What number horse is the best in the Melbourne Cup?

What number horse is the best in the Melbourne Cup?

The modern day Melbourne Cup always has a field of 24 horses engaged number from one to 24, but this wasn’t always the case.

The smallest Melbourne Cup field was seven just starters back in 1863; while the biggest field was 39 starters in 1890, the year the great Carbine won the Melbourne Cup.

Since 1955 The Cup field size has been limited to 24 runners. Prior to that, number 25 had provided two winners, number 26 one, number 28 one and number 39 one win.

The most successful saddlecloth numbers in the history of the Cup is number 1 & 4, which each have carried the last two wins with Gold Trip holing saddlecloth number 1 winning the 2022 Melbourne Cup and Verry Ellegant holding saddlecloth number 4; and making both now on 12 Melbourne Cups.

The next best saddlecloths are numbers 2,8 and 12 with 11 wins each, but notably as the race has changed in terms of quality and handicapping in recent years.

Number 6 has provided 10 winners of The Cup, with number 17 next best with eight winners. Numbers 9, 11, 13, 19 and 24 have all provided seven winners.

Five of the last seven runnings of the race have all been won by Melbourne Cup horses down the bottom of the field – or down in the weights as the “experts” like to say.

Two of the last five winners Vow And Declare and Cross Counter both carried the number 23, which earned that saddlecloth number four wins in the race overall.

The 2017 winner Rekindling was also from that neighbourhood, carrying the 22 saddlecloth to the give that number five wins in the race.

Almandin won in 2016 carrying number 17, and Prince Of Penzance won in 2015 carrying number 19.

With five of the last eight years winners all coming from the bottom of the Melbourne Cup field, it might pay to look closely through the 2023 Melbourne Cup runner by runner preview at 17. Military Mission, 18. Serpentine, 19. Virtuous Circle, 20. More Felons, 21. Future History, 22. Interpretation, 23. Kalapour and 24. True Marvel.

The least successful Melbourne Cup saddlecloth number is 21 which will be carried by Future History.

In 2009, Shocking made Melbourne Cup history by breaking an 86 year drought for saddle cloth number 21. The last horse to wear this number to victory was Bitalli in 1923.

Currently, the longest drought is for number 20 – it was last carried by a Cup winner in 1897 (Gaulus) – that’s a losing streak of 124 years! More Felons will be burdened with carrying that number this year.

There you have it. Some gruesome figures to ponder as you make your bets at the best Melbourne Cup betting sites.

Bet on the 2023 Melbourne cup

United States Melbourne Cup Recommended Bookies

Melbourne Cup Recommended Bookies

Melbourne Cup Winners By Saddlecloth Number

Saddlecloth Number Wins Last
1 12 2022
2 11 2006
3 5 2011
4 12 2021
5 8 2014
6 10 2020
7 4 1981
8 11 2010
9 7 1957
10 4 2008
11 7 1988
12 11 2003
13 7 2001
14 6 2012
15 5 1991
16 3 1972
17 8 2016
18 3 1932
19 7 2015
20 3 1897
21 2 2009
22 5 2017
23 4 2019
24 7 2000

Full 2023 Melbourne Cup field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds
1 Silks
Gold Trip
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
James McDonald
2
58.5kg
+340
2 Silks
Alenquer
Michael Moroney
Damien Oliver
9
56.5kg
+5000
3 Silks
Without A Fight
Anthony & Sam Freedman
Mark Zahra
16
56.5kg
+600
4 Silks
Breakup
Tatsuya Yoshioka
Kohei Matsuyama
18
55kg
+1700
5 Silks
Vauban
Willie Mullins
Ryan Moore
3
55kg
+240
6 Silks
Soulcombe
Chris Waller
Joao Moreira
4
53.5kg
+1000
7 Silks
Absurde
Willie Mullins
Zac Purton
8
53kg
+2200
8 Silks
Right You Are
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
John Allen
15
53kg
+7000
9 Silks
Vow And Declare
Danny O’Brien
Billy Egan
19
53kg
+3000
10 Silks
Cleveland
Kris Lees
Michael Dee
23
52kg
+2600
11 Silks
Ashrun
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Kerrin McEvoy
11
51.5kg
+4000
12 Silks
Daqiansweet Junior
Phillip Stokes
Daniel Stackhouse
12
51.5kg
+9000
13 Silks
Okita Soushi
Joseph O’Brien
Dylan Gibbons
20
51.5kg
+7000
14 Silks
Sheraz
Chris Waller
Beau Mertens
22
51.5kg
+12500
15 Silks
Lastotchka
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
Craig Williams
21
51kg
+2500
16 Silks
Magical Lagoon
Chris Waller
Mark Du Plessis
7
51kg
+9000
17 Silks
Military Mission
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Rachel King
5
51kg
+4500
18 Silks
Serpentine
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Jye McNeil
1
51kg
+6000
19 Silks
Virtuous Circle
Liam Howley
Craig Newitt
6
51kg
+9000
20 Silks
More Felons
Chris Waller
Jamie Kah
24
50.5kg
+3000
21 Silks
Future History
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Hollie Doyle
13
50kg
+2600
22 Silks
Interpretation
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Teo Nugent
17
50kg
+6000
23 Silks
Kalapour
Kris Lees
Zac Lloyd
14
50kg
+5000
24 Silks
True Marvel
Matthew Smith
Ben Thompson
10
50kg
+15000

Melbourne Cup Runner-by-Runner betting guide & racing tips

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