Legends spread across 160 years to clash in a battle for Melbourne Cup supremacy
What would happen if modern greats such as Makybe Diva and Americain raced against champions of the turf such as Archer and Phar Lap? We’ll find out on Melbourne Cup day when a virtual race crowns the greatest cup winner ever.
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Famed by a lifelong association with the Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings’ link with the iconic race continues after five of the master trainer’s champions earned a place in a virtual race to decide the greatest Cup winner in history.
Cummings’ quintet of Light Fingers, Galilee, Think Big, Let’s Elope and Saintly will be pitted against his father Jim’s Comic Court in the “Lexus Melbourne Cup The Race of Dreams.”
The field, headlined by the race’s only triple winner Makybe Diva, has been assembled by a panel including Greg Carpenter, Leigh Jordon, Gai Waterhouse, Greg Miles, Francesca Cumani and Gerard Whateley.
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The race will be run on November 3 — Melbourne Cup day — and broadcast on Network 10.
Phar Lap, Carbine, Might And Power and Archer made the cut after the panel was asked to select the final field as a celebration of the Cup’s 160-year history.
Peter Pan, Nightmarch, Rising Fast and Rain Lover will also feature in the race, which will be called by Matt Hill.
Three illustrious internationals — Ireland’s Vintage Crop and French stars Americain and Dunaden — are also in the field.
VRC chairman Amanda Elliott said the final field will bring back great memories, create many talking points and provide inspiration in this challenging year.
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“The Lexus Melbourne Cup is one of the most recognised horse races in the world and every
year the winner cements their place in Australian sporting history,” Mrs Elliott said.
“Melbourne Cup champions such as Phar Lap, Carbine, Makybe Diva, Saintly and Might and
Power captured public attention, won our hearts and have all become legends in their own
right. It is always uplifting to remember and celebrate those monumental achievements.
“In my lifetime I have been fortunate enough to witness some incredible Cup victories, none
more impressive than Makybe Diva winning her third Cup in 2005.
“Creating a virtual race to compare recent winners to those of the past will be fascinating, and will certainly generate some robust and pretty entertaining debate.”
The selection panel was involved in selecting the final 24 horses and assessing the final field
from 1-24, to help devise a ranking that was sent to Inspired Entertainment.
That information was accompanied by input including each horse’s running style, winning time and the handicap weight assigned by Racing Victoria’s chief handicap Carpenter.
Inspired Entertainment will use a complex algorithm to decide the actual race result, while
designers develop the lifelike race simulation.
The final field is: Archer, The Barb, Grand Flaneur, Carbine, Poseidon, Poitrel, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, Peter Pan, Comic Court, Rising Fast, Even Stevens, Light Fingers, Galilee,
Rain Lover, Think Big, Let’s Elope, Vintage Crop, Doriemus, Saintly, Might and
Power, Makybe Diva, Americain and Dunaden.
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Originally published as Legends spread across 160 years to clash in a battle for Melbourne Cup supremacy