Melbourne Cup 2024 live updates: Field, sweepstake, odds, tips, history ahead of the Race that Stops a Nation

Robbie Dolan riding Knight's Choice to win the Melbourne Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Melbourne Cup day is upon us. Here are all the details about what you need to know about the race that stops a nation at Flemington Track, including who are the favourites to win the cup, when the cup runs, who is in the cup, how far and how long the race takes.

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- Michael Guerin preview: Overseas raiders likely to steal away Melbourne Cup

- Sharp N Smart leading Kiwi Cup charge

- Why this Melbourne Cup win was New Zealand’s greatest ever

* Today’s newspaper version of the Melbourne Cup sweep chart transposed the field information. The following is the correct version. The error is regretted.

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Melbourne Cup field

1. Vauban (France)

55.5kg. Barrier 11. Jockey: William Buick. Odds to win: $6.50.

Top Irish stayer showing renewed spark since last year’s Cup flop. Strong Euro form for master $7 trainer Mullins. Better prepared this time around.

2. Buckaroo (Great Britain)

54.5kg. Barrier 21. Jockey: Joao Moreira. Odds to win: $7.

Cup favourite flying high with elite form. Two Group 1 placings from horror runs showcase $5 class. Waller-Moreira combo spells serious threat.

3. Circle Of Fire (Great Britain)

54.5kg. Barrier 24. Jockey: Mark Zahra. Odds to win: $21.

Sydney Cup winner below par lately but gets ace Cup pilot Zahra. Two-mile prowess and Maher’s $26 preparation timing could spark resurgence

4. Warp Speed (Japan)

54.5kg. Barrier 3. Jockey: Akira Sugawara. Odds to win: $26.

Japanese raider’s elite staying record includes 3400m Group placings. Forgive Caulfield flop - wrong conditions. Distance the key to improvement.

5. Kovalica (New Zealand)

53.5kg. Barrier 17. Jockey: Damian Lane. Odds to win: $21

Queensland Derby winner flashing home in Cox Plate suggests staying prowess. Waller’s long- $17 term Cup target now within striking distance.

6. Sharp ‘N’ Smart (New Zealand)

53.5kg. Barrier 15. Jockey: Michael Dee. Odds to win: $41.

Kiwi Derby winner hitting form with strong Valley Cup third. Proven Derby stamina and $71 Rogerson’s Cup expertise boost claims.

7. Just Fine (Ireland)

53kg. Barrier 13. Jockey: Jye McNeil. Odds to win: $51.

Golden Ticket Bart Cummings win earns spot. Valley Cup flop concerning but Gai confident of $51 Flemington improvement. Form shaky

8. Land Legend (France)

53kg. Barrier 18. Jockey: Zac Purton. Odds to win: $12.

Brave Caulfield Cup third despite doing too much. Purton’s mount will relish extra distance. $15 Strong chance if settles

9. Absurde (France)

52.5kg. Barrier 7. Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy. Odds to win: $10.

Led deep into last year’s Cup stretch. Fresh Chester Stakes winner returns stronger - Mullins’ $11 dual-purpose raider is a big chance.

10. Athabascan (France)

Scratched.

11. Knight’s Choice

51.5kg. Barrier 6. Jockey: Robbie Dolan. Odds to win: $151.

Queensland raider lost way badly in Melbourne runs. Kiwi co-trainer Laxon’s Cup magic from $201 Ethereal era needed here

12. Okita Soushi (Ireland)

51kg. Barrier 10. Jockey: Jamie Kah. Odds to win: $14.

Dominant Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner surging for Maher. Last year’s Cup experience plus $21 Kah’s light-weight claim spells danger.

13. Onesmoothoperator (USA)

51kg. Barrier 12. Jockey: Craig Williams. Odds to win: $8.

Geelong Cup winner stormed home like past famous raiders. Williams’ pick for Cup glory after stunning Australian debut.

14. Zardozi

51kg. Barrier 4. Jockey: Andrea Atzeni. Odds to win: $12.

VRC Oaks winner hitting form with strong Caulfield Cup fourth. Light weight and Cummings’ family legacy boost mare’s chances.

15. Sea King (Great Britain)

50.5kg. Barrier 1. Jockey: Hollie Doyle. Odds to win: $14.

Dominant Bendigo Cup romp after solid Ebor sixth. Star rider Doyle booked for late Cup qualifier. English raider timing run perfectly.

16. Valiant King (Great Britain)

50.5kg. Barrier 22. Jockey: Craig Newitt. Odds to win: $101.

Wide-drawn Caulfield Cup ninth better than looked. Waller’s lightly-raced import could surprise at juicy odds.

17. Fancy Man (Ireland)

50kg. Barrier 19. Jockey: Ron Stewart. Odds to win: $81.

Consistent placegetter hitting line well in Herbert Power and Caulfield Cup. Neasham’s import may lack knockout punch at elite level.

18. Interpretation (Ireland)

50kg. Barrier 14. Jockey: Teo Nugent. Odds to win: $19.

Unlucky Cup sixth last year after traffic trouble. Geelong Cup second suggests proven two-miler ready to peak again for Maher

19. Manzoice

50kg. Barrier 8. Jockey: Tyler Schiller. Odds to win: $151.

Former Victoria Derby winner hasn’t fired since that peak two years ago. Track specialist angle, $201 but form too patchy. Rank outsider.

20. Mostly Cloudy (Ireland)

50kg. Barrier 16. Jockey: Karis Teetan. Odds to win: $81.

Forgive Bart Cummings run on unsuitable ground. However recent form looks too poor despite Hong Kong ace Teetan booking.

21. Positivity (New Zealand)

50kg. Barrier 20. Jockey: Winona Costin. Odds to win: $71.

Talented Kiwi mare off key after Valley Cup failure. Recent setbacks and inexperience suggest Cup too tough.

22. Saint George (Great Britain)

50kg. Barrier 9. Jockey: TBA. Odds to win: $26.

Lightly-raced import flashing home late in Valley Cup with fastest final splits. Maher timing his peak perfectly. Could surprise at odds.

23. The Map

50kg. Barrier 23. Jockey: Rachel King. Odds to win: $51.

Andrew Ramsden winner secured Cup spot back in May. King’s mount denied clear Geelong Cup run - genuine roughie.

24. Trust In You (New Zealand)

50kg. Barrier 5. Jockey: Mark Du Plessis. Odds to win: $101.

Honest Kiwi battler stepping way up in class. Recent fourths behind Cup rivals show some promise but distance queries loom. Won’t threaten favourites.

* Odds at 7.45am.

Melbourne Cup favourite

Vauban heads in as the race favourite along with Buckaroo. Vauban last raced in September finishing second in Curragh with a victory in August at the York G2 Lonsdale Cup.

Michael Guerin’s Cup tips

1: Onesmoothoperator

2: Sea King

3: Vauban

4: Absurde

How much is the Melbourne Cup prize money?

NZ$9.4 million total prize pool. Winner earns $4.8 million.

What time is the Melbourne Cup in New Zealand?

5pm on Tuesday, November 5 at Flemington Track in Melbourne.

Listen live

Live commentary of the Melbourne Cup on Newstalk ZB and GOLD SPORT at 5pm.

How long is the Melbourne Cup?

The race used to be two miles but was later shortened to 3200 metres (an 18.66-metre difference) after Australia switched to the metric system in 1972. The race is roughly one-and-a-half times around the Flemington track.

Kingston Rule holds the record for the fastest time around the track, set by the American-bred horse in 1990 at 3 minutes, 16 seconds and 3 milliseconds. The only other runner to finish the race under 3 minutes and 17 seconds was 2002 winner Media Puzzle, with a time of 3:16:97.

How to watch the Melbourne Cup in New Zealand

You can stream the 2024 Melbourne Cup for free on TVNZ+ or Sky Sports.

Melbourne Cup explained

The 2024 Melbourne Cup, referred to as the “Race that Stops a Nation”, is one of Australia’s most anticipated sports events. The Melbourne Cup held its first race back in 1861 and was declared a public holiday in 1877.

The race has been competed each year aside from an intermission during the war years.

The winning trophy contains 1.65kg of 18ct Gold estimated at over A$200,000. Each cup takes over 250 hours to complete. W.J. Sanders has produced each Melbourne Cup from 2016 to present.

Male and female horses explained

A filly is a female horse under four years of age. A colt is a male horse under the age of four that has not been castrated.

A foal is a female or male horse under the age of one. A female foal is known as a filly foal and a male is known as a colt foal.

A mare is a horse that is four years or older and a stallion is a male horse four years or older.

A gelding is a male horse of any age that has been castrated.

New Zealand success at the Melbourne Cup

1883: Martini Henry

1890: Carbine

1907: Apologue

1916: Sasanof (NZ Trained)

1929: Nightmarch (NZ Trained)

1930: Phar Lap

1936: Wotan (NZ Trained)

1938: Catalogue (NZ Trained)

1947: Hiraji

1949: Foxzami

1952: Dalray (NZ Trained)

1954: Rising Fast (NZ Trained)

1955: Toparoa

1957: Straight Draw

1959: Macdougal

1960: Hi-Jinx (NZ Trained)

1962: Even Stevens (NZ Trained)

1964: Polo Prince (NZ Trained)

1965: Light Fingers

1966: Galilee

1967: Red Handed

1970: Baghdad Note (NZ Trained)

1971: Silver Knight (NZ Trained)

1974: Think Big

1975: Think Big

1976: Van der Hum (NZ Trained)

1977: Gold and Black

1978: Arwon

1979: Hyperno

1982: Gurner’s Lane

1983: Kiwi (NZ Trained)

1985: What a Nuisance

1987: Kensei

1988: Empire Rose (NZ Trained)

1989: Tawrrific

1991: Let’s Elope

1995: Doriemus

1997: Might and Power

1998: Jezabeel

2000: Brew (NZ Trained)

2001: Ethereal (NZ Trained)

2007: Efficient

2015: Prince of Penzance

2021: Verry Elleegant

The previous five Melbourne Cup winners

2023: Without A Fight

2022: Gold Trip

2021: Verry Elleegant

2020: Twilight Payment

2019: Vow and Declare