Melbourne Cup 2026 Final Field: All 24 Runners, Barriers and Race Details

The 2026 Melbourne Cup takes place at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday, 3 November, with 24 horses set to contest Australia’s most famous staying race.

The Group 1 event will be run over 3200 metres, with a total prize pool of $10.2 million. This year’s field brings together Australian-trained stayers and international runners, including horses from Ireland, Great Britain, France and New Zealand.

Following the final acceptances and barrier draw on Saturday, 31 October, the full Melbourne Cup field has been confirmed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the race, including the runners, trainers, jockeys, barriers and allocated weights.

Melbourne Cup 2026 Race Information

Race details	Information
Race	2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup
Date	Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Racecourse	Flemington, Melbourne
Race number	Race 7
Scheduled start	3:00 pm AEDT
Distance	3200 metres
Classification	Group 1 Handicap
Total prize money	$10.2 million
Field	24 runners
Edition	166th Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is the feature race of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival, which began with Victoria Derby Day on 31 October and continues with VRC Oaks Day on 5 November and Champions Stakes Day on 7 November.

Melbourne Cup 2026 Final Field and Barriers

The following table lists all 24 runners in saddlecloth order, including their trainers, jockeys, allocated weights and barrier positions.

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Sons And Lovers	Joseph O’Brien	Dylan Browne McMonagle	3	57.5kg
2	Trustyourinstinct	Joseph O’Brien	James McDonald	18	57kg
3	Knight’s Choice	John Symons & Sheila Laxon	Robbie Dolan	2	56.5kg
4	Middle Earth	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zahra	1	56.5kg
5	Vauban	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Jordan Childs	22	56.5kg
6	Enfjaar	Roger Varian	Ray Dawson	8	56kg
7	Royal Supremacy	Ciaron Maher	Ben Allen	21	56kg
8	Wine Dark Sea	Harry Charlton	Damian Lane	23	56kg
9	Asterix	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	6	55kg
10	Goodie Two Shoes	Joseph O’Brien	Wayne Lordan	19	55kg
11	Juja Kibo	Ciaron Maher	Sam Clipperton	14	55kg
12	Hopewell Rock	George Boughey	Zac Lloyd	15	54.5kg
13	Onesmoothoperator	Tim Fitzsimmons	Declan Bates	13	54.5kg
14	Soul Of Spain	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	5	54.5kg
15	Zahrann	Ciaron Maher	Ben Melham	11	54.5kg
16	So You Are	Bjorn Baker	Rachel King	7	54kg
17	Future History	Gregory Hickman	Jamie Melham	12	53.5kg
18	James J Braddock	Joseph O’Brien	Craig Williams	24	53.5kg
19	Kizlyar	Joseph O’Brien	Beau Mertens	20	53.5kg
20	Point Of Law	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	9	53kg
21	Strictly Business	Thomas Carberry	Dean Yendall	4	53kg
22	Mr Monaco	Ciaron Maher	Jabez Johnstone	16	52.5kg
23	Zakouma	Grahame Begg	William Pike	10	52kg
24	Shockletz	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey*	17	51kg

Harry Coffey’s availability for Shockletz remained subject to confirmation on 2 November following a Derby Day injury. Check the final rider declaration before the race.

The barrier draw places Middle Earth in barrier one, while James J Braddock will start from the outside gate in barrier 24.

Trainers Represented in the 2026 Melbourne Cup

Ciaron Maher has the largest representation in this year’s race, with seven runners.

His team includes Middle Earth, Royal Supremacy, Juja Kibo, Zahrann, Point Of Law, Mr Monaco and Shockletz.

Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien has five runners: Sons And Lovers, Trustyourinstinct, Goodie Two Shoes, James J Braddock and Kizlyar.

O’Brien previously won the Melbourne Cup with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020.

Other trainers represented include Chris Waller, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Bjorn Baker, Grahame Begg, Roger Varian and George Boughey.

Previous Melbourne Cup Performers Return

Two horses in the final field have achieved notable results in recent Melbourne Cups.

Knight’s Choice returns after winning the 2024 Melbourne Cup for trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons, with Robbie Dolan again booked to ride.

The gelding carries 56.5kg and has drawn barrier two.

Goodie Two Shoes returns after finishing second in the 2025 Melbourne Cup. The Joseph O’Brien-trained mare will carry 55kg from barrier 19, with Wayne Lordan aboard.

Middle Earth also returns after finishing third in the 2025 running. Mark Zahra takes the ride from barrier one.

Their previous Melbourne Cup performances provide established form references ahead of this year’s 3200-metre contest.

Recent Lead-Up Races and Melbourne Cup Qualification

Several horses secured their positions in the final field through important Spring Carnival performances.

Point Of Law earned a ballot exemption through victory in the Geelong Cup, while Juja Kibo secured his place by winning the Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

So You Are entered the final field following his Bendigo Cup victory on 28 October. The win resulted in a 1kg Melbourne Cup penalty, bringing his allocated weight to 54kg.

Shockletz secured a place through victory in the Archer Stakes at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

These races form part of the preparation and qualification process for the Melbourne Cup, with the final field determined through ballot exemptions and the order of entry.

What Happens After the Melbourne Cup?

Following Tuesday’s race, attention will turn to VRC Oaks Day on Thursday, 5 November, before the Carnival concludes with Champions Stakes Day on Saturday, 7 November.

The Melbourne Cup will also provide another set of results for reviewing staying form, particularly among horses that may return to similar distances in future campaigns.

Jig Racing covers Australian racing throughout the year, with race analysis, previews and Blackbook features available to members.

Further information about the Carnival is available in our Spring Racing Carnival 2026 guide.

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