Australia: Three Hortham Stakes runners trying to earn a spot in Melbourne Cup

As of Wednesday, 45 horses were nominated for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.

Only 24 can start, with five berths available to the winners of major stakes in Australia and the majority of berths determined by weight assignments. Eight Melbourne Cup nominees are among the 11 horses entered in Saturday’s Group 3 Hortham Stakes at Flemington, the final race offering a berth to the Melbourne Cup.

The $141,200 Hortham Stakes is run at 1 9/16 miles and is roughly 72 hours before the Melbourne Cup, a fast turnaround by any measure. The eight Melbourne Cup nominees in the Hortham are ranked between 28th and 44th on the preference list, making a victory vital for a chance at a start.

As of Wednesday, Ashrun, Schabau, and Sound, all European-bred and nominated to the Melbourne Cup, were 7-2 joint favorites in future-book betting for the Hortham.

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Ashrun was fourth in the Group 3 Geelong Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Geelong Racecourse on Oct. 21 in his debut in Australia, finishing about 1 3/4 lengths behind expected Melbourne Cup starter Steel Prince.

Ashrun, trained by Andreas Wohler of Germany and 29th on the Melbourne Cup list, is the 134.4-pound topweight in the Hortham, which is run as a handicap.

Sound, a German-bred gelding, will carry 131 pounds. Sound, 33rd on the Melbourne Cup list, was second in the Bart Cummings Stakes at about 1 9/16 miles at Flemington on Oct. 3, finishing a length behind Persan in a race awarding a berth.

The Hortham Stakes is the fourth race on a nine-race program consisting entirely of group stakes. First post time is 8:40 p.m. Eastern, or 5:40 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

There are four consecutive Group 1 races following the Hortham.

The 3-year-old filly Odeum, who has won 3 of 4 starts in a career that began in August, will be favored in the $706,000 Empire Rose Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. The field of 14 includes Mystic Journey, the winner of the $3.26 million All-Star Mile in 2019.

The filly September Run will have her Group 1 debut in the $1.05 million Coolmore Stud Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. She has won three listed stakes since late May. Farnan, winner of the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes in March, is part of a full field of 14.

The richest race on the program is the $1.4 million Victoria Derby at 1 9/16 miles, which drew 14. This will be the third start, and Group 1 debut, for the progressive Young Werther, whose main rival is the two-time stakes winner Cherry Tortini.

Mr Quickie and Buffalo River, the first two finishers of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Oct. 16, figure to dominate the betting in the $1.04 million Kennedy Cantala Stakes, a competitive handicap at a mile with a field of 16.