Favourable alley has Half Yours a firming Melbourne Cup favourite

Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours is likely to start favourite for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup after drawing barrier eight for Tuesday’s race.

Half Yours is attempting to become the 13th horse to capture the famous cups double and is currently $6.50 favourite.

The Australian-bred gelding, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, will be ridden be Jamie Melham.

Four horses share second favouritism at $8, Valiant King who drew barrier 10, Al Riffa, who drew 19, Buckaroo, who will jump from barrier 12 and Presage Nocturne, who will come from barrier nine.

Chris Waller will saddle five runners, with Valiant King and Buckaroo joined by River Of Stars (14), More Felons (23) and Land Legend (16).

Ciaron Maher has three runners, Smokin’ Romans (11) and Middle Earth (13) and Royal Supremacy (21), who will be ridden by last year’s Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan.

Meanwhile, Vauban will be looking to break new ground, aiming to become the first horse since 1988 to win the Melbourne Cup on a third attempt. The former Irish galloper, now trained in Australia by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, drew favourably in gate two.

Al Riffa’s Joseph O’Brien-trained stablemate Goodie Two Shoes, who is the first Australian runner for famed owner J.P. McManus, drew in 20.

Fellow Irish trainer Willie Mullins is again represented by Absurde, also lining up for his third attempt after finishing seventh and fifth in the past two editions. He came up with gate four.

Parchment Party is the first ever U.S.-trained runner in the race with the Bill Mott-trained stayer, to be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, jumping from barrier three.

Japanese challenger Chevalier Rose drew five, trained by Hisashi Shimizu, while Germany’s Flatten The Curve (17) adds further international depth to the 24-horse field.

Saddlecloth Number	Horse	Barrier
1	AL RIFFA	19
2	BUCKAROO	12
3	ARAPAHO	15
4	VAUBAN	2
5	CHEVALIER ROSE	5
6	PRESAGE NOCTURNE	9
7	MIDDLE EARTH	13
8	MEYDAAN	22
9	ABSURDE	4
10	FLATTEN THE CURVE	17
11	LAND LEGEND	16
12	SMOKIN’ ROMANS	11
13	CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD	24
14	HALF YOURS	8
15	MORE FELONS	23
16	ONESMOOTHOPERATOR	6
17	FURTHUR	7
18	PARCHMENT PARTY	3
19	ATHABASCAN	1
20	GOODIE TWO SHOES	20
21	RIVER OF STARS	14
22	ROYAL SUPREMACY	21
23	TORRANZINO	18
24	VALIANT KING	10