Australia's leading trainer Ciaron Maher will saddle up a remarkable seven runners in Australia's most famous race with race favourite Point of Law drawing barrier 9.
Two-time Lexus Melbourne Cup winning trainer, Joseph O'Brien has a strong travelling contingent with five horses in the final field, including last year's second placegetter Goodie Two Shoes who will jump from barrier 19. Irish jockey Dylan Brown McMonagle will have his first ride in the race aboard Sons and Lovers for the famed trainer jumping from barrier 3, other contenders include Trustyourinstinct (18), James J Braddock (24) and Kizlyar (20).
O’Brien, just 33, is aiming to win his third Melbourne Cup after victories with Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020).
Jockey Zac Lloyd will jump from barrier 15 aboard international raider Hopewell Rock for English trainer George Boughey.
The 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan will reunite with Cup hero, Knight's Choice for John Symonds and Sheila Laxon with the trio looking to recreate history from barrier 2.
Also cheering the runners home will be 24 rural and regional destinations which hosted the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour during 2026. Each town has been assigned a horse through the Lexus
Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep; the town which draws the Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be share in a $50,000 prize pool to put towards a charity supporting a local community initiative. See below for the list of towns and their horses.
SADDLECLOTH NUMBER | HORSE | BARIIER |
1 | SONS AND LOVERS | 3 |
2 | TRUSTYOURINSTINCT | 18 |
3 | KNIGHT'S CHOICE | 2 |
4 | MIDDLE EARTH | 1 |
5 | VAUBAN | 22 |
6 | ENFJAAR | 8 |
7 | ROYAL SUPREMACY | 21 |
8 | WINE DARK SEA | 23 |
9 | ASTERIX | 6 |
10 | GOODIE TWO SHOES | 19 |
11 | JUJA KIBO | 14 |
12 | HOPEWELL ROCK | 15 |
13 | ONESMOOTHOPERATOR | 13 |
14 | SOUL OF SPAIN | 5 |
15 | ZAHRANN | 11 |
16 | SO YOU ARE | 7 |
17 | FUTURE HISTORY | 12 |
18 | JAMES J BRADDOCK | 24 |
19 | KIZLYAR | 20 |
20 | POINT OF LAW | 9 |
21 | STRICTLY BUSINESS | 4 |
22 | MR MONACO | 16 |
23 | ZAKOUMA | 10 |
24 | SHOCKLETZ | 17 |
2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep
TOWN REPRESENTED | BARRIER | HORSE | REGISTERED CHARITY NOMINATED |
Atherton (QLD) | 7 | So You Are | Dolly's Dream |
Bacchus Marsh (VIC) | 22 | Vauban | Bacchus Marsh Sub-Branch RSL |
Ballarat (VIC) | 8 | Enjaar | Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal |
Birchip (VIC) | 15 | Hopewell Rock | Birchip Neighbourhood House INC |
Bowral (NSW) | 17 | Shockletz | Cancer Patient Assistance Society NSW |
Carnarvon (WA) | 16 | Mr Monaco | Australian Order of The Old Bastards Carnarvon Branch |
Charlton (VIC) | 6 | Asterix | Brasha-T Ataxia – Telangiectasia Limited |
Deloraine (TAS) | 5 | Soul of Spain | Ronald McDonald House Victoria and Tasmania |
Geelong (VIC) | 11 | Zahrann | Geelong Foodshare |
Jingellic (NSW) | 23 | Wine Dark Sea | Walwa Bush Nursing Centre Incorporated |
Longwood (VIC) | 14 | Juja Kibo | Longwood Strikeforce – Bushfire recovery |
Mareeba (QLD) | 9 | Point of Law | Mareeba & Communities Family Healthcare Ltd |
Moe (VIC) | 2 | Knight’s Choice | Latrobe Health Assembly Inc |
Mount Buller (VIC) | 12 | Hopewell Rock | The Trustee for The Harry and Clare Friday Foundation |
Muswellbrook (NSW) | 18 | James J Braddock | Upper Hunter Where There's a Will Pty Limited |
Oakbank (SA) | 13 | Onesmoothoperator | Riding for the Disabled Association SA Inc |
Oatlands (TAS) | 4 | Strictly Business | Cancer Council of Tasmania Inc |
Ocean Grove (VIC) | 20 | Kizlyar | Riding for the Disabled Association of Victoria Inc |
Rockhampton (QLD) | 19 | Goodie Two Shoes | Royal Flying Doctor Service Rockhampton Auxiliary |
Walgett (NSW) | 1 | Middle Earth | Country Education Foundation (CEF) - Hand to the Land |
Wangaratta (VIC) | 10 | Zakouma | Project 365 – The Ripple Effect Incorporated |
Wudinna (SA) | 3 | Sons and Lovers | Wudinna Districts Men's Shed Incorporated |
Wycheproof (VIC) | 21 | Royal Supremacy | Wycheproof Community Resources Centre Inc |
Yarra Valley (VIC) | 24 | James J Braddock | Yarra Valley Community Foundation Ltd |
