The field is set, the barrier draw completed, and the countdown to the first Tuesday of November begins!
The 2021 Melbourne Cup field is jam-packed with Australia’s best stayers and a classy group of international raiders, who will each chase a place in the history books and their share in a lucrative $7.75 million purse at Flemington Racecourse at 3pm AEDT.
Will Incentivise continue his incredible run of form as our 2021 Melbourne Cup betting favourite? Will Twilight Payment defend his crown? Or will something at a price fill the pockets of punters everywhere?
I’ve run the rule over the entire field, and you can find my complete 2021 Melbourne Cup Tips below.
2021 Melbourne Cup – Winner – No. 2 Incentivise
It is incredible to think that Incentivise was a maiden at the beginning of April, but he has continued to go from strength to strength since winning for the first time, and he is arguably now the best horse in the country.
The Shamus Award gelding won his last few starts in Queensland by a combined million lengths, but he really announced himself to the greater Australian racing fraternity with a tough on-pace victory in the Makybe Diva here at Flemington – his first at Group 1 level.
Since then, he beat home a strong Turnbull Stakes field and gave them windburn in the Caulfield Cup, and he is ready for the biggest test of his career so far.
Sure, he’ll need to carry topweight, he isn’t proven over two miles and he’ll need to break all sorts of long-standing records, but I believe that his price is justified and that he will be crowned the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner on Tuesday afternoon.
2021 Melbourne Cup – 2nd – No. 12 Persan
Persan is the one at a longer price in 2021 Melbourne Cup betting that I simply cannot look past.
The Pierro gelding was a strong and consistent performer throughout 2020, and ended his campaign with a very impressive performance for fifth in the Melbourne Cup.
Having continued to race well during his autumn preparation this year, highlighted by a win over the Cox Plate route at The Valley, signs were good for another quality spring campaign when he finished third behind Floating Artist and Defibrillate here at Flemington first-up.
He was a little flat in the Turnbull Stakes, but returned a very tough performance to fill the minors behind Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup, and we know that he is going to relish getting out to two miles this week.
2021 Melbourne Cup – 3rd – No. 22 Floating Artist
It is fair to say that he is flat in the Caulfield Cup, but I think that Delphi looks to be a perfect horse for the Melbourne Cup, and I am more than happy to keep him in my numbers for the feature race.
The Galileo entire found form around some of Europe’s best gallopers while under the care of the legendary Aidan O’Brien earlier in his career, and recorded consecutive wins in the Listed Nijinsky Stakes and the Irish St Leger Trial most notably.
He has had four starts back this time, and his performance for second in the Naturalism Stakes, along with his dominant victory in the Neds Herbert Power suggested that he is more than capable of fighting out the finish of a Melbourne Cup.
2021 Melbourne Cup – 4th – No. 5 Mo’unga
He was probably only denied by a questionable ride in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup last week, and I think that Teo Nugent will be desperate to return a far better performance aboard Floating Artist in the Melbourne Cup.
The horse has been a strong and consistent performer throughout his preparation, and recorded consecutive wins in decent races here at Flemington and Sandown in September.
He was a little flat as a clear favourite when third behind Duais in the Neds Coongy Cup two starts back, and flashed late to finish second by the flare of a nostril last week – a better run in transit and he definitely would have won.
Regardless, there is no use crying over spilt milk and the horse gets another chance to win on the grandest stage of them all on Tuesday. He’s rock-hard fit and ready to go!
Melbourne Cup Suggested Bets
- 5 Units straight out #2 Incentivise
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below