- Some barriers have produced a lot more winners than others
- There are key statistics to note when looking for a winner
The race that stops the nation is almost upon us, which means it’s time for Aussies who only bet on the horses once a year to figure out which statistics are important when it comes to the Melbourne Cup.
When it comes to which barrier a horse starts from, it’s clear that some have produced far more winners than others.
Barriers 14, 10, 5 and 11 have had the most Melbourne Cup winners, while barrier 18 seems to have been the least lucky.
Up until 2021, it was understood that barrier 18 had never had a winner, and then Verry Elleegant won from it and the curse was seemingly lifted.
Verry Ellegant had actually drawn barrier 19 beforehand, but was moved to 18 after the withdrawal of another horse, Future Score.
The same thing had happened in 1963, with Gatum Gatum being moved to barrier 18 and then going on to win the race.
Other barriers that have not had much luck producing winners in the Melbourne Cup are 7, 12, 19 and 23.
Trainers, owners and jockeys all have different opinions on the best barrier to start from and most agree that they’d prefer to not be too close to the inside or be drawn out too wide.
Barrier 18 has produced only a couple of Melbourne Cup winners over the years
There is no correct answer as to which barrier is the best to race from
Speaking of bad luck, Champion jockey James McDonald has been left without a Melbourne Cup ride after dominant Cox Plate winner Via Sistina was ruled out of the race that stops the nation.
McDonald claimed his 100th Group 1 triumph in the Cox Plate with Via Sistina, winning Australasia’s weight-for-age championship for the third consecutive year after success aboard Romantic Warrior and Anamoe.
It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old New Zealand star will pick up a different Melbourne Cup ride.
McDonald will steer the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained King Of Thunder in the $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) after Godolphin’s Broadsiding was ruled out of Saturday’s Flemington feature.
Other barriers that have not had much luck producing winners in the race that stops a nation are 7, 12, 19 and 23
McDonald and O’Shea have previously partnered for seven previous Group 1 victories, the most recent eight years ago.
King Of Thunder will jump from barrier one, while favourite and last-start Group 1 winner El Castello will jump from the widest gate in a full field of 16.
Moonee Valley Vase winner and second-favourite Red Aces faired better with barrier four, with third-favourite Keeneland out of gate 11.
