2024 Melbourne Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw - Differing fortunes for Vauban and Buckaroo

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 03 Nov 2024

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Jon Vine 03 Nov 2024

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2024 Melbourne Cup's final field of 24 runners confirmed
Buckaroo, a favourite, faces a wide draw challenge at barrier 21
Willie Mullins' Vauban has a favorable draw at barrier 11

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Buckaroo has drawn wide (Getty Images)

The field field of 24 runners for the 2024 Melbourne Cup has been confirmed with leading contender Buckaroo hit with a wide draw.

"The race that stops a nation" takes place at Flemington racecourse on Tuesday 5 November and the final field of 24 runners is headed by favourite Buckaroo.

The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban heads the weights and is one of the leading international contenders once again for the Flemington showpiece.

2024 Melbourne Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

No.	Name	Weight	Barrier	Trainer	Jockey
1	Vauban	55.5kg	11	Willie Mullins	William Buick
2	Buckaroo	54.5kg	21	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira
3	Circle Of Fire	54.5kg	24	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zahra
4	Warp Speed	54.5kg	3	Noboru Takagi	Akira Sugawara
5	Kovalica	53.5kg	17	Chris Waller	Damian Lane
6	Sharp 'N' Smart	53.5kg	15	Graeme & Debra Rogerson	Michael Dee
7	Just Fine	53kg	13	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Jye McNeill
8	Land Legend	53kg	18	Chris Waller	Zac Purton
9	Absurde	52.5kg	7	Willie Mullins	Kerrin McEvoy
10	Athabascan	52kg	2	John O'Shea & Tom Charlton	Zac Lloyd
11	Knight's Choice	51.5kg	6	Josh Symons & Sheila Laxon	Robbie Dolan
12	Okita Soushi	51kg	10	Ciaron Maher	Jamie Kah
13	Onesmoothoperator	51kg	12	Brian Ellison	Craig Williams
14	Zardozi	51kg	4	James Cummings	Andrea Atzeni
15	Sea King	50.5kg	1	Harry Eustace	Hollie Doyle
16	Valiant King	50.5kg	22	Chris Waller	Craig Newitt
17	Fancy Man	50kg	19	Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald	Ron Stewart
18	Interpretation	50kg	14	Ciaron Maher	Teo Nugent
19	Manzoice	50kg	8	Chris Waller	Declan Bates
20	Mostly Cloudy	50kg	16	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Karis Teetan
21	Positivity	50kg	20	Andrew Forsman	Winona Costin
22	Saint George	50kg	9	Ciaron Maher	NA
23	The Map	50kg	23	Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray	Rachel King
24	Trust In You	50kg	5	Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley	Mark Du Plessis

After a fine effort in the Caulfield Cup, Chris Waller's Buckaroo has been backed into joint-favouritism for Tuesday's main event.

However, favourite backers won't have been celebrating after the barrier draw, when Buckaroo was drawn wide out in stall 21.

Vauban also sits atop the betting and, like last year, William Buick's mount landed a kind draw in stall eleven. Stablemate Absurde, who performed much better than Vauban when seventh in the race 12 months ago, was drawn in stall seven and will be partnered by top jockey Kerrin McEvoy.

Between them, Chris Waller and Ciaran Maher account for over a third of the final field. Along with Buckaroo, Waller runs Caulfield Cup third Land Legend, and former Grade One winner Kovalica.

Maher's assault will be led by Geelong Cup runner-up Interpretation, with Okita Soushi, Saint George and Circle Of Fire also representing the 2022 winning trainer.

Victory in the Geelong Cup thrust Brian Ellison's Onesmoothoperator into Melbourne Cup contention. Harry Eustace's raider, Sea King landed a tricky draw down in stall one. Sole Japanese entrant, Warp Speed also landed a low draw in gate three.