2020 Melbourne Cup barrier draw
The 2020 Melbourne Cup barrier draw will take place on October 31, with this the traditional slot to find the starting positions for the 24 horses. The Melbourne Cup barrier draw has huge ramifications on betting and the odds for runners can fluctuate wildly after the draw takes place. The Melbourne Cup barrier position a horse draws can make or break their chances of claiming the AUD $8 million race. Horsebetting.com.au will update our guide to the 2020 Melbourne Cup barrier draw as it takes on place later this month, after the VRC Derby at Flemington Racecourse.
THE nation stops on the first Tuesday in November to watch the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington – but owners, trainers and punters alike also stop on the Saturday night before the great race to witness the barrier draw for the $7 million race.
The barrier draw is of great importance as it determines where each of the Melbourne Cup horses will be positioned, at least in the early stages, of the gruelling two-mile event.
A suitable barrier can enhance a horse’s chances of finding an ideal spot and running a bold race, and likewise, a poor draw can have disastrous consequences and destroy a runner’s chance before the gates have even opened.

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2020 Melbourne Cup barrier draw
The Melbourne Cup barrier draw 2020 took on October 31 at Flemington Racecourse. Derby Day at Flemington is traditionally the last chance for Melbourne Cup horses to make the Melbourne Cup field. Horses can force their way in to the final field by winning the Hotham Handicap, and less frequently for the VRC Derby winner to decide to run in the cup.
2020 Melbourne Cup barrier Draw
No. | Silks | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Odds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Anthony Van Dyck | Aidan O’Brien | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 58.5kg | $8.50 |
2 | ![]() |
Avilius | James Cummings | John Allen | 10 | 57kg | $51 |
3 | ![]() |
Vow And Declare | Danny O’Brien | Jamie Mott | 4 | 57kg | $51 |
4 | ![]() |
Master Of Reality | Joseph O’Brien | Ben Melham | 11 | 56kg | $26 |
5 | ![]() |
Sir Dragonet | C Maher & D Eustace | Glen Boss | 14 | 55.5kg | $10 |
6 | ![]() |
Twilight Payment | Joseph O’Brien | Jye McNeil | 12 | 55.5kg | $31 |
7 | ![]() |
Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | Mark Zahra | 15 | 55.5kg | $13 |
8 | ![]() |
Mustajeer | Kris Lees | Michael Rodd | 2 | 55kg | $101 |
9 | ![]() |
Stratum Albion | Willie Mullins | Jordan Childs | 9 | 55kg | $47 |
10 | ![]() |
Dashing Willoughby | Andrew Balding | Michael Walker | 19 | 54.5kg | $101 |
11 | ![]() |
Finche | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 6 | 54.5kg | $19 |
12 | ![]() |
Prince Of Arran | Charlie Fellowes | Jamie Kah | 1 | 54.5kg | $12 |
13 | ![]() |
Surprise Baby | Paul Preusker | Craig Williams | 7 | 54.5kg | $9.50 |
14 | ![]() |
SCR | |||||
15 | ![]() |
Russian Camelot | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | 16 | 53.5kg | $13 |
16 | ![]() |
Steel Prince | A & S Freedman | William Pike | 21 | 53.5kg | $44 |
17 | ![]() |
The Chosen One | M Baker & A Forsman | Daniel Stackhouse | 5 | 53.5kg | $42 |
18 | ![]() |
Ashrun | Andreas Wohler | Declan Bates | 24 | 53kg | $23 |
19 | ![]() |
Warning | A & S Freeman | Luke Currie | 8 | 53kg | $51 |
20 | ![]() |
Etah James | C Maher & D Eustace | Billy Egan | 22 | 52.5kg | $201 |
21 | ![]() |
Tiger Moth | Aidan O’Brien | Kerrin McEvoy | 23 | 52.5kg | $8.60 |
22 | ![]() |
Oceanex | M Price & M Kent jnr | Dean Yendall | 17 | 51.5kg | $101 |
23 | ![]() |
Miami Bound | Danny O’Brien | Daniel Moor | 21 | 51kg | $41 |
24 | ![]() |
Persan | C Maher & D Eustace | Michael Dee | 20 | 51kg | $42 |
Recent Melbourne Cup barrier draws
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds 1 Cross Counter Charlie Appleby William Buick 5 57.5kg $13 2 Mer De Glace Hisashi Shimizu Damian Lane 2 56kg $9 3 Master Of Reality Joseph O’Brien Frankie Dettori 1 55.5kg $26 4 Mirage Dancer T Busuttin & N Young Ben Melham 13 55.5kg $34 5 Southern France C Maher & D Eustace Mark Zahra 14 55.5kg $23 6 Hunting Horn Aidan O’Brien Seamie Heffernan 11 55kg $46 7 Latrobe Joseph O’Brien James Mcdonald 13 55kg $46 8 Mustajeer Kris Lees Damien Oliver 6 55kg $21 9 Rostropovich D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Dwayne Dunn 12 55kg $101 10 Twilight Payment Joseph O’Brien Hugh Bowman 19 55kg $41 11 Finche Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 4 54kg $41 12 Prince Of Arran Charlie Fellowes Michael Walker 8 54kg $19 13 Raymond Tusk Richard Hannon Jamie Spencer 3 54kg $23 14 Downdraft Joseph O’Brien John Allen 15 53.5kg $20 15 Magic Wand Aidan O’Brien John Allen 14 53.5kg $19 16 Neufbosc D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 23 53.5kg $251 17 Sound Mike Moroney James Winks 10 53.5kg $126 18 Surprise Baby Paul Preusker Jordan Childs 20 53.5kg $15 19 Constantinople D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Joao Moreira 7 52.5kg $10 20 Il Paradiso Aidan O’Brien Wayne Lordan 17 52.5kg $14 21 Steel Prince Anthony Freedman Brett Prebble 16 52.5kg $71 22 The Chosen One M Baker & A Forsman Tim Clark 18 52kg $71 23 Vow And Declare Dan O’Brien Craig Williams 21 52kg $12 24 Youngstar Chris Waller Tommy Berry 9 52kg $34 No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds 1 Best Solution Saeed bin Suroor Pat Cosgrave 6 57.5kg $15 2 The Cliffsofmoher Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 9 56.5kg $17 3 Magic Circle Ian Williams Corey Brown 17 56kg $8.50 4 Chestnut Coat Yoshito Yahagi Yuga Kawada 4 55.5kg $9.50 5 Muntahaa John Gosden Jim Crowley 13 55.5kg $10 6 Sound Check Mike Moroney Jordan Childs 16 55.5kg $67 7 Who Shot TheBarman Chris Waller Ben Melham 18 55.5kg $8.50 8 Ace High David Payne Tye Angland 22 55kg $11 9 Marmelo Hughie Morrison Hugh Bowman 10 55kg $17 10 Avilius James Cummings Glyn Schofield 11 54.5kg $13 11 Yucatan Aidan O’Brien James McDonald 23 54.5kg $4.50 12 Auvray Richard Freedman Tommy Berry 1 54kg $91 13 Finche Chris Waller Zac Purton 15 54kg $26 14 Red Cardinal Darren Weir Damien Oliver 5 54kg $34 15 Vengeur Masque Mike Moroney Patrick Moloney 2 54kg $67 16 Ventura Storm Hayes, Hayes & Dabernig Mark Zahra 7 54kg $34 17 A Prince of Arran Charlie Fellowes Michael Walker 20 53kg $15 18 Nakeeta Iain Jardine Regan Bayliss 3 53kg $81 19 Sir Charles Road O’Sullivan & Scott Dwayne Dunn 14 53kg $101 20 Zacada Forsman & Baker Damien Lane 24 53kg $126 21 Runaway Waterhouse & Bott Stephen Baster 12 52kg $34 22 Youngstar Chriss Waller Craig Williams 8 51.5kg $21 23 Cross Counter Charlie Appleby Kerrin McEvoy 19 51kg $9 24 Rostropovich Aidan O’Brien Wayne Lordan 21 51kg $21 No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds 1 Hartnell James Cummings Damian Lane 12 57.5kg $26 2 Almandin Robert Hickmott Frankie Dettori 14 56.5kg $7 3 Humidor Darren Weir Blake Shinn 13 56kg $9.50 4 Tiberian Alain Couetil Oliver Peslier 23 55.5kg $31 5 Marmelo Hughie Morrison Hugh Bowman 16 55kg $9 6 Red Cardinal Andreas Wohler Kerrin McEvoy 24 55kg $15 7 Johannes Vermeer Aiden O’Brien Ben Melham 3 54.5kg $10 8 Bondi Beach Robert Hickmott Michael Walker 1 54kg $61 9 Max Dynamite William Mullins Zac Purton 2 54kg $15 10 Ventura Storm David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig Glen Boss 6 54kg $31 11 Who Shot Thebarman Chris Waller Tommy Berry 20 54kg $41 12 Wicklow Brave William Mullins Stephen Baster 8 54kg $51 13 Big Duke Darren Weir Brenton Avdulla 5 53.5kg $19 14 US Army Ranger Joseph O’Brien Jamie Spencer 22 53.5kg $61 15 Boom Time David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig Cory Parish 9 53kg $26 16 Gallante Robert Hickmott Michael Dee 18 53kg $101 17 Libran Chris Waller Dwayne Dunn 7 53kg $41 18 Nakeeta Iain Jardine Glyn Schofield 19 53kg $31 19 Single Gaze Nick Olive Kathy O’Hara 11 53kg $41 20 Wall Of Fire Hugo Palmer Craig Williams 15 53kg $13 21 Thomas Hobson William Mullins Joao Moreira 21 52kg $14 22 Rekindling Joseph O’Brien Corey Brown 4 51.5kg $16 23 Amelie’s Star Darren Weir Dean Yendall 10 51kg $23 24 Cismontane Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Beau Mertens 17 50kg $41
Melbourne Cup barrier draw statistics
The start of the Melbourne Cup is relatively fair – there is over one kilometre from the barriers to the start of the first turn which gives jockeys plenty of time to try and find a position.
However, with 24 horses and a mix of frontrunners, backmarkers and mid-pack runners, there is also a lot of competition for the optimum positions which can make or break a horse’s chances.

The most successful barrier is number five which has seen eight winners since the introduction of starting gates in 1924. The last winner of the Melbourne Cup to win from barrier five was Americain which won the 150th edition of the race in 2010 for French trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre and jockey Gerald Mosse.
- Melbourne Cup Odds Comparison
- Melbourne Cup Finishing Order
- Melbourne Cup Betting Guide
- Melbourne Cup Order of Entry
- Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
Barrier five also has a good record, supplying seven winners including Gai Waterhouse’s Fiorente back in 2013. Barriers 10 and 14 and locked on six wins a piece, with Efficient and three-time Cup winner Makybe Diva exiting those gates respectively in 2007 and 2005.
The worst barrier is 18 – incredibly it has never produced a winner. Many also believe barrier 13 to be unlucky – even though champions Phar Lap, Baghdad Note, Ethereal and Dunaden all came from it to claim Australian racing’s premier race.