2025 Melbourne Cup Field & Barrier Draw
Once the field has been declared for the 2025 Melbourne Cup, the all-important barrier draw will take place to decide which gate each of the 24 horses and riders jump from. In the coming days after that, our expert tipsters will provide their free Melbourne Cup tips.
2025 Melbourne Cup Field & Barrier Draw - When & Where
Final Field
- The field for the 2025 Melbourne Cup will be declared at 4:30pm on Saturday, November 1.
Barrier Draw
- The Melbourne Cup barrier draw will take place at Flemington Racecourse after the completion of Derby Day on Saturday, November 1.
As soon as the field and barrier draw have been released, this page will be updated with all the relevant information.
2024 Melbourne Cup Field & Barrier Draw
Below is the full field and barrier draw information for the 2024 Melbourne Cup that was won by Knight’s Order from barrier .
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAUBAN (FR) | Willie Mullins | William Buick | 11 | 55.5kg |
| 2 | BUCKAROO (GB) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 21 | 54.5kg |
| 3 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 24 | 54.5kg |
| 4 | WARP SPEED (JPN) | Noboru Takagi | Akira Sugawara | 3 | 54.5kg |
| 5 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 17 | 53.5kg |
| 6 | SHARP ‘N' SMART (NZ) | Graeme & Deborah Rogerson | Michael Dee | 15 | 53.5kg |
| 7 | JUST FINE (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jye McNeil | 13 | 53kg |
| 8 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | Chris Waller | Zac Purton | 18 | 53kg |
| 9 | ABSURDE (FR) | Willie Mullins | Kerrin McEvoy | 7 | 52.5kg |
| 10 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd (a) | 2 | 52kg |
| 11 | KNIGHT'S CHOICE | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 6 | 51.5kg |
| 12 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 10 | 51kg |
| 13 | ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) | Brian Ellison | Craig Williams | 12 | 51kg |
| 14 | ZARDOZI | James Cummings | Andrea Atzeni | 4 | 51kg |
| 15 | SEA KING (GB) | Harry Eustace | Ms Hollie Doyle | 1 | 50.5kg |
| 16 | VALIANT KING (GB) | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 22 | 50.5kg |
| 17 | FANCY MAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ron Stewart | 19 | 50kg |
| 18 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Teo Nugent | 14 | 50kg |
| 19 | MANZOICE | Chris Waller | Declan Bates | 8 | 50kg |
| 20 | MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Karis Teetan | 16 | 50kg |
| 21 | POSITIVITY (NZ) | Andrew Forsman | Ms Winona Costin | 20 | 50kg |
| 22 | SAINT GEORGE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Tyler Schiller | 9 | 50kg |
| 23 | THE MAP | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Ms Rachel King | 23 | 50kg |
| 24 | TRUST IN YOU (NZ) | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | Mark Du Plessis | 5 | 50kg |
How is the Field Selected in the Melbourne Cup?
Finding a field of 24 horses to compete in the Melbourne Cup starts with approximately 400 horses being nominated for the race each year. From there, there are a series of further nomination and acceptance stages that take place as horses compete in lead-up races and justify owners’ and trainers' decision to nominate them in the first place.
For the horses that have won Melbourne Cup ballot exempt races, they have guaranteed entry in the race, but for the horses that remain in the entry process that have not automatically qualified, it comes down to weight.
Horses that have been issued a higher weight by the handicapper are at the top of the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry, and other than the horses that are ballot exempt, the highest weighted horses will make up the final field.
How are the Melbourne Cup Barriers Selected?
The barrier draw is one of the most anticipated and crucial events leading up to the Melbourne Cup each year. It involves participants selecting a miniature Melbourne Cup trophy from a table and revealing the number underneath the Cup. The number under the Cup determines the barrier each horse will jump from.
The participants who select the Cup are representatives from the stable or ownership group, and the responsibility is on their shoulders to make the right choice.
Barriers play such an important role in the Melbourne Cup as wide gates can force horses to cover more ground out wide or go back further in the field than they would like to find cover. While inside gates can also have a negative impact, especially for slow beginners who can get caught a long way back in a slowly run race where they struggle to find a clear path home.
Check out the Melbourne Cup barrier statistics and history for a heads up on which barriers have provided the most winners.
