Melbourne Cup 2021 live updates, feed, blog, Incentivize results, start time, Flemington race map, latest odds, protests

The first tragedies hit the Melbourne Cup festivities, with protesters apprehended by police.

Protesters reportedly stormed the door shouting “Nup to the cup”.

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This follows Monday’s protests in which members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) took a “Squid Game”-themed stance against the event.

Protesters stood outside the gates of Flemington Racecourse in an attempt to draw attention to the treatment of horses in the racing industry.

Cup organizers have had to respond to growing safety concerns following the deaths of seven top horses over the past six years.

Last year pre-race favorite Anthony van Dyck broke down during the Cup and was subsequently euthanized.

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As a result, Racing Victoria commissioned a study to examine injuries and deaths of international horses during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival over the past decade.

44 recommendations were made, of which 41 were adopted, including the requirement that all Cup runners undergo a four-limb scan before being allowed to run.

BOOKMAKERS FACING A $ 50M DOMSDAY SCENARIO

Major bookmakers across the country stand to lose at least $ 50 million on Tuesday if Incentivize wins the Melbourne Cup.

Incentivize has been the Cup’s cheapest favorite since Phar Lap won it in 1930 with odds of $ 1.73 – the shortest odds on record for a favorite – with this year’s top pick currently backed at about $ 2.80.

Incentivize has been well supported since his performance at the Brisbane Carnival and his Caulfield Cup escapades further boosted punters’ confidence as he shoots for a 10th straight win.

“This is shaping up to be our worst Melbourne Cup result since we started trading in Australia,” Ladbrokes boss Dean Shannon told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Incentivise is one of those horses that punters got hooked on early on and kept supporting, and he kept winning.

“The race needs a superstar like him, but [that’s] not good if you are the bookie on the wrong side of the ledger.

“Doubles alone are a few million and that doesn’t take into account what’s in the winning book.

“We just want to find something to beat him, but to be honest we can’t find one.”

While Incentivize currently covers around $ 2.80, it could hit around $ 3 on the bag by the time the Cup jumps at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the best price at Cup time will be on the bags for Incentivise,” added TAB’s Glenn Munsie.

“We’re going to lose almost $ 3 million in doubles just if he wins. What you need to remember is that at TAB someone might have it as the last [leg of a] multi who started with Swedish handball or weightlifting at [the] Olympic Games.

“He is obvious in the race and I think everyone means he supported the Melbourne Cup winner so they will probably have a ticket with his name on it.”

FIRST DRAMA AS A SCRATCHED HORSE

The Future Score formed by Matt Cumani is absent from the Melbourne Cup after showing up with a lameness in his right front paw.

Future Score and those trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman underwent fitness tests on Tuesday morning, but the former was not cleared.

Delphi has gone from $ 34 to $ 19 in the past 48 hours, with solid money every way for the Herbert Power Stakes winner.

Champion jockey Damien Oliver is booked to ride Delphi while Dean Yendall will be aboard Future Score if he takes his place in the Melbourne Cup.

WHY THE BIG FAVORITE “OBSTACLES” ARE OVERESTIMATED

Coming back to the big favorite Incentivise, the Melbourne Cup represents a whole new challenge.

The horse trained by Peter Moody has run no more than 2,500 yards in his 12-start career and has the added backhand of putting on an extra 1.5 kilograms after a penalty at the Caulfield Cup.

This means that Incentivize will carry 57 kilograms in total, with Makybe Diva being the only horse to win the Cup with a handicap of 57 or more.

Major owner Brae Sokolski admits these are “great hurdles” to overcome, but actually thinks it could work in Incentivise’s favor.

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“I’m going to tell you what, everything about this horse – the way he works, the way he looks, the way he runs – tells me he’s going to run the two miles and run it hard,” he told SEN. 1170 on Tuesday morning.

“The further they go, the stronger he will become.

“It’s quite remarkable watching his races, he hits this flat at probably the half mile where he seems under pressure. In fact, he does 200m better than he does at the 600m mark and they can never get him back.

“He has this incredible lung capacity and I just think the two miles are going to work in his favor. I just feel like he’s suited so well and we might just see something very special from this horse today.

The racing world already saw something very special about Incentivize at the Caulfield Cup – his ninth consecutive victory – and he was subsequently installed as the overwhelming favorite.

Even still, Sokolski thinks the current odds are of great value.

“I just think this horse deserves their favoritism and sincerely believe that they are betting a price beyond even money just because this is a Melbourne Cup,” he added.

“If it was just another race over two miles under the same circumstances, it would be closer to price equality. Just for this reason, there is value there.

COMPLETE FLEMINGTON RACE MAP AND RESULTS

10:45 am – Darley Maribyrnong plate: 1st 1. Brereton ($ 6.00, $ 2.25), 2nd 3. Renosu ($ 2.45), 3rd 7. Le Gagneur ($ 4.60), 4th 10. Water bombardier

11:20 a.m. – The race of the Macca: 1st 6. Team Captain ($ 7.00, $ 2.40), 2nd 10. Responsibility ($ 1.95), 3rd 1. Good Idea ($ 4.60), 4th 13. Lion’s Share

12h00 – Handicap below zero Groupe Resimaz: 1st 4. Excelman ($ 7.00, $ 2.35), 2nd 6. Naval Envoy ($ 2.15), 3rd 7. Standoff ($ 2.90), 4th 3. Housay

12:40 – Furphy plate

1:20 p.m. – Grinders Coffee Roasters Trophy

13:55 – The Schweppervescence plate

3 p.m. – The Lexus Melbourne Cup

4 p.m. – The challenges of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

4:40 p.m. – The Tab Trophy

5:15 p.m. – Mss Security Sprint

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