Melbourne Cup 2026 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Alex Marsh

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Last updated: Sat. 31 Oct. 2026 09:26

Alex Marsh 49 minutes ago

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The 2026 Melbourne Cup barrier draw is complete, with 24 runners confirmed for Tuesday's $10 million feature at Flemington
Point Of Law has drawn barrier nine, while international contenders Trustyourinstinct and Hopewell Rock will jump from gates 18 and 15
Ciaron Maher has seven runners in the 3200m contest, with the full field, jockeys and starting gates confirmed

The barrier draw and final field has been confirmed for the 2026 Melbourne Cup. (Getty)

The barrier draw is complete for the 2026 Melbourne Cup, with 24 runners confirmed for the $10 million Group 1 handicap over 3200m at Flemington on Tuesday, November 3.

Melbourne Cup 2026 - Barriers & Final Field
Melbourne Cup History

Leading contender Point Of Law (barrier 9) has drawn favourably for Ciaron Maher and Ethan Brown, with the lightly raced import securing his place in the field through an impressive victory in the Group 3 Geelong Cup over 2400m, earning a 2kg penalty that lifted his Melbourne Cup weight to 53kg.

Irish challenger Trustyourinstinct (barrier 18) faces a wider assignment for Joseph O'Brien and James McDonald, having won the Group 2 Curragh Cup over 2800m before finishing fourth behind Scandinavia in the Group 1 Irish St Leger over the same distance.

English visitor Hopewell Rock (barrier 15) has drawn towards the middle of the field for George Boughey and Zac Lloyd, arriving after finishing a narrow second in the Ebor Handicap over 2787m at York, having previously defeated subsequent Geelong Cup runner-up Small Fry at Goodwood.

James J Braddock (barrier 24) has landed the outside gate for Joseph O'Brien and Craig Williams, with the four-year-old having finished third in the Group 1 Epsom Derby earlier this year before returning from a break with a sixth-place finish in the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown.

Maher has a powerful hand with seven runners, including Juja Kibo (barrier 14), who will be ridden by Sam Clipperton after completing the Group 1 Metropolitan and Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup double this spring.

Middle Earth (barrier 1) has secured the inside draw for Maher and Mark Zahra, with the British-bred stayer looking to improve on his third-place finish in last year's Melbourne Cup, while stablemate Shockletz (barrier 17) will carry just 51kg for Harry Coffey after earning a ballot exemption through her Group 3 Archer Stakes victory at Flemington.

Maher's remaining runners are Royal Supremacy (barrier 21) for Ben Allen, Zahrann (barrier 11) for Ben Melham and Mr Monaco (barrier 16) for Jabez Johnstone, giving the stable runners spread across the starting gates.

O'Brien has five runners in the field, with topweight Sons And Lovers (barrier 3) drawing favourably for Dylan Browne McMonagle, while Goodie Two Shoes (barrier 19) will be partnered by Wayne Lordan after finishing runner-up to Half Yours in last year's Melbourne Cup.

Kizlyar (barrier 20) completes the Irish trainer's representation with Beau Mertens aboard, as O'Brien chases a third Melbourne Cup victory following his successes with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020.

Bjorn Baker's emerging stayer So You Are (barrier 7) has landed a favourable draw for Rachel King after winning four consecutive races, most recently the Group 3 Bendigo Cup, where he defeated Berkeley Square and Litzdeel.

Reigning 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knight's Choice (barrier 2) has drawn close to the inside for John Symons and Sheila Laxon, with Robbie Dolan retaining the ride as the gelding attempts to become the first dual winner since Makybe Diva completed her famous hat-trick in 2005.

The other international runners include Roger Varian's Enfjaar (barrier 8) for Ray Dawson and Harry Charlton's Wine Dark Sea (barrier 23) for Damian Lane, while former Irish-trained stayer Vauban (barrier 22) will represent Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Jordan Childs aboard.

Chris Waller has two runners in Asterix (barrier 6) for Jye McNeil and Soul Of Spain (barrier 5) for Tommy Berry, while Future History (barrier 12) will represent Gregory Hickman and Jamie Melham.

The remaining runners are Onesmoothoperator (barrier 13) for Tim Fitzsimmons and Declan Bates, Strictly Business (barrier 4) for Thomas Carberry and Michael Dee, and Grahame Begg's Zakouma (barrier 10), who will be ridden by William Pike.

With a formidable international contingent, seven runners from Ciaron Maher and several proven Australian stayers in the field, the completed barrier draw has added another important dimension to Tuesday's 166th running of the Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup 2026 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
1	Sons And Lovers (GB)	Joseph O'Brien	Dylan Browne McMonagle	3	57.5kg	$21
2	Trustyourinstinct (IRE)	Joseph O'Brien	James McDonald	18	57kg	$7.50
3	Knight's Choice	John Symons & Sheila Laxon	Robbie Dolan	2	56.5kg	$34
4	Middle Earth (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zahra	1	56.5kg	$13
5	Vauban (FR)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Jordan Childs	22	56.5kg	$51
6	Enfjaar (IRE)	Roger Varian	Ray Dawson	8	56kg	$21
7	Royal Supremacy (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Ben Allen	21	56kg	$51
8	Wine Dark Sea (GB)	Harry Charlton	Damian Lane	23	56kg	$51
9	Asterix (NZ)	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	6	55kg	$81
10	Goodie Two Shoes (IRE)	Joseph O'Brien	Wayne Lordan	19	55kg	$26
11	Juja Kibo (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Sam Clipperton	14	55kg	$12
12	Hopewell Rock (IRE)	George Boughey	Zac Lloyd	15	54.5kg	$10
13	Onesmoothoperator (USA)	Tim Fitzsimmons	Declan Bates	13	54.5kg	$91
14	Soul Of Spain (IRE)	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	5	54.5kg	$41
15	Zahrann (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Ben Melham	11	54.5kg	$26
16	So You Are	Bjorn Baker	Rachel King	7	54kg	$18
17	Future History (GB)	Gregory Hickman	Jamie Melham	12	53.5kg	$51
18	James J Braddock (GB)	Joseph O'Brien	Craig Williams	24	53.5kg	$13
19	Kizlyar (IRE)	Joseph O'Brien	Beau Mertens	20	53.5kg	$34
20	Point Of Law (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	9	53kg	$6.50
21	Strictly Business	Thomas Carberry	Michael Dee	4	53kg	$91
22	Mr Monaco (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Jabez Johnstone (a)	16	52.5kg	$26
23	Zakouma	Grahame Begg	William Pike	10	52kg	$34
24	Shockletz (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey	17	51kg	$11

Odds provided by CrownBet & correct on 31/10/2026.

Melbourne Cup History

Few races command the attention of the Melbourne Cup, with the $10 million staying feature contested over 3200m at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November and firmly established as one of Australia's great sporting traditions.

The race dates back to 1861, when Archer won the inaugural edition, and its rich history features some of the turf's most celebrated achievements, including Phar Lap's victory in 1930 and Makybe Diva's remarkable hat-trick between 2003 and 2005.

Michelle Payne also secured her place in Melbourne Cup folklore in 2015, becoming the first female jockey to win the race when guiding Prince Of Penzance to a stunning upset.

The Melbourne Cup's international appeal has continued to grow, with overseas challengers adding another dimension to an already difficult betting contest. Different form lines, varying preparations and the demands of a 3200m handicap make finding the winner a considerable challenge each year.

Among the other famous names on the honour roll are Carbine, Think Big, Kingston Rule and Verry Elleegant, while Bart Cummings earned his reputation as the Cups King with a record 12 victories as a trainer. Irish stayer Vintage Crop also broke new ground in 1993 when becoming the first internationally trained Melbourne Cup winner.

The past three editions have delivered contrasting results, with Without A Fight completing the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double in 2023 before Knight's Choice caused a major upset in 2024. Half Yours followed in 2025, adding another chapter to the race's long history.

With its combination of tradition, international competition and enormous wagering interest, the Melbourne Cup continues to attract an audience far beyond racing's regular followers, maintaining its place as the race that stops a nation.