Racing Victoria handicapper Greg Carpenter had an unenviable task when selecting the field in the Greatest Cup Never Run.
Carpenter described the task as “most challenging.”
The end result is 24 of the greatest Melbourne Cup winners together in one fictional race.
1930 Melbourne Cup winner Phar Lap was given the top weight of 60kg, just ahead of 1890 winner Carbine (59kg) and triple Cup winner Makybe Diva (58kg).
The race is sure to create plenty of discussion over the next 97 days, with a digital simulation being prepared for Melbourne Cup day.
This is sure to be the perfect lead up to the 150th running of the Melbourne Cup.
Here is the field for the Greatest Cup Never Run:
NO HORSE NAME TRAINER JOCKEY BARRIER WEIGHT
1 PHAR LAP Harry Telford Jim Pike (21) 60kg
2 CARBINE Walter Hickenbotham Bob Ramage (16) 59kg
3 MAKYBE DIVA Lee Freedman Glen Boss (14) 58kg
4 PETER PAN Frank McGrath Darby Munro (13) 58kg
5 GALILEE Bart Cummings John Miller (1) 57.5kg
6 POSEIDON Ike Earnshaw Tom Clayton (3) 57.5kg
7 RISING FAST Ivan Tucker Jack Purtell (11) 57kg
8 RAIN LOVER Mick Robins Jim Johnson (7) 56kg
9 COMIC COURT Jim Cummings Pat Glennon (24) 55.5kg
10 GRAND FLANEUR Tom Brown Tom Hales (4) 55.5kg
11 MIGHT AND POWER Jack Denham Jim Cassidy (12) 55kg
12 ARCHER Etienne De Mestre Johnny Cutts (22) 54kg
13 VINTAGE CROP Dermot Weld Mick Kinane (10) 54kg
14 DELTA Maurice McCarten Neville Sellwood (9) 53.5kg
15 MALUA Isaac Foulsham Alick Robertson (17) 53.5kg
16 NIGHTMARCH Alex McAulay Roy Reed (5) 53.5kg
17 POITREL Harry Robinson Ken Bracken (20) 53.5kg
18 SAINTLY Bart Cummings Darren Beadman (2) 53kg
19 THE BARB John Tait William Davis (18) 53kg
20 DALRAY Clarrie McCarthy Bill Williamson (19) 52.5kg
21 HALL MARK Jack Holt Jack O’Sullivan (23) 52.5kg
22 LIGHT FINGERS Bart Cummings Roy Higgins (15) 52.5kg
23 DORIEMUS Lee Freedman Damien Oliver (6) 52kg
24 THINK BIG Bart Cummings Harry White (8) 52kg
Written by Andrew Hawkins
