- Some barriers have produced many more winners than others
- There are key statistics to consider when looking for a winner
The race that will stop the nation is almost here, which means it’s time for Australians who only bet on horses once a year to find out which statistics matter when it comes to the Melbourne Cup.
When it comes to what barrier a horse starts from, it is clear that some have produced many more winners than others.
Barriers 14, 10, 5 and 11 have had the most Melbourne Cup winners, while the barrier 18 He seems to have been the least fortunate.
Until 2021, Barrier 18 was understood to have never had a winner, and then Verry Elleegant won and the curse was seemingly lifted. Verry Elleegant had drawn barrier 19 beforehand, but was moved to barrier 18 after the withdrawal of another horse, Future Score.
The same had happened in 1963, when Gatum Gatum was moved to barrier 18 and then won the race.
Other barriers that haven’t had much luck producing winners in the Melbourne Cup are 7, 12, 19 and 23.
Trainers, owners and riders have different opinions on what is the best barrier to start with and most agree that they would prefer not to be too close to the inside or spread out too far.
Barrier 18 has produced just a couple of Melbourne Cup winners over the years.
There is no right answer to which barrier is best for running.
Speaking of bad luck, champion jockey James McDonald was left without a trip to the Melbourne Cup after dominant Cox Plate winner Via Sistina was ruled out of the nation-stopping race.
McDonald scored his 100th Group 1 win in the Cox Plate with Via Sistina, winning the Australasian weight-for-age championship for the third consecutive year after success aboard Romantic Warrior and Anamoe.
It remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old New Zealand star will embark on a different journey to the Melbourne Cup.
McDonald will lead 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 race.
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 in seven previous Group 1 wins, the most recent eight years ago.
King Of Thunder will jump from barrier one, while favorite and final Group 1 winner El Castello will jump from the widest gate in a full field of 16.
Moonee Valley Vase winner and second seed Red Aces fared better with gate four, with third seed Keeneland outside gate 11.
