The Melbourne Cup is the supreme staying test on the Australian racing calendar and Racenet has looked at the pedigrees of Tuesday’s runners to see which horses will stay and which won’t.
Below is a chart of the 2015 Melbourne Cup field and a brief synopsis of their pedigree.
With nine runners already having won at 3200 metres or more their pedigree qualifications are proven. Of those outside the winning distance the pedigree pointers look to be.
| Horse | Breeding | Max winning distance | Comment |
| 1. SNOW SKY (GB) 5h | Nayef – Winter Silence (Dansili) | 2800m | Sire best at 2400m. Dam won over 2700m and half-sister to staying Gr1 winners Polish Summer and Meteor Storm. |
| 2. CRITERION (AUS) 5h | Sebring – Mica’s Pride (Bite The Bullet) | 2400m | On pedigree he can’t get the trip, by a Golden Slipper winner out of a Gr3 1200m winner. He outran his genes to win a Derby. |
| 3. FAME GAME (Jpn) 6h | Heart’s Cry – Hall Of Fame (Allez Milord) | 3400m | Already proven at the trip. Sire won up to 2500m. Dam won twice at 1200m. Half-brother to Balance Of Game, Jpn Gr2 winner at 2200m. Same family as Stay Gold. |
| 4. OUR IVANHOWE (Ger) 6h | Soldier Hollow – Indigo Girl (Sternkoenig) | 2400m | Sire tough horse, won Gr 1 over 2000m as a 7yo, offspring best at middle-distance. Dam finished 3rd in the German Oaks. |
| 5. BIG ORANGE (GB) 5g | Duke Of Marmalade – Miss Brown To You (Fasliyev) | 3200m | Sire a Gr1 winner at 2400m, offspring stay. His dam a half-sister to the dam of Red Cadeaux. |
| 6. HARTNELL (GB) 5g | Authorized – Debonnaire (Anabaa) | 3200m | Sire won the Epsom Derby and offspring best at middle-distances. Half-brother to 2yo Listed winner Roz. Granddam won at 2400m in France. |
| 7. HOKKO BRAVE (Jpn) 8h | Marvelous Sunday – Hokko Memory (Dancing Brave) | 2600m | Sire best at 2200m, placed at 3200m. Dam won once from 32 starts, by champion middle-distance horse Dancing Brave. |
| 8. MAX DYNAMITE (Fr) 6g | Great Journey – Mascara (Monsun) | 3300m | Sire, by Sunday Silence, good miler in Japan. Dam won up to 1600m in Germany, granddam a Listed winner at 1800m in Germany. |
| 9. RED CADEAUX (GB) 10g | Cadeaux Genereux – Artisia (Peintre Celebre) | 2800m | Sire a champion sprinter in England. Dam by Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and a half-sister to dual Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Military Attack. |
| 10. TRIP TO PARIS (Ire) 5g | Champs Elysees – La Grande Zoa (Fantastic Light) | 4000m | Sire, brother to Dansili, won Gr1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 12 fur. Granddam a sister to Gr1 middle-distance winner Ezzoud. |
| 11. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) 7g | Yamanin Vital – Ears Carol (Carolingian) | 3200m | Sire, by Sir Tristram, a stamina influence. Dam by a sprinter, granddam won at 2000m in New Zealand. Third-dam Auditory (Noble Bijou) won the Riverton Cup (2140m) in New Zealand. |
| 12. SKY HUNTER (GB) 6g | Motivator – Pearl Kite (Silver Hawk) | 2400m | Sire won Epsom Derby and sire of Treve. Half-brother to Gr2 winning miler Nayyir and Gr3 2400m winner Highest. |
| 13. THE OFFER (Ire) 7g | Montjeu – Valdara (Darshaan) | 3200m | Sire champion middle-distance horse in Europe, sire of Green Moon and Tavistock. Dam by French Derby winner Darshaan. |
| 14. GRAND MARSHAL (GB) 6g | Dansili – Margarula (Doyoun) | 3200m | Sire best at a mile and one of Europe’s leading sires of middle-distance winners. Dam won the Irish Oaks. |
| 15. PREFERMENT (NZ) 4h | Zabeel – Better Alternative (Flying Spur) | 2500m | Sire already has three Melbourne Cup winners. Brother to Gr3 2500m winner Rezoned. |
| 16. QUEST FOR MORE (Ire) 6g | Teofilo – No Quest (Rainbow Quest) | 3200m | By same sire as Amralah, Havana Cooler, Kermadec, Trading Leather and Voleuse de Coeurs. Half-brother to USA Gr3 winner over 12 fur. |
| 17. ALMOONQITH (USA) 6h | Dynaformer – Bohemian Lady (Carson City) | 2800m | By the same sire as Americain. Dam, by a sprinter, won USA Gr3 at 9 fur. |
| 18. KINGFISHER (Ire) 5h | Galileo – Mystical Lady (Halling) | 2800m | Sire won Epsom Derby and a proven sire of middle-distance winners. Dam a Listed winner in Ireland over 7 fur. |
| 19. PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) 6g | Pentire – Royal Successor (Mr Prospector) | 2500m | Sire has Group winners at 3200m. Granddam, by French Derby winner Caerleon, won the Yorkshire Oaks twice |
| 20. BONDI BEACH (Ire) 4h | Galileo – One Moment In Time (Danehill) | 2800m | Sire won Epsom Derby and a proven sire of stayers. Same cross as Frankel, Teofilo and Highland Reel. Brother-in-blood to Gr3 winner Mekong River. |
| 21. SERTORIUS (AUS) 8g | Galileo – Pretty Penny (Encosta de Lago) | 2400m | Sire won Epsom Derby and a proven sire of stayers. Half-brother to 2yo Gr3 winner Clifton Red. |
| 22. THE UNITED STATES (Ire) 6h | Galileo – Beauty Is Truth (Pivotal) | 2500m | Sire won Epsom Derby and a proven sire of stayers. Female family pure speed- half-brother to a Gr3 winner over 6f in Ireland, dam a Gr2 winner over 1000m in France. |
| 23. EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) 6h | Monsun – Quenched (Dansili) | 2500m | By champion German racehorse and noted stamina influence incl. Fiorente. Dam a Listed winner over 12 fur in England. |
| 24. GUST OF WIND (NZ) 4m | Darci Brahma – Starrystarrynight (Sadler’s Wells) | 2400m | Sire a miler but has sired two Oaks winners. Dam won at 2400m in New Zealand, granddam by Epsom Derby winner Shirley Heights. |
Best qualified: THE OFFER (No. 13), GRAND MARSHAL (No. 14), EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (No. 23)
Roughie: SKY HUNTER (No. 12)
Query: CRITERION (No. 2), THE UNITED STATES (No. 22)
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