For once-a-year punters, the form guide is not the essential tool in looking to find the Melbourne Cup winner. It’s the saddlecloth number, the name, the colours, and anything that a person has a connection with. We save you some time and provide some unconventional facts and figures for the 2016 Melbourne Cup.
Field: View the Melbourne Cup Field
View our Unconventional Form Guide for the Melbourne Cup:
1. Only two greys have won the Melbourne Cup in the last 30 years. Efficient won in 2007 and Subzero scored a popular win in 1992. Geelong Cup runner Grey Lion, as the name suggests, will be easy to see for punters in the run.
2. 11 runners have done the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double. The last to do it was the champion kiwi mare Ethereal in 2001. Jameka was a dominant winner of the Caulfield and is right near the top of the betting to do the double.
3. 12 six year olds have won the race over the last 30 years, the latest being Fiorente in 2013. Four runners are in that age bracket for the first Tuesday in November.
4. In the last ten years, only one horse has come through the Caulfield Cup to win the Melbourne Cup. Four of the 24 runners for the 2015 Cup come through the Caulfield Cup.
5. Two eight year olds have won the Melbourne Cup, but you have to go back to 1938 when Catalogue saluted. Who Shot Thebarman, Wicklow Brave and Sir John Hawkwood are the eight year olds engaged.
6. Prior to last year, horses with their manhood won the last seven Melbourne Cups. 7 of the 24 runners on Tuesday haven’t had to have the worst kind of surgery.
7. 18 of the last 30 winners have started from gate ten or wider, including Protectionist in 2014, so don’t be perturbed if your horse has drawn wide because it isn’t necessarily a disadvantage.
8. The number 20 saddlecloth hasn’t won since 1897 when Gaulus won with 48kg on his back. Sorry Oceanographer.
9. Horses with more than one word in their name have a fair record in the last 30 years. 15 of the last 30 have had more than one word, so that keeps the dream alive for 14 runners in the field on Tuesday. However, since the inaugural running in 1861, only five horses with more than two words have won, so that dents the chances of Who Shot Thebarman, Sir John Hawkwood and Rose Of Virginia.
10. The final ditch effort to squeeze into the final field of 24 for the race comes on the Saturday prior in the Lexus Stakes (2500m). Last horse to do the Lexus/Cup double was Shocking in 2009 and before then it was Brew in 2000. Oceanographer was an impressive winner on Saturday and is near the top of the betting.
11. Out of 153 runnings of the Melbourne Cup, the favourite has won 35 and placed in 72. Hartnell will start favourite in the race on Tuesday.
12. The obvious trainer is the legend himself, James Bartholomew “Bart” Cummings, who has trained 12 Melbourne Cup winners. Other trainers in the 2015 race to have won it previously are David Hayes (Jeune, 1994), Lee Freedman (5 times), Gai Waterhouse (Fiorente 2013) and Robert Hickmott (Green Moon 2013).
13. Jockeys who have won the race before that are riding it on Tuesday are Ryan Moore (Protectionist 2014), Damien Oliver (Fiorente 2013), Blake Shinn (Viewed 2008), Kerrin McEvoy (Brew 2000) and Glen Boss (Makybe Diva 2005).
14. Number 18 hasn’t been kind to the Melbourne Cup. Barrier 18 has never been a winning Melbourne Cup gate, while only two Melbourne Cup winners have carried the 18 saddlecloth. That will make it harder for Curren Mirotic and Assign.
15. Only two four year old mares have won the Melbourne Cup in the last 30 years, with Let’s Elope winning in 1991 and Ethereal in 2001. This slightly doesn’t help the chances of leading contender Jameka.
16. Over 60 international gallopers have attempted to win the Melbourne at the start of their Australian campaign. Vintage Crop has been the lone victor, back in 1993. That nearly puts the pen through Curren Mirotic, Wicklow Brave, Heartbreak City, Beautiful Romance and Secret Number.
17. Non-Victorian based riders have dominated the Cup in recent times, winning eight of the last editions of the great race.
18. Since the barriers were first used in the Cup in 1924, only two horses have come from barrier seven to win- Blackwood in that year, and then 80 years later with Makybe Diva.
19. Weights between 53kg-56.5kg have won nine of the past ten Cups, with Makybe Diva the lone horse to win outside that weight, winning with 58kg in 2005. Beside her, only Think Big has carried 58kg or more to win the Cup, back in 1975.
20. 18 Cup winners have had black as their predominate colour. Recent winners have been Fiorente in 2013 and Shocking in 2009. The Lloyd Williams representatives of Bondi Beach, Gallante, Almandin and Assign fit that criteria.
21. Horses $31 or longer in the market have won six Cups since 1861, the last being Prince Of Penzance last year. Up to 10 runners in the 2015 Cup are $31 or longer in betting.
22. In 155 runnings of the race, 139 have been male. Sorry Jameka and Beautiful Romance.
23. Since 2000, Jockeys that have worn gloves in the Cup have won ten times. Numbers 12,14,15,17,18,19,21, and 22 have jockeys wearing gloves.
24. Seven letter names have won the Melbourne Cup on 32 occasions, with the most famous being Pharlap in 1930. In the last 30 years however, only six have saluted. Eight letter names have a very good record recently. Since 2000, they have been successful on four occasions. Hartnell, Gallante, Almandin and Grey Lion will look to carry on that recent run.
Photo credit DeviantArt
