Melbourne Cup 2022 favourite Deauville Legend firms after Loft scratched: Field and tips
Star import Loft will not run in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday leaving just one horse as a clear favourite with the bookies - for now.
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Melbourne Cup second favourite Loft will be scratched from the Cup, his part-owner Ozzie Kheir says.
Racing Victoria vets found an issue with Melbourne Cup second pick Loft at his trot up Friday morning.
Kheir said they found a tendon issue with Loft and “I can confirm he will not be running in the 2022 Melbourne Cup”.
Read the full story here.
While Loft’s withdrawal was the major talking point on Friday, Makram was also ruled out of the great race.
The Ben and JD Hayes trained Irish horse was ruled out by vets on Friday.
Makram had to win Archer Stakes to guarantee its spot in the final cup field.
Racing Victoria on Friday afternoon confirmed 29 horses remained in contention for the Cup after passing all relevant scans and inspections.
Cup-nominated stayers in Saturday’s Archer Stakes will be reinspected after the 2500m race.
Lindsay Park import Makram has been ruled out after the CAT scan ruled the galloper at “heightened risk of injury”.
Gold Trip was checked over again on Friday, after presenting with heat in the right front on Thursday, and passed fit to contest the Cup.
Stockman passed his inspection in Sydney but will also be checked over again after running in the Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) on Saturday.
All horses must undergo a second and final pre-race veterinary inspection on Monday.
WHO IS FAVOURITE TO WIN THE RACE?
Less than a week out from the race, overseas raider Deauville Legend is the $3.80 favourite.
His form is elite and if he turns up and gets every chance he’ll be very hard to beat.
His trainer James Ferguson is very happy with how he has settled into Australia and he will have multiple Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
Of the Australian-trained horses, 2019 Cup winner Vow And Declare is racing very well and can surprise at good odds ($15).
Gold Trip ($13) will carry the No.1 saddlecloth and 57.5kg but he has a lot of class. He was narrowly beaten in the Caulfield Cup and was unlucky in the Cox Plate.
He will appreciate a soft track which, looking at the forecast, he looks like he will get on Tuesday.
Caulfield Cup winner Durston was on the third line of betting but is out of the race after failing a mandatory pre-race scan.
WHAT ABOUT THE REST?
There are only two horses in single-figure odds for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup (3200m) — and both are overseas raiders.
The James Ferguson-trained Deauville Legend has been met with heavy support and, on TAB fixed odds, is $3.80 favourite
At his last start, Deauville Legend won the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes over 2385m, beating El Bodegon by 4.3 lengths who then came out and ran third in last week’s Cox Plate.
That form reads extremely well for this, however, there are two queries on the favourite.
1: He has never raced on soft or heavy ground which he will get on Tuesday.
2: He has never raced beyond 2615m.
While he gives every indication the 3200m will not be an issue, it’s still a query regardless.
There are three other overseas raiders — Hoo Ya Mal ($15), Without A Fight ($8) and Camorra ($26) — racing in Australia for the first time.
Hoo Ya Mal is in the care of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott while Camorra is trained by Ben and JD Hayes.
Without A Fight is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford in the UK.
Gold Trip ($13) was incredibly unlucky in the Cox Plate last week and, through that, you can draw a form reference through El Bodegon and Deauville Legend. He will appreciate a soft track which he will get on Tuesday.
Multiple Group 1 winner Duais ($17) was favourite for the Melbourne Cup for several months but has fallen out of favour in recent weeks.
Montefilia ($13), after an interrupted run, was enormous in the Caulfield Cup charging home for fourth.
Vow And Declare ($15) won the Melbourne Cup three years ago and after losing his way for a couple of years, he’s now racing as well as ever.
The Cup is shaping up as a race with eight or nine genuine winning chances.
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1 LUNAR FLARE 51.5kg M.Dee
2 POINT NEPEAN (IRE) 51kg W.Lordan
3 DEAUVILLE LEGEND (IRE) 55kg K.McEvoy
4 GOLD TRIP (FR) 57.5kg M.Zahra
5 DUAIS 55.5kg H.Bowman
6 MONTEFILIA 55.5kg J.Collett
7 HOO YA MAL (GB) 53.5kg C.Williams
8 KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) 55.5kg T.Clark
9 WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) 55.5kg W.Buick
10 NUMERIAN (IRE) 55.5kg T.Berry
11 CAMORRA (IRE) 55kg B.Melham
12 ALEGRON 53kg
13 STOCKMAN (NZ) 54kg S.Clipperton
14 YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) 54kg D.Lane
15 VOW AND DECLARE 54kg B.Shinn
16 GRAND PROMENADE (GB) 53kg H.Coffey
17 TRALEE ROSE (NZ) 51.5kg D.Yendall
18 DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR (NZ) 53kg D.Moor
19 ARAPAHO (FR) 52.5kg R.King
20 CRYSTAL PEGASUS (GB) 52kg
21 SMOKIN’ ROMANS (NZ) 51.5kg J.Kah
22 EMISSARY (GB) 51.5kg
23 REALM OF FLOWERS 50kg D.Thornton
24 HIGH EMOCEAN (NZ)
* * * * *
25 INTERPRETATION (IRE) 50kg
26 KING OF THE CASTLE (IRE) 50kg
27 SERPENTINE (IRE) 53.5kg
28 CHAPADA 52.5kg
29 SAN HUBERTO (IRE) 51.5kg
Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2022 favourite Deauville Legend firms after Loft scratched: Field and tips
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