Melbourne Cup Final Field and Hurdle Draw (2024 Edition)

Here’s the final field for the 2024 Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday 5 November.

This year marks the 164th edition of the Cup, with jockey Mark Zara aiming to win the great race three years in a row on three different horses.

While headlines have focused on veterinary inspections for horses, both local and international, the Class of 2024 has attracted 24 locations.

READ: Review and tips for every Melbourne Cup competitor

The race is worth $8.56 million, with $7.75 million in prize money plus $810,000 worth of trophies for the winners, including the Harry White Whip for the winning driver and the Tommy Woodcock Trophy for the winning athlete.

Your early favorite is Buckaroo, ridden by Joao Moreira, who is aiming for his first Cup win after a number of minor placings. Buckaroo is trained by Chris Waller and wears the silks associated with outstanding owner Ozzie Hair.

Melbourne Cup 2024 Field

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	HCP rating
1	11x0x24312	VAUBAN (FR)	Willie Mullins	William Buick	11	55.5 kg	115
2	5356×81122	BUCKAROO (UK)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	21	54.5 kg	117
3	3x4411x890	CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zara	24	54.5 kg	112
4	x414x325x0	SPEED OF DEWARIYA (JAPAN)	Noboru Takagi	Akira Sugawara	3	54.5 kg	113
5	95365×3426	KOWALITZA (New Zealand)	Chris Waller	Damian Lane	17	53.5 kg	113
6	x3669x0203	SHARP ‘N’ SMART (New Zealand)	Graham and Deborah Rogerson	Michael Dee	15	53.5 kg	110
7	0x85x05010	JUST GOOD (YARA)	Guy Waterhouse and Adrian Bott	Jai McNeil	13	53 kg	110
8	755x1x0613	LAND LEGEND (FR)	Chris Waller	Zach Purton	18	53 kg	110
9	1x7P41x41x	ABSURD (FR)	Willie Mullins	Kerryn McAvoy	7	52.5 kg	109
10	x6442x8001	ATHABASCAN (FR)	John O’Shea and Tom Charlton	Zack Lloyd (A)	2	52 kg	109
11	24234×9005	SELECT NIGHT	John Simons and Sheila Lacson	Robbie Dolan	6	51.5 kg	108
12	13x00x8021	OKITA SUSHI (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Jamie Ka	10	51 kg	107
13	64282×1741	ONSMOTOPERATOR (USA)	Brian Ellison	Craig Williams	12	51 kg	107
14	132×665245	ZARDOZI	James Cummings	Andrea Atzeni	4	51 kg	114
15	04x10136x1	SEA KING (UK)	Harry Eustace	Holly Doyle	1	50.5 kg	106
16	212256×009	VALIANT KING (UK)	Chris Waller	Craig Newitt	22	50.5 kg	105
17	x58610x536	AN UNUSUAL MAN (IR)	Annabelle Neesham and Rob Archibald	Ron Stewart	19	50 kg	104
18	916×000862	INTERPRETATION (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Theo Nugent	14	50 kg	103
19	88520×2307	MANZUA	Chris Waller	Declan Bates	8	50 kg	102
20	x23622x440	MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE)	Trent Busattin and Natalie Young	Karis Titan	16	50 kg	105
21	81291×2178	POSITIVITY (New Zealand)	Andrew Forsman	Winona Costin	20	50 kg	103
22	31123×8495	ST GEORGE (UK)	Ciaron Maher	TBD	9	50 kg	102
23	12211×9056	MAP	Dan Clarken and Upi MacGillivray	Rachel King	23	50 kg	104
24	1626×63044	TRUST IN YOU (New Zealand)	Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley	Mark Du Plessis	5	50 kg	106

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Melbourne Cup history

Often referred to as “the race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup has a rich history dating back to the mid-19th century. In 1861, the first race took place on the first Tuesday in November. The idea came from a group of wealthy landowners and horse breeders who wanted to stage a grand race to attract visitors and boost the local economy.

The first event took place at Flemington Racecourse with 17 horses competing. A horse named Archer, owned by a local butcher, won the race and little did anyone know that this was the beginning of a beloved Australian tradition. The race attracted a modest audience, but its popularity grew over time, attracting thousands of spectators eager to witness the excitement.

By the late 1800s, the Melbourne Cup had become a significant event and horse racing had become an integral part of Australian culture. It became a public holiday in Melbourne and people dressed up in their best clothes to celebrate. The prestige of the Cup attracted not only local talent but also international competition, elevating its status to a world racing event.

Over the years, the Cup has witnessed many memorable moments. In 1930, the legendary horse Phar Lap captured the heart of the nation with his remarkable victories. His death in 1932 led to national mourning, demonstrating how deeply intertwined the race was with Australian identity.

As the decades passed, the Melbourne Cup continued to evolve. Innovations such as television coverage in the 1960s allowed millions of people to follow the action, and fashion became an important aspect of the event, with the Fashions on the Field competition showcasing stunning styles.

Today the Melbourne Cup is more than just horse racing; it’s a huge celebration of Australian culture, including food, fashion and celebrations. Every year people from all walks of life gather to take part in the excitement, united by a shared love of racing and tradition.