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Huge Melbourne Cup drama as horse is SCRATCHED hours before the race

The Melbourne Cup field has been reduced to 23 runners, after the late scratching of one of the runners on Tuesday morning.

King of Leogrance was pulled from the race after a veterinary inspection found the Danny O'Brien-trained gelding had an injury to its right front leg.

The six-year-old gelding, owned by Lloyd Williams, who has had seven Melbourne Cup winners, was considered an outside chance with the bookies at $61 for the win.

There are no emergencies for the Melbourne Cup, so the field will be one short. 

Tuesday's Melbourne Cup is a minefield for the millions of people trying to pick a winner and now one of the runners has been scratched from the race (pictured: Women watch the 2019 race)

Tuesday's Melbourne Cup is a minefield for the millions of people trying to pick a winner and now one of the runners has been scratched from the race (pictured: Women watch the 2019 race)

The hotel anticipated race, which is happening at 3pm on Tuesday, has already been marred with drama (Pictured: Racegoers watch the race at Flemington in 2019)

The hotel anticipated race, which is happening at 3pm on Tuesday, has already been marred with drama (Pictured: Racegoers watch the race at Flemington in 2019)

King of Leogrance (pictured) was pulled from the race on Tuesday morning after a veterinary inspection

King of Leogrance was pulled from the race on Tuesday morning after a veterinary inspection

Lloyd Williams son and co-owner Nick Williams was fatalistic about the scratching of the horse.

'You come this far and think you're there but with a twist of fate you're not,' he told The Age.

'He's just got a pulse in his foot this morning; it's just one of those things unfortunately. 

'It's a shame but that's life. That's what horses do. It's very unfortunate and I feel really sorry for the boys at Danny's who have done such a great job with him all year but we live to fight another day.'

King of Leogrance began his racing career in Europe but was brought out to Australia two years ago.

The ownership group has two other runners in the race: European-based runners Master Of Reality and Twilight Payment.

Trainer Danny O'Brien, who won the race last year with Vow and Declare, has that same horse in this year's field, plus leading chance Russian Camelot. 

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has the top two runners with bookmakers in Tiger Moth and Anthony Van Dyck, but there's at least five other runners that could yet challenge for favouritism in late betting.

Local hopes Verry Elleegant, Surprise Baby and Russian Camelot have plenty of backers, as do the recent import Sir Dragonet and popular English stayer Prince of Arran.

Former top jockey and now Sportsbet pundit Simon Marshall believes you can narrow the 24-horse field down to ten winning chances: the seven mentioned above plus rough hopes Persan, Steel Prince and Twilight Payment.

With the race that stops the nation just hours away, the TAB is anticipating over 100,000 bets a minute at peak times

With the race that stops the nation just hours away, the TAB is anticipating over 100,000 bets a minute at peak times 

There will now be just 23 competitors on the field on Tuesday afternoon. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has the top two runners with bookmakers in Tiger Moth and Anthony Van Dyck, but there's at least five other runners that could yet challenge for favouritism in late betting

There will now be just 23 competitors on the field on Tuesday afternoon. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has the top two runners with bookmakers in Tiger Moth and Anthony Van Dyck, but there's at least five other runners that could yet challenge for favouritism in late betting

At the top of the pile he puts Tiger Moth, believing it can follow in the hoof prints of other rising four-year-olds from Europe in taking out Australia's biggest race.

Rekindling did it 2017, Cross Counter in 2018 and Il Paradiso almost made it three in a row when he was narrowly beaten last year. 

It is belief in this four-year-olds precedent that has form analysts backing Tiger Moth, despite the fact he has only had four races in his life - a level of inexperience not seen in a Melbourne Cup winner for over a century.

'History would say, with the likes of Cross Counter and Il Paradiso last year, that the Northern Hemisphere four-year-olds, getting in with their light weight, are strong chances,' Marshall told Daily Mail Australia.

'(The inexperience) is not ideal but you just have to trust Aidan O'Brien's team that he's the right horse for this race.

'He will have to break all records, but he won by four lengths last start against a real quality field, and before that he was second in an Irish Derby.'

Australia fell in love with 'Fairy Floss Girl' who decided to take a bite out of the sugary treat on Oaks Day

Australia fell in love with 'Fairy Floss Girl' who decided to take a bite out of the sugary treat on Oaks Day

Tiger Moth's stablemate Anthony Van Dyck is a more mature prospect, and has the benefit of a local run, having run an impressive second to Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup on an unsuitable soft track.

He will have to carry 58.5kgs to victory - something last done by Think Big in 1975 - but has drawn ideally in barrier 3, and he has the services of jockey Hugh Bowman - the man who guided Winx to most of her record-breaking tally of wins.

'This is the highest-rated stayer to ever come over for the Melbourne Cup,' Marshall said.

'In the Caulfield Cup he took it right up to Veerry Elleegant and pushed her all the way, and his European form suggests that with a good barrier he's going to be in this a long way and he will be able to carry that weight.'

Verry Elleegant, the Sydney mare who beat him at Caulfield, is again one of his main rivals.

She has had four starts this spring - all of them at the elite Group One level - and won three of them, but the 3200-metre distance of the Cup is an unknown for her, and a challenge for a mare who can run over-enthusiastically early in races.

The Melbourne Cup will be remarkably different this year because of the health pandemic

The Melbourne Cup will be remarkably different this year because of the health pandemic

Jamie Kah has been the dominant jockey in Melbourne this season and she will ride Prince of Arran in the Melbourne Cup. A female jockey, barrier one, and Prince in the horse's name was the same combination that saw Prince of Penzance win in 2015

Jamie Kah has been the dominant jockey in Melbourne this season and she will ride Prince of Arran in the Melbourne Cup. A female jockey, barrier one, and Prince in the horse's name was the same combination that saw Prince of Penzance win in 2015

'If you're including Anthony Van Dyck, you have to include her,' Marshall said.

'Her racing manners are a bit of a question mark. She's worth a punt because she's just going so well but will she run out 3200 metres? It'll take a gifted ride.'

 Verry Elleegant's trainer Chris Waller - who prepared Winx - is still looking for his first Melbourne Cup victory, but Russian Camelot's trainer Danny O'Brien is still basking in last year's victory with Vow and Declare.

O'Brien will have three runners in the race, and Russian Camelot stands out at his top chance.

The four-year-old was installed as Melbourne Cup favourite after winning the South Australian Derby in brilliant style back in May, and although his form has been excellent on paper this spring - one win and three placings all at Group One level - he has lost some support in betting markets.

He was outpaced at the end of the Cox Plate, and that is perhaps excusable given he was being trained toward the long distance of the Cup, but Marshall would like to see jockey Damien Oliver relax the horse more and settle further back in the field.

'I would just like to see him ridden a bit quieter,' Marshall said. 'His best run was in SA Derby when he was ridden at the back, whereas he's been ridden up on the speed every start this preparation.'

Verry Elleegant returns to the winner's circle after victory in the Caulfield Cup. The gritty mare is among the leading local chances to win the Melbourne Cup

Verry Elleegant returns to the winner's circle after victory in the Caulfield Cup. The gritty mare is among the leading local chances to win the Melbourne Cup

Racegoers enjoy the atmosphere, and a range of beverages, after the 2019 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse

Racegoers enjoy the atmosphere, and a range of beverages, after the 2019 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse

One horse that will definitely be ridden quietly and trying to finish off hard is Surprise Baby, the Horsham-trained gelding who will be ridden by last year's winning jockey Craig Williams.

He rattled home down the outside in last year's Cup but the finishing line came a bit too early, just as he was about to overhaul the placegetters.

'He was very unlucky in a slowly run race last year,' Marshall said. 'He flew home and ran the fastest final furlong.

'He has his hoof on the till. He's a bigger stronger horse than last year, and I don't think it'll be slowly run this year, I think there'll be genuine tempo.'

The top Melbourne training team of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have three runners in the race, and the standout is the recently imported Sir Dragonet.

In his first start for the stable, he stormed to victory in the Cox Plate and veteran jockey Glen Boss said the stallion was the best chance to complete the Cox Plate/Melbourne Cup double since he rode the great Makybe Diva to the third of her hat-trick of Cup wins in 2005.

Exotic horse racing betting has higher risks but greater reward. A quinella bet involves picking the two horses you think will finish first and second in any order

Exotic horse racing betting has higher risks but greater reward. A quinella bet involves picking the two horses you think will finish first and second in any order

'His gallop-on after winning the Cox Plate over 2040 metres was very strong, which suggests he'll improve over longer,' Marshall said. 'The Melbourne Cup was his target, so to pick up a Cox Plate along the way is impressive.

'Don't be worried by the 3200 metres – he's been tested over 2,400 and he will definitely be a danger.'

However Marshall believes Persan, another of the Maher/Eustace runners, looms as the best chance at long odds.

The four-year-old stallion has been in training since April, but shows no sign of tiring, having either won or finished second in all of his past nine races, and gets into the race with the minimum weight of 51 kilograms.

'His form is just outstanding and the Maher-Eustace team's record with stayers is amazing,' Marshall said. 'He has a really good grounding as a lightweight Cups horse and everything about his form indicates he will run out the 3200.'

Prince of Arran is the other runner Marshall says must be rated a winning chance.

The English stayer ticks all the boxes: an inside barrier, proven two-mile form after running third and second in this race in the past two years, an in-form and confident jockey in Jamie Kah, and a strong performance last start when he surged into fourth place in the Caulfield Cup.

Beyond those chances, Marshall rates Geelong Cup winner Steel Prince as a value bet, along with Twilight Payment who led last year's race for a long way and has shown brilliant recent form back in Ireland.

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO PLACING A BET ON CUP DAY 

WIN - YOUR HORSE FINISHES FIRST

The easiest way to have a punt on Cup day is picking the horse which you think will be first to the post.

For example, if you put $10 on a runner at $15 odds, you stand to walk away with $150 if luck's on your side.

PLACE - YOUR HORSE RUNS FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD

If you think your horse has a good chance of running well but might not quite be good enough to win, perhaps you should make a 'place' bet.

You'll then collect money if your horse finishes first, second or third - although the payout will be substantially lower than the win dividend.

EACH WAY - TO WIN AND PLACE

By placing an 'each way bet' you stand to collect BOTH the win and place dividend should your horse finish first.

If it runs second or third - you collect the place dividend but will lose the wager you bet on the win.

THE EXOTICS - HIGHER RISK BUT GREATER REWARD 

- QUINELLA

A quinella bet involves picking the two horses you think will finish first and second in any order.

- EXACTA

It's tough enough picking a winner, but if you think you know which horses will run first AND second in correct order - place an exacta bet for a very healthy return. 

- TRIFECTA

Selecting the first three horses across the line is no easy feat - but if you can pull it off you could walk away with thousands of dollars.

To make things slightly easier, you can 'box' your selections - meaning the horses can finish first, second and third in any order. 

This will, however, decrease the percentage of the trifecta dividend you will receive.

- FIRST FOUR  

The only difference between a trifecta and a first four bet is the addition of the fourth place-getter.

Again, you can 'box' all four (or as many as you like) so they don't have to finish in order. 

The more horses you choose to 'box' - the lesser percentage of the dividend you will collect.

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