Melbourne Cup favourite Point Of Law has drawn barrier nine in what master trainer Ciaron Maher describes as an "ideal" result ahead of Australia's greatest race.
Maher will have Ethan Brown in the saddle as the lightly raced stayer spearheads his record Cup hand of seven runners in Tuesday's $10.2 million feature.
Point Of Law is a $6 favourite, while Maher's fellow leading contenders Shockletz ($11) and Juja Kibo ($11) will jump from barriers 17 and 14 respectively.
Middle Earth drew the inside barrier for two-time Cup winning jockey Mark Zahra, while Maher also has Royal Supremacy (21), Zahrann (11) and Mr Monaco (16) in the 24-horse field.
"Barrier nine is ideal. He (Point Of Law) needed a decent enough draw - happy with nine," said Maher, who is chasing his second Cup triumph after Gold Trip's victory in 2022.
"He needs to get the first half of the race right and I think nine will enable him to do that."
Maher rates lightweight Shockletz (51kg) among his best Cup chances, despite doubt over jockey Harry Coffey's ability to ride.
Coffey was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone following his Victoria Derby fall on Pondalowie.
"We'll give Harry every opportunity and if he can't do it we'll find someone else," Maher said.
"You say gut-wrenching - he's probably happy that he's healthy after that.
"It's a legitimate chance, so anybody would be disappointed if they were riding that horse and they weren't able to."
George Boughey's $9 fancy Hopewell Rock drew barrier 15 and Bjorn Baker's So You Are ($19) will jump from barrier seven.
Two-time Cup winner Joseph O'Brien's five-strong team is headed by Trustyourinstinct ($8), who drew barrier 18 for red-hot jockey James McDonald.
McDonald snared two of a possible three Group 1 victories on Victoria Derby day, including the feature, and is seeking to emulate his Cup success on Verry Elleegant in 2021.
Four of O'Brien's five runners will jump from the widest seven gates, with Goodie Two Shoes in 19, Kizlyar in 20 and James J Braddock in 24.
Sons And Lovers fared better in barrier three.
Kizlyar was elevated into the Cup field when O'Brien's expected pacesetter Defiantly failed a vet inspection and was scratched.
Defiantly was the second international contender ruled out, after Japanese contender Stinger Glass was deemed at heightened risk of injury.
"The whole team is very disappointed," O'Brien's racing manager Kevin Blake said.
"(Defiantly) presented with some foot soreness the other day and all of our team felt he'd made great progress in the two days since.
"He hasn't missed any ridden exercise, but the veterinary team have a job to do, and the way the rules are they had to assess the horse as if he was running today and make a call.
"They've made their call (and it's) pretty tough on the horse having come through all the scans and everything else, but rules are rules and such is life.
"The horse remains in great shape and he'll be entered for the Queen Elizabeth (Stakes) in a week's time."
Reigning Cup-winning jockey Jamie Melham was one of the beneficiaries of the scratchings, with her mount Future History elevated into the field.
The nine-year-old gelding, trained by Gregory Hickman, drew barrier 12 and is a long-shot, but gives Melham a chance to create history by becoming the first female hoop to win the Cup in successive years.
"I won one and that was incredible, but we want to win another one," Melham told the Nine Network.
"It would be pretty special to win two in a row and be the first female to do that, for sure, so I'll be trying my best."
