Here’s some of what you may need to know – but no guarantees that it’s helpful – ahead of the big one on Tuesday.
Overall, the field includes nine runners trained out of Australia, and 10 of the 15 Australia-based horses are important.
Experts are giving the lot of them some sort of chance, a genuinely rare thing for the massive field and not so often run 3200m distance.
Set your clock to 4am if you’d like to see it live.
(Note: Odds are the best bet at oddschecker.com, 2am October 4)
Dunaden (Number 1, Barrier 1) Trained by Mikel Delzangles (France). Jockey Jamie Spencer. Weight: 58.5kg
Colours: Yellow with blue stars
– Won this race in 2011
– Third time in Oz, and the last two visits won a major
– Done well in Europe this year, but mostly at 2400m
– Only two horses with top weight have ever won the Cup, Rising Fast in 1954 and Makybe Diva in 2005.
Best odds £41
Green Moon (No 2, Barrier 10) Trained by Robert Hickmott. Jockey Brett Prebble. Weight: 57.5kg
Colours: Blue with white sleeve hoops
– Defending champion back for a second run
– Carries three more kilos than last year
– Would be just the sixth horse to win multiple Melbourne Cups
– Not a great preparation after missing the Caulfield Stakes due to an elevated temperature
Best odds: £41
Red Cadeaux (No 3, Barrier 23) Trained by Ed Dunlop (England) Jockey Gerald Mosse. Weight: 56.5kg
Colours: Blue sleeves, red and blue diamonds
– Second in 2011 and eighth in 2012
– Finished last year’s Cup really well
– Comes into the Cup fresh, which is when he’s at his best (finished second to Animal Kingdom in Dubai)
– Big weight after increases each year since 2011
Best odds: £67
Sea Moon (No 4, Barrier 7) Trained by Robert Hickmott. Jockey Steven Arnold. Weight: 56.5kg
– Lloyd Williams best hope for the Cup
– Well credentialed with a Royal Ascot win
– Won the Herbert Power over 2400m with a 59.5kg load
– Beat Cup quinella Dunaden and Red Cadeaux at Ascot
– Question on ability to stay the distance
Best odds: £17
Brown Panther (No 5, Barrier 6) Trained by Tom Dascombe (England). Jockey Robert Kingscote. Weight: 55kg
Colours: Light blue and dark blue hat (no red, WTF?)
– Owned by football legend Michael Owen
– England’s never won a Melbourne Cup.
– In good nick after winning the Goodwood Cup (3200m, Group 2) in August
– A proven stayer at home
Best odds: £21
Fiorente (No 6, Barrier 5) Trained by Gai Waterhouse. Jockey Damien Oliver. Weight: 55kg
Colours: Black with purple sash
– The favourite
– Came second last year with 53.5kg and has 55kg this year
– Terrific form so far in the Spring Carnival
– No necessarily proven over the distance
– Came second last year but it was a slow race
Best odds: £8.5
Foreteller (No 7, Barrier 15) Traineed by Chris Waller. Jockey Craig Newitt. Weight: 55kg
Colours: Green with yellow star
– In top form after good runs in Cox Plate, Caulfield Stakes and the Underwood
– From France originally but ran in Sydney since 2011
– Consistent in Group Ones with wins in Ranvet and Makybe Diva Stakes
– Second to Atlantic Jewel in the Caulfield Stakes
– No form over 2000m
Best odds: £29
Dandino (No 8, Barrier 4) Trained by Marco Botti (England). Jockey Ryan Moore. Weight: 54.5kg
Colours: Yellow
– Australian owned and England trained galloper
– Second at Royal Ascot and a win in the American St Leger (2,700m)
– Could have won the Caulfield Cup but didn’t so escapes weight penalty
– Good Europe form
– May be best at 2400
Ethiopia (No 9, Barrier 14) Trained by Pat Carey. Jockey Rhys McLeod. Weight: 54.5kg
Colour: Blue and green horizontal stripes
– A rare horse without any real support
– Won the 2012 Australian Derby (2400m)
– Came fourth in 2010 Cox Plate
– Last in Melbourne Cup last year
Best odds: £81
Fawkner (No 10, Barrier 8) Trained by Robert Hickmott. Jockey Nick Hall. Weight: 54.5kg
Colours: Dark blue with white sleeve hoops, royal blue hat
– The Caulfield Cup winner so cops an extra kilo
– Beat Cup opponents Fiorente, Hawkspur, Dear Demi and Super Cool in the Turnbull
– Not tested at 3200m
Best odds: £21
Mourayan (No 11, Barrier 19) Trained by Robert Hickmott. Jockey Brenton Avdulla. Weight: 54.5kg
Colours: Blue with red hat
– Sydney Cup winner at the same distance
– Seventh in Melbourne last year
– No problems with the distance
– May lack the speed for such a top race
Best odds: £151
Seville (No 12, Barrier 9) Trained by Robert Hickmott. Jockey Hugh Bowman. Weight: 54.5kg
Colours: Blue with yellow hat
– An impressive three-year-old in Europe
– Second to Green Moon in Turnbull last year
– Beaten well by Fiorente and Foreteller recently
– Distance a problem also
Best odds: £19
Super Cool (No 13, Barrier 13) Trained by Mark Kavanagh, Jockey Corey Brown. Weight: 54.5kg
Colours: Blue, red and white and blue hat
– Stupid name but good weight-for-age horse
– Won the Australian Cup in the autumn as a three-year-old (1996 winner Saintly did the same and carried more weight in the Cup)
– Beaten by Foreteller in Cox Plate and Caulfield Stakes, but put about seven lengths on the same one in the Australian, so can handle 3200m
Best odds: £67
Masked Marvel (No 14, barrier 2) Trained by Robert Hickmott, Jockey Michael Rodd. Weight: 54kg
Colours: Blue with pink hat
– Can handle the distance
– Won the 2011 English St Leger
– Flopped in the Cox Plate in 13th
– Was 12 lengths back when Mount Athos (next down) beat Brown Panther for the 2012 Freer
Best odds: £34
Mount Athos (No 15, Barrier 22) Trained by Luca Cumani (England), Jockey Craig Williams. Weight: 54kg
Colours: Grey with gold star
– Unlucky not to win Melbourne Cup last year, but the slow pace hurt
– Won by nine-lengths in Ormonde at Chester
– Not brilliant form, finished behind Mount Athos in the Goodwood Cup behind Brown Panther
– Knows his way around Flemington
Best odds: £11
Royal Empire (No 16, Barrier 11) Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor (England), Jockey Kerrin McEvoy. Weight: 54kg
Colours: All blue
– Only entry from the Godolphin stable, which is still to win the bog one
– Beat Red Cadeaux in the Freer
– May lack a turn of speed
– Best fresh and travels well
Best odds: £26
Voleuse De Coeurs (No 17, Barrier 21) Trained by Michael Moroney, Jockey James McDonald. Weight: 54kg
Colours: Blue with orange and white sleeve hoops and blue hat
– Former Irish stayer with a bit of form
– Big favourite in Limerick handicap but came second
– Won the Irish St Leger, which means lots
Best odds:
Hawkspur (No 18, Barrier 18) Trained by Chris Waller, Jockey Jim Cassidy. Weight: 53.5kg
Colours: White with black stars on torso and hat, purple with white star sleeves
– Prepared to peak for Melbourne Cup
– Suspected of holding back in seventh at Caulfield Cup
– Aussie bred chance
– Distance and age a worry
Best odds: £17
Simenon (No 19, Barrier 12) Trained by Willie Mullins (Ireland), Jockey Richard Hughes. Weight: 53.5kg
Colours: Mostly purple
– Another Irish charge and could be the third to with the Cut
– Proven stayer
– Won twice at the 2012 Royal Ascot over 4000m and 4300m
Best odds: £15
Ibicenco (No 20, Barrier 17) Trained by Peter Moody, Jockey Luke Nolan. Weight: 53kg
Colours: Blue and yellow horizontal stripes and whites sleeves and hat
– Won the Geelong Cup, which can be a form guide
– Geelong was lame this year
Best odds: £101
Verema (No 21, Barrier 3) Trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre (France), Jockey Christophe Lemaire. Weight: 53kg
Colours: Green with red marks on shoulders
– Comes in with wins in last two starts
– Won the Kergolay, which Americain and Dunaden won before winning the Melbourne Cup
– Alain de Royer Dupre, he trainer, won the Melbourne Cup with Americain in 2010
– A bit unknown Down Under
Best odds: £13
Dear Demi (No 22, Barrier 16) Trained by Clarry Conners, Jockey Chris Munce. Weight: 51kg
Colours: Blue with big white cross
– Crown Oaks champion at Flemington last year
– Ran third in the Caulfield Cup
– Own John Singleton apparently wins $5m if she wins
– Light weight
Best odds: £26
Tres Blue (No 23, Barrier 20) Trained by Gai Waterhouse, Jockey Tommy Berry. Weight: 51kg
Colours: Black top with yellow hat
– A new import for Gai, much in the same circumstances as Fiorente
– Youngest in the race b about eight months
– Winning form in the Group 3 Prix De Reux and Group 2 Grand Prix De Deauville
– Carrying more weight for age than any other horse
Best odds: £26
Ruscello (No 24, Barrier 24) Trained by Ed Walker (England), Jockey Chad Schofield. Weight: 50kg
Colours: Blue and yellow horizontal stripes, white sleeves and red hat
– Won the Lexus on Saturday
– But had the bottom weight
– Likely to be outclassed
Best odds: £51
Images via Getty
