Melbourne Cup 2016: Full list of nominations for the 3200m staying feature at Flemington

CUP NOMS: THE past two Cup winners and horses from Czech Republic and the US are among nominations for this year’s $6.2 million Melbourne Cup.

Defending Cup champion Prince Of Penzance resumed in the Memsie Stakes last weekend. Picture: Andy Brownbill

CHAMPION Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Melbourne Cup favourite Order of St George won’t be given any favours when weights for the $6.2 million race are released in two weeks.

One of the world’s highest rated stayers, Order Of St George is one of seven O’Brien horses among the 124 horses nominated by Tuesday’s deadline.

Racing Victoria general manager of racing Greg Carpenter said Order Of St ­George, part-owned by four-time Cup winner Lloyd Williams, and 2014 Cup winner Protectionist would be near the top when weights were ­released on September 13.

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O’Brien’s seven are among 31 international horses nominated, including Trip To Rhodos, the first to be nomina­ted from the Czech ­Republic.

Da Big Hoss will be the first American horse to race in the Cup if trainer Michael Maker makes the trip.

Racing Victoria’s international recruiter Leigh Jordon is aiming to attract between six to nine international runners, but says more will be known over the next two with the results of international races.

The Doncaster Cup in Eng­land on September 9 and Irish and French meetings on September 10 and 11 will be crucial.

“That will be the weekend when we’ll find out a bit more who might be coming,” Jordon said. “There’s a few in there but they just haven’t committed at this stage.

“I would be happy with six to nine internationals.”

Chie handicapper Carpenter admitted that Order Of St George and Protectionist would be near the top when weights are released on September 13.

“The topweight when the weights come out have to have at least 58kg,” Carpenter said.

“So without giving away what will be the top weight because Protectionist is back in great form, you have got Order Of St George, you would think they would be the two horses that are going to be up towards the head of the weights come September 13.”

Darren Weir’s defending Cup winner Prince Of Penzance is one of the Ballarat trainer’s 11 nominations. He also nominated Stakes-winning mare Real Love, import Tosen Stardom and Signoff which finished fourth in 2014.

The Japanese have nominated only one horse, veteran stayer Curren Mirotic, a dual placegetter in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m).

Lee Freedman, who trains in partnership with his brother Anthony, heads the entries of local trainers with 12 entries, including the highly fancied Our Ivanhowe. Lee Freedman has trained five Cup winners.

James Cummings, the grandson of the late Bart Cummings who trained a record 12 Cup winners, has one nomination — Ruling Dynasty.

The powerful Godolphin stable nominated 16 horses, a mix between their horses based here and others racing overseas.

Order Of St George is unlikely to line up in the Melbourne Cup.

“The depth among the international contingent is once again exceptional with the Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George, Goodwood Cup winner Big Orange, Ebor winner Heartbreak City and Tenno Sho runner-up Curren Mirotic among 31 international entries,” Carpenter said.

“It is an exciting prospect for the Melbourne Cup to have its first United States-trained runner in the form of North America’s premier stayer Da Big Hoss, who has been nominated by trainer Michael Maker and connections.

“A new country represented in the nominations is the Czech Republic with the Pavel Tuma-trained Trip To Rhodos, a Listed winner in Italy and a last-start placegetter in the Group 2 Prix Kergolay in France.”

VRC chief executive, Simon Love, said the strength of the nominations pleasing.

“The depth in the entries for the 2016 Emirates Melbourne Cup is testament to the continuing appeal of the race, both here and abroad,” Love said. “Coupled with the talented pool of local entrants, the international representation we see among the nominees will hopefully pave the way for a truly diverse contest on the first Tuesday in November.”

THE BREAKDOWN

$6.2m MELBOURNE CUP (3200m)

Flemington, November 1

124 nominations

31 internationals

15 United Kingdom

10 Ireland

2 Germany

1 France

1 Japan

1 United States

1 Czech Republic

THE FAVOURITE

IRISH trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Order Of St George, one of the highest rated stayers in the world, is the real deal. He was $1.20 favourite when he won the St Leger Trial (2816m) at the Curragh 11 days ago. Has won his past six and is one of seven O’Brien Cup nominations. The powerful Godolphin stable has a mix of 16 locally and international-trained horses entered.

THEY’RE BACK

LAST year’s winner Prince Of Penzance is one of Darren Weir’s 11 entries. The 2014 winner Protectionist has also been nominated after recapturing his form overseas with Germany trainer Andreas Wohler.

LOCALS

FIVE-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Lee Freedman, who now trains in partnership with his brother Anthony, heads the list of local nominations with 12, just one more than Weir.

Our Ivanhowe will be Lee Freedman’s leading contender for Cup glory this year. Picture: Mark Cranitch

FIRST TIME

DA Big Hoss could become the first American-trained horse to race in the Cup if trainer Michael Maker makes the trip. The Czech Republic has also nominated a horse for the first time, the Pavel Tuma-trained Trip Top Rhodos.

JAPANESE SHORTAGE

THE feared Japanese horses are in short supply this year. Only one, the Osamu Hirata-trained veteran Curren Mirotic has been nominated.

FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS

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ALMANDIN 7G (R Hickmott)

ALMOONQITH 7H (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

ALOFT 5H (R Hickmott)

ALPINE EAGLE 5H (T McEvoy)

AMEXED 6G (T Gollan)

ANTONIO GIUSEPPE 4G (C Waller)

ARAB DAWN 6G (J O’Shea)

ASSIGN 6G (R Hickmott)

AUTHORITARIAN 5G (L & A Freedman)

AZURITE 6G (T McEvoy)

BARSANTI 5G (Roger Varian)

BATTLECAMP 4G (L & A Freedman)

BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE 5M (Saeed Bin Suroor)

BERISHA 5G (R Smerdon)

BIG ORANGE 6G (M Bell)

BOLD SNIPER 7G (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

BONDI BEACH 5H (Aidan O’Brien)

CLONDAW WARRIOR 10G (William Mullins)

COOL CHAP 4G (L & A Freedman)

CURREN MIROTIC 9G (Osamu Hirata)

DA BIG HOSS 6H (M J Maker)

DANDY GENT 5G (Terry & Karina O’Sullivan)

DANE HUSSLER 5M (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

DANJEU 6G (J P Thompson)

DARLUX 6G (Brian McGrath)

DE LITTLE ENGINE 6G (Danny O’Brien)

DEE I CEE 5G (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)

DIVAN 5G (R Hickmott)

DREADED 4G (L & A Freedman)

ELITE ARMY 6G (S Bin Suroor)

ERUPT 5H (F Graffard)

ESCADO 7G (M Laurie)

EXCESS KNOWLEDGE 7H (G Waterhouse & A Bott)

EXOSPHERE 5H (Sir M Stoute)

EXTRA CHOICE 4G (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

FANATIC 4M (G Sanders)

FOUNDRY 7G (R Hickmott)

FRANCIS OF ASSISI 7G (Ce Appleby)

GABELLA 7M (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

GALLANTE 6G (R Hickmott)

GRAND MARSHAL 7G (C Waller)

GREY LION 5H (M Cumani)

GUST OF WIND 5M (J Sargent)

HANS HOLBEIN 5H (R Hickmott)

HARTNELL 6G (J O’Shea)

HAURAKI 5G (J O’Shea)

HE’S OUR ROKKII 4G (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

HEARTBREAK CITY 7G (T Martin)

HEAVENS ABOVE 5M (T Martin)

HI WORLD 5H (L & A Freedman)

HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT 4H (A O’Brien)

HOWARD BE THY NAME 4H (D Weir)

IDAHO 4H (A O’Brien)

IMPORTANT MESSAGE 5H (S Bin Suroor)

JAMEKA 4M (C Maher)

KILIMANJARO 5G (R Hickmott)

KINEMA 6G (R Beckett)

LORD DISICK 5G (M Moroney)

LORD MACAU 3G (G Waterhouse & A Bott)

MANATEE 6H (J O’Shea)

MANNDAWI 7G (D Weir)

MASTER ZEPHYR 5G (D Weir)

MIME 4M (M Baker & A Forsman)

MISS ROSE DE LAGO 6M (Danny O’Brien)

NOZOMI 5G (L & A Freedman)

O’LONERA 4G (C Alderson)

OBSERVATIONAL 6G (R Hickmott)

OCEANOGRAPHER 5G (C Appleby)

ORBEC 6G (J P Thompson)

ORDER OF ST GEORGE 5H (A O’Brien)

OUR IVANHOWE 7H (L & A Freedman)

PEMBERLEY 5G (C Maher)

PENTATHLON 5G (J Wheeler)

PLYMOUTH ROAD 4G (L & A Freedman)

PREFERMENT 5H (C Waller)

PRINCE OF PENZANCE 7G (D Weir)

PROTECTIONIST 7H (A Wohler)

PROVOCATIVE 4M (T Pike)

QEWY 7G (C Appleby)

RAW IMPULSE 5H (D Weir)

REAL LOVE 6M (D Weir)

RED CARDINAL 5G (A Wohler)

REPLIQUE 4M (G Waterhouse & A Bott)

RISING ROMANCE 6M (D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)

ROSE OF VIRGINIA 7M (L & Shannon Hope)

RULING DYNASTY 5H (J Cummings)

SACRED MASTER 5G (C Waller)

SARRASIN 5H (L & A Freedman)

SCHERZOSO 5G (T McEvoy)

SCOTTISH 5G (C Appleby)

SECOND BULLET 6G (D O’Brien)

SECOND WAVE 5G (C Appleby)

SECRET NUMBER 7G (S Bin Suroor)

SET SQUARE 5M (C Maher)

SHAMKIYR 6G (D Weir)

SHIMRANO 5H (L & A Freedman)

SIGNOFF 7G (D Weir)

SINGING 7H (K Lees)

SIR J HAWKWOOD 8G (J P Thompson)

SKY HUNTER 7G (S Bin Suroor)

SPIRITJIM 7H (C Waller)

STONE WARRIOR 4G (L & A Freedman)

STORM THE STARS 5H (C Waller)

SWACADELIC 6G (A Purcell)

SWORD FIGHTER 4H (A O’Brien)

TALL SHIP 6G (D Weir)

TALLY 4H (J O’Shea)

TARZINO 4H (M Price)

TAVAGO 4G (T Busuttin & N Young)

THE BANDIT 5H (J Sadler)

THE MAJOR GENERAL 4H (A O’Brien)

THE UNITED STATES 7H (R Hickmott)

THUNDER DOWN UNDER 4H (C Waller)

TOM MELBOURNE 6G (L & A Freedman)

TOSEN STARDOM 6H (D Weir)

TRIP TO PARIS 6G (E Dunlop)

TRIP TO RHODOS 8G (P Tuma)

TUNES 8G (G Young)

UNICORN 4H (A O’Brien)

VENGEUR MASQUE 5G (M Moroney)

WHITE DOLLAR SIGN 5G (J Thom)

WHO SHOT THEBARMAN 8G (C Waller)

WICKLOW BRAVE 8G (W Mullins)

ZANTECA 7M (D Weir)