verry Elleegant but the horse’s effort didn’t match the ride and he plugged home.

22. JOHNNY GET ANGRY

Weight: 53kg Odds: $91

Prizemoney: Nil

Lachlan King (a): He’ll go out for a spell and then assess the options after he comes back.

Payne says: Didn’t spend a penny early and settled with only a couple behind him. Nothing changed in the next 3000m except he passed one straggler.

23. OCEAN BILLY

Weight: 53.5kg Odds: $31

Prizemoney: Nil

Damien Thornton: Disappointing.

Payne says: Given a good ride early to find the rail in a midfield spot but there wasn’t much to report after that. Gone at the 600m.

SHE IS AMAZING. ❤💙

VERRY ELLEEGANT WINS HER 10TH GROUP 1 IN THE LEXUS #MELBOURNECUP.@[e-mail]/L2p2W6EtNB

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 2, 2021

TAB DIVIDENDS (Victoria)

1st 4. VERRY ELLEEGANT

Fixed $16, $4.80

Tote $16.50, $4.50

2. INCENTIVISE

$1.60

$2

3. SPANISH MISSION

$3.20

$3.30

Quinella 4-2 $21.80

Exacta 4-2 $72.70

Duet 4-2 $13.40

Duet 4-3 $26.40

Duet 2-3 $7.70

Trifecta 4-2-3 $436.20

First Four 4-2-3-22 $5413.50

Running Double (6,7) 1-4 $36.90

BIGGEST BET ON THE WINNER

$5000 @ $16

$5000 e/w (tote bet)

OTHER BETS – VERRY ELLEGANT

$1000 e/w @ $17/$5

$1000 @ $17

$2000 e/w @ $16/$4.80 TWICE

BETS – INCENTIVISE

$17,500 @ $2.90

$10,000 @ $2.90

$9000 @ $2.90

$65,000 @ $2.80

$20,000 @ $2.80

$10,000 @ $2.80

$15,000 @ $2.45

$40,000 e/w (tote bet)

$20,000 e/w (tote bet)

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2021 finishing order: Where every horse crossed the finish line