The official 2017 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw has been completed by Racing Victoria live from Flemington Racecourse and the reigning champion Almandin is drawn barrier 14 for the title defence.

Last year’s winner Almandin is drawn gate 14 in the 2017 Melbourne Cup Field & Barriers. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Almandin, one of six horses in the Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) field for five-time winning owner Lloyd Williams, jumped from barrier 17 of 24 last spring to win the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’.

This year with controversial Italian jockey Frankie Dettori in the saddle, Almandin will look to salute for the Melbourne Cup punters and go back-to-back in the two mile classic from barrier 14 that last produced a winner with Makybe Diva for her record third in 2005.

Key 2017 Melbourne Cup Barrier Facts

• Barrier 18 has never produced a winner and is drawn this year by Gallante
• Barrier 11 has produced more Melbourne Cup winners than any other and belongs to Single Gaze
• Outside barrier (24) is drawn by
• Inside barrier (1) belongs to Bondi Beach
• Last year’s winning barrier (17) drawn this year by Cismontane

Almandin leads Melbourne Cup 2017 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and retains that top spot post-barrier draw, but eased out from $6.50 to $7.

The other best fancied in Melbourne Cup odds and their barriers include international raider Marmelo out wide in barrier 16 and brave Cox Plate runner-up last start Humidor in gate 13.

British trainer Hughie Morrison remains positive about the wide gate for Hugh Bowman to overcome on Caulfield Cup late flasher Marmelo, who eased to an $8.50 quote to win the famous Flemington Race 7.

“He can ride him from the front or the back and hopefully two miles is a long way,” Morrison said.

“We’ve been pretty happy with him in the past few days.

“Given a bit of luck he’ll run well.”

No Melbourne Cup winner in history has won from barrier 18 since starting gates were first introduced in 1925 and the hoodoo alley belongs this spring carnival to the Williams-raced former Sydney Cup winner over the distance Gallante.

In that time barrier five has produced more Melbourne Cup winners than any other, most recently when Green Moon (2012) and Fiorente (2013) went back-to-back from the gate.

The coveted Melbourne Cup barrier five is drawn this year by the Darren Weir-trained Big Duke looking to improve on the fourth as beaten favourite behind Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Cox Plate Day.

Last year’s winning barrier (17) belongs on Saturday to the Lexus Stakes winner Cismontane carrying only 50kg and looking to do the double for the first time since Shocking (2009).

Back-to-back Melbourne Cup winners saluted from barrier 17 in 1985 and 1986.

The other most successful Melbourne Cup barrier producing eight champions, most recently American in 2010, is gate 11.

Barrier 11 belongs this year to one of two mares in the line-up, the Nick Olive-trained Single Gaze who ran the race of her life to place second in the Caulfield Cup last time out.

The last horse to win the Melbourne Cup from the outside barrier was when Brew jumped from 22 of 22 after two scratchings from the field.

Since then just one other Melbourne Cup winner jumped from wider than barrier 17 with Shocking (21 of 23 in 2009).

The widest drawn 2017 Melbourne Cup horses are: nine-year-old Who Shot Thebarman (20) in his fourth Melbourne Cup attempt, last minute inclusion Thomas Hobson (21) who is one of three for Ireland’s William Mullins, fellow Irish raider US Army Ranger (22), French raider Tiberian (23) and Red Cardinal (24) ridden by last year’s winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy.

See below for the complete Melbourne Cup 2017 barriers before checking out the updated odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw: Final Field

Flemington Race 7 (3:00pm) – 07/11/2017