It seems the number eight is just as lucky in Japan as it is in China.

And the trainer of the Melbourne Cup favourite Admire Rakti, Tomoyuki Umeda, is pleased that’s where the horse will start from on Tuesday.

Admire Rakti is attempting to add the Melbourne Cup to his Caulfield Cup win under his top weight of 58.5kg.

“I am very pleased,” Umeda said.

“Number eight is lucky. It is a good barrier for him and the same as he drew in the Caulfield Cup.

“I have a little concern with the weight at the distance, but he’s a staying horse and should be good at the distance.”

Admire Rakti eventually started from barrier seven at Caulfield after scratchings.

It is also an adage that babies bring luck and perhaps that will be the case for the popular Precedence, the hope of the Bart and James Cummings stable.

Bart’s grandson James and his wife Monica have announced they are expecting the next generation of the training dynasty in the new year.

Precedence, who missed a start last year by one spot, has barrier 20 of 24 but James Cummings said he thought that would not be too much of an issue.

“He is racing in great heart,” he said.

“He won the Queen Elizabeth last year and was always going to make his way in.

“There has been no pressure to get him into the race and it is a big thrill for me to have a Cup runner.”

James began training with his grandfather in 2013 and nine-year-old Precedence will be his first Cup runner.

Bart Cummings has won the race 12 times while Ed Dunlop is trying to win it for the first with another durable nine-year-old, Red Cadeaux who jumps from 15.

His trainer Ed Dunlop said he did not want him too close to the fence.

“I didn’t want to be too low so this is a nice draw,” he said.

“He came out of that draw when he ran second to Dunaden when beaten two pixels at his first time here.”

Second favourite Lucia Valentina has gate two while Signoff, who got into the field with his win in Saturday’s Lexus, was promoted in markets to third elect and has gate 16 with Joao Moreira to ride.

“The plan all along was to go the Lexus and sneak into the Cup without too much penalty,” trainer Darren Weir said.

“He will need a bit of luck from the gate. It will test Jo out a bit.”