Balloting Conditions for the Melbourne Cup

The maximum numbers of runners in the Melbourne Cup is 24, and ballots are used to ensure that entries are reduced to 24 or less.

Winners of certain races are made exempt from the ballot provided that they have been nominated for the Melbourne Cup and have paid-up and declared all the rounds of acceptances. In addition the Directors can use discretionary powers to exempt any horse from the ballot on the race, as well as to use their absolute discretion to exclude any horse from the race.

The winners of the following races are exempt from the ballot:
2009 VRC Saab Quality
2009 AAMI Victoria Derby
2009 Crown Mackinnon Stakes
2009 MVRC Cox Plate
2009 MRC Caulfield Cup
2009 Doncaster Cup (UK)
2009 Irish St Leger (IRE)
2009 Tenno Sho (Spring) (JPN)
2009 Arlington Million (USA)
2009 San Juan Capistrano (USA)
2009 ARB Australian Stayers Challenge

The Saab Quality, AAMI Victoria Derby and the Mackinnon Stakes are all run on Saturday 31 October, just a few days before the Cup and fourth and final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup have to be made by 5pm on that day.

The international races are in the “exempt from ballot list” so that the connections of those horses don’t go through the huge expense of getting their horses to Australia only to be balloted out.

After final acceptances if there are more than 24 acceptors then they are eliminated in the following order, until the safety limit of 24 horses is reached.

“Horses OTHER THAN those that:

A) since 1 August 2007 inclusive have received $60,000 or more for having won, or been placed 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th in any one race on the flat of 2300 metres or further, for which entry was not restricted by a maximum limitation on prizemoney or races won, or by Official Ratings; OR

B) since 1 August 2007 inclusive have won, or been placed 2nd or 3rd in an internationally recognised Group or Graded flat race run over 2300 metres or further; OR

C) since 1 August 2007 inclusive have won an internationally recognised Listed flat race run over 2300 metres or further, OR

D) have been placed 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th in the 2009 MRC Caulfield Cup, OR

E) have been placed 2nd or 3rd in the 2009 MVRC Cox Plate, OR

F) have been placed 2nd or 3rd in the 2009 Mackinnon Stakes”

If the number of horses eliminated by this procedure would bring the total remaining field to less than 24 then the eliminations are made by starting with horses with the lowest appended weight figure against the benchmark weight for their age and gender. Where horses have the same lowest appended weight against the benchmark weight then the horse with the lowest prizemoney earned in flat races from 1 August 2007 will be eliminated first. If horses are equal in prizemoney then they are eliminated by lot.

If there are more than 24 horses left after going through A to F above then field is reduced using the lowest appended weight figure against the benchmark weight for their age and gender, although the Directors’ have discretion in using this process. Once again where the weight difference is the same they are eliminated on prizemoney earned in flat races from 1 August 2007, and if this is equal then they are eliminated by lot.

Jo Jackson

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