The Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes for 3-year-olds at York Racecourse in England each August has historically been a prep for the Group 1 English St. Leger in September at nearby Doncaster Racecourse. This year’s winner, Deauville Legend, has been sent to the other side of the world, instead of across Yorkshire. Deauville Legend is a heavy favorite at 5-2 to win the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia. The race has a post time of midnight Eastern on Tuesday, or 9 p.m. Pacific on Monday. Trained in England by James Ferguson, Deauville Legend has won 3 of 7 starts, and is the least experienced of the 24 runners in the $4.96 million Melbourne Cup. As of early betting on Sunday, Deauville Legend was the only horse with single-digit odds. By Sea the Stars, Deauville Legend will start at two miles for the first time in the Melbourne Cup. Through the summer, he excelled at longer distances, finishing second in the George V Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Ascot in June before winning the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at 1 5/8 miles at Newmarket on July 7. :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing Deauville Legend was second in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Goodwood on July 28 before winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on Aug. 17. For the Melbourne Cup, Deauville Legend, who tends to run from off the pace, will be ridden for the first time by Australian Kerrin McEvoy, who has won the race three times, most recently in 2018. The Melbourne Cup field includes four runners who had their last starts in England or Ireland, a group that includes the well-regarded Without a Fight, who was second in the Godolphin Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Newmarket Racecourse in England on Sept. 23. The loss ended a two-race winning streak in stakes. Without a Flight (11-1 for the Melbourne Cup) is trained by the father-son team of Simon and Ed Crisford of England. European-based trainers have won six of the last 15 runnings of the Melbourne Cup, and three of the last five. The last two Australian-based winners were Vow and Declare in 2019 and the mare Verry Elleegant last year. Vow and Declare is winless in 14 starts since the 2019 Melbourne Cup and is a 22-1 chance to end that streak in this year’s race. Verry Ellegant was recently retired after a winless European campaign in recent months. The top Australian hopes for the Melbourne Cup are Realm of Flower (11-1), Montefelia (12-1), Gold Trip (16-1) and Lunar Flare (20-1). The Melbourne Cup is a handicap. Gold Trip will carry topweight of 126.7 pounds, while Realm of Flowers shares low weight with two other horses at 110.2. Gold Trip, who has one win in 15 starts, was fourth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris in 2020, and has been based in Australia with trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace since earlier this year. Gold Trip is winless in five starts in Australia, including an unlucky second by a head to Durston in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 22. With such a big field, many runners are massive prices, including Serpentine at 100-1. He won the 2020 English Derby at Epsom for trainer Aidan O’Brien, but is winless in five starts since arriving in Australia earlier this year. Serpentine, trained by Robert Hickmott, was second in the Group 3 Archer Stakes at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington on Saturday and makes a rapid turnaround for the Melbourne Cup. Hickmott won the Melbourne Cup in 2012 and 2016. The mare Lunar Flare, trained by Grahame Begg, has attractive form. A 7-year-old, Lunar Flare earned an automatic berth to the Melbourne Cup with a win in the Group 3 Bart Cummings Stakes at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington on Oct. 1 and was second by 3 3/4 lengths in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup at 1 9/16 miles at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Oct. 22. The loss at Moonee Valley should not be judged too harshly, considering the track’s short stretch of slightly less than a furlong. Flemington has a longer stretch of more than 2 1/4 furlongs that may help her closing style. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.