UPDATE: No. 18 Lunar Flare (12) has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup field. 

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There are now five mares in the official Melbourne Cup 2022 field for Tuesday, but what do the Melbourne Cup history books say about their chances of winning the iconic two-mile showdown?

There are just 22 Melbourne Cup horses left in the $7.75 million showdown this season after Point Nepean (20) was withdrawn on Monday due to an elevated blood result and the race morning withdrawal of Lunar Flare (12) who failed her re-examination for a lame off fore.

Of the remaining stayers in the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), five are female gallopers looking to go back-to-back for the girls following the 2021 success of Verry Elleegant.

The remaining 2022 Melbourne Cup mares are Duais, Montefilia, Tralee Rose and the heavily-backed Realm Of Flowers.

Before Verry Elleegant (2021) the last Melbourne Cup winning mare was three-time hero Makybe Diva (2003-05).

The other most recent Melbourne Cup winning mare was Shelia Laxon’s gun Kiwi Ethereal (2001) who was also the last Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup Spring Cups double winner.

Since the Melbourne Cup was inaugurated in 1861 a total of 14 mares have won along with three fillies, giving the female gallopers 17 victories in total.

Previous Melbourne Cup winning mares:

• Verry Elleegant (2021)
• Makybe Diva (2003-05)
• Ethereal (2001)
• Jezabeel (1998)
• Let’s Elope (1991)
• Empire Rose (1988)
• Light Fingers (1965)
• Hi Jinx (1960)
• Evening Pearl (1956)
• Rainbird (1945)
• Rivette (1939)
• Acrasia (1904)

Previous Melbourne Cup winning fillies:

• Sister Olive (1921)
• Auraria (1895)
• Briseis (1876)

Melbourne Cup 2022 betting market mover Realm Of Flowers ($11) heads the contingent of mares in this year’s race drawn well and coming off some nice Sydney lead-ups.

Montefilia for trainer David Payne is the next best fancied of 2022 Melbourne Cup mares paying $11.

Multiple Group 1 winner Duais ($21) prepared by Edward Cummings, grandson of record-holding 12-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer Bart Cummings, Bendigo Cup winner High Emocean ($26) and Tralee Rose ($71) are the other female gallopers taking on the boys.

Below we take a look at the Melbourne Cup Form on the mares to see if any have genuine claims at this year’s ‘Loving Cup’ trophy!

No. 2 Duais

Verdict: Genuine staying mare that can continue the Cummings’ legacy in this great race with a gun run from a great gate so long as we’re not seeing too heavy a track.

Odds: $21

Breeding: by SHAMUS AWARD from MEERLUST

Age: 5yo

Trainer: Edward Cummings

Owners: Mr M R A Irwin, Harris Family Racing

Jockey: Hugh Bowman

Barrier: 10

Weight: 55.5kg

Lead-Up Run: Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Caulfield, 15/10/2022, 8^th, 2.5 lengths

• $2.8 million earner
• Prepared by the right family
• Proven at the track
• Tancred winner over 2400m
• Should see out the distance
• Has class
• Set for the race and looks ready to peak
• Made up ground only 2.5 lengths beaten in the Caulfield Cup
• Would prefer Soft not Heavy ground
• Drawn ideally

No. 4 Montefilia

Verdict: If Collett handles the pressure so can this mare. Looks like she’ll run the two miles and is doing every thing right ready to peak on Grand Final day.

Odds: $11

Breeding: by KERMADEC (NZ) from BANA WU (GB)

Age: 5yo

Weight: 55.5kg

Trainer: David Payne

Owners: Ms C L Vincent, Ms K Docherty, Mrs L B Paligorov, Mr A P Giles

Jockey: Jason Collett

Barrier: 11

Lead-Up Run: Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Caulfield, 15/10/2022, 4^th, 1.05 lengths

• Ideal lead-up when flashing home for fourth in the Caulfield Cup only a length beaten
• Good barrier
• Genuine Group 1 winner with $2.7 million in the bank
• Proven on Heavy going
• Group 1 winner over 2400m
• Placed as a 3YO in the 2020 VRC Oaks

No. 18 Lunar Flare – Scratched

Verdict: Awaiting Tuesday morning’s vet check. Never good to be under an injury cloud, but she ticks every other box!

Breeding: by FIORENTE (IRE) from MY FAIR LAGO

Age: 7yo

Trainer: Grahame Begg

Owners: Mr J F Valmorbida, Mr F J Kraps, Mr J B Bongiorno

Jockey: Michael Dee

Barrier: 12

Weight: 51.5kg

Lead-Up Run: Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m), Moonee Valley, 22/10/2022, 2^nd, 3.75 lengths

• The Bart Cummings winner two back with that form holding
• Second to a good horse in the Moonee Valley Cup in the wet last start
• Will run the distance
• Well-weighted
• Drawn ideally
• Michael Dee is flying having won the Caulfield Cup – VRC Derby double this spring
• Handles a Heavy track
• Injury cloud needing to be re-vetted race morning is the big issue

No. 20 Tralee Rose

Verdict: Can’t have her this year if she couldn’t place in better form in last year’s race.

Odds: $71

Breeding: by TAVISTOCK (NZ) from STAR OF TRALEE (NZ)

Age: 6yo

Trainer: Symon Wilde

Owners: Mr S W Wilde, Mr R W Gamble, Mrs S J Gamble, Mr B W Casanelia, Power Strike, Mr C J Cooke, Mr P A Fitzgerald, Mr J R Parish, Mr D Costa, Mr M A Schirmer, Mr JM MacLean, Mr D J Maclean, Mrs A J MacLean, Mr M P Sheahan, Mr I C McKinnon, Mr T G Casanelia, Mr J Fitzgerald, P P R C Racing

Jockey: Dean Yendall

Barrier: 22 (into 21)

Weight: 51.5kg

Lead-Up Run: Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Caulfield, 15/10/2022, 13^th, 4.15 lengths

• Caulfield Cup 13^th left plenty to be desired
• Dead last the start before but with a big weight
• Only three runs the past 12 months since
• Ninth in last year’s race but over 16 lengths beaten
• Geelong Cup winner going into that
• Was in better form in 2021 and didn’t place
• Wide draw

No. 22 High Emocean

Verdict: Big test for the mare and her hoop, but she’s got the confidence of a last start win and is from a gun stable.

Odds: $26

Breeding: by OCEAN PARK (NZ) from HIGH JOY (NZ)

Age: 6YO

Trainers: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace

Owners: Mr D J Molloy, Mr M A Milano, Mr C L Brettschneider, Wilawl Go Racing, Mr A J Rosano, Mr A J Thompson, I F B S GROUP, Proline Thoroughbreds No.2, Mr G L Orr, Mr R B Grace, Mr M W Ridgway, Mr M J Hayward, Buangor Bunch, G T G Racing, Mr G Ingram, Mr C G Taylor, Mr B A Quinn, Mr R J Taylor, Mrs D M Molloy, Mr B J Molloy

Jockey: Teo Nugent

Barrier: 8

Weight: 50kg

Lead-Up Run: Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m), Bendigo, 26/10/2022, 1^st, 0.2 lengths

• Right stable
• Bendigo Cup winner last time out
• The Bart Cummings (6^th) form lines are strong
• Proven at the track
• Should see out the two miles
• Right down in the weights after escaping penalty
• Handles the wet
• Will find this class tougher

No. 24 Realm Of Flowers

Verdict: She’s the well-backed market mover drawn a treat with no weight and genuine two mile ability, but has had a strange Sydney lead-up and a month between runs.

Odds: $11

Breeding: by SO YOU THINK (NZ) from ASTRAL FLOWER (GB)

Age: 6YO

Trainers: Anthony & Sam Freedman

Owners: Mr R McClure, Mrs B M McClure, Kia Ora 2009, Mr E J Lucas, Mr P C McClure, Dr B Bester, Nandowra Racing, Mr J A R Bester, Mr J C Izon

Jockey: Damien Thornton

Barrier: 5

Weight: 50kg

Lead-Up Run: Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m), Randwick, 01/10/2022, 3^rd, 0.09 lengths

• So close when third in The Metropolitan
• Hard to draw the form lines from the Sydney races
• On her way last year before going amiss
• After atonement
• Right down in the weights with just 50kg
• Drawn history’s most successful Melbourne Cup barrier (5)
• Out-and-out stayer
• Scratched from last weekend’s Archer Stakes
• Month between runs

*All 2022 Melbourne Cup odds quoted are provided by Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change.