Last year’s Melbourne Cup minor placegetter Prince Of Arran could still have work to do to make the field for this year’s $8 million race at Flemington.
Prince Of Arran formed part of an English-trained trifecta in the 2018 Melbourne Cup when he finished third behind Cross Counter and Marmelo.
All three are expected to return to Melbourne this spring but the Charlie Fellowes-trained Prince Of Arran is not yet assured a Cup start after the release of weights earlier this week and the first order of entry on Thursday.
Prince Of Arran has 53kg and is 48th in the Cup ballot order while his Caulfield Cup weight of 53.5kg has him 52nd in the order of entry for that race.
The Melbourne Cup field has a limit of 24.
Prince Of Arran ran in the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield last spring before winning the Hotham Handicap (2500m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day which clinched him a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup three days later.
He could take that path again.
The Anthony Freedman-trained Steel Prince heads the Melbourne Cup order of entry having secured a ballot exemption with his win in The Andrew Ramsden in May.
Japanese mare Lys Gracieux, whose connections have accepted an invitation from the Moonee Valley Racing Club to contest this year’s Cox Plate, is second in the Melbourne Cup order of entry just ahead of Kew Gardens who heads the weights with 58kg.
Defending champion Cross Counter (57.5kg) is fourth in the ballot while last year’s runner-up Marmelo (56kg) is sixth.
Constantinople and Mustajeer head current TAB’s Melbourne Cup odds at $15 and that pair sit 12th and 16th in the ballot, respectively.
Homesman and Self Sense head the order of entry for the $5 million Caulfield Cup having both secured ballot exemptions.
Japanese horse Mer De Glace, one of four current equal favourites in Caulfield Cup odds at $15, is 18th in the ballot for that 2400m handicap.
The other 2019 Caulfield Cup equal favourites are Mustajeer (15th), Yucatan (24th) and Mr Quickie (26th).
Yucatan and Mr Quickie both run first-up on Saturday in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington which carries a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption to the winner.
Melbourne Cup 🏆: View the Melbourne Cup order of entry
Caulfield Cup 🏆: View the Caulfield Cup order of entry