Welcome to news.com.au’s live coverage of the Melbourne Cup.
All eyes will be on Flemington this afternoon for the race that stops the nation, which is scheduled for 3pm AEDT.
Vauban is the favourite to win the $8.4m, 3200m race, while Gold Trip is also considered a strong chance to pull off back to back Melbourne Cup victories.
You can read an ultimate form guide on each runner and the best betting strategies for the great race.
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The monster 10-race meet begins from 10.45am.
9.30am – Betting plunge rocks Melbourne Cup
There’s been early drama at the Melbourne Cup with a long-shot runner suddenly being slashed with bookmakers.
Trainer Ciaron Maher’s Right You Are has been a massive firmer with Sportsbet to win the great race.
The corporate bookmaker announced Right You Are was $81 this morning but has suddenly firmed into $31.
The seven-year-old gelding is one of just two Australian bred horses in the race.
The other big move has been on Military Mission, which has firmed from $61 into $18.
On TAB fixed odds, Irish raider Vauban shortened from $4.60 to $4.20 on Tuesday morning, making him a clear-cut favourite ahead of Without A Fight ($7.50) and defending champ Gold Trip ($8).
9am – Punters make mad dash as gates open
The most dramatic race on Melbourne Cup day is often the battle to get the best seats. It was on for yound and old on Tuesday morning.
7.45am – Huge shock with Damien Oliver fairytale alive
Champion jockey Damien Oliver’s dream of a final Melbourne Cup run is alive after Racing Victoria vets cleared his runner Alenquer to race on Tuesday morning.
The six year-old gelding pulled up sore after suffering a stone bruise while doing trackwork.
Racing Victoria assessed the horse during the compulsory checks on Monday and chose not to clear Alenquer to run — however, Oliver and the horse’s connections were given the good news on Tuesday morning – just hours out from the race.
According to reports, the horse’s connections had all-but conceded the horse would be scratched, but Oliver himself was confident when speaking on Monday afternoon.
“I just spoke to Mike Moroney the trainer an hour or two ago and he’s quietly confident the horse is going to get there,” he said.
7am – Big movement in Melbourne Cup betting
Vauban has been backed to win more than $3 million at the famous Melbourne Cup Call Of The Card at Crown Casino.
The bets included $320,000 split between $5 and $4.80, $230,000 at $4.80 and $200,000 at $5.
Two bets of $50,000 at $5 were taken on the Willie Mullins star, as well as bets of $25,000, $20,000 and $10,000.
He firmed into $4.80 across the board, racenet.com.au reports.
Absurde, the stablemate of favourite Vauban, has been backed to win $2 million, including $20,000 each-way at $12. Bartholomew also backed it to win $500,000.
7am – Why 22 horses have been wiped out
If you find trawling through a Melbourne Cup form guide more daunting than public speaking, don’t fret, we’ve got a simple way to help you choose which horse to back in the main event this afternoon — and it’ll be over in 60 seconds.
It’s even quicker this year because the field is down to 23 after CLEVELAND was a late scratching on Monday evening.
You can catch the full 60-second guide, but we’ll put you out of your misery and tell you right now, the one horse left standing is going to be French gelding ABSURDE.
