Our friends Down Under brand it ‘the race that stops the nation’ and the hype is building for this year’s Melbourne Cup.
It is one of the most prestigious and lucrative races on the global horse racing calendar and the 164th edition of the famous Flemington feature boasts a prize pot worth $8.56million, which is roughly more than €5m. Woof!
The Melbourne Cup is a two-mile slog and stamina is needed by the bucketload to emerge victorious.
Without A Fight claimed the spoils in last year’s renewal to keep the trophy on home soil after red-hot favourite Vauban failed to fire for Willie Mullins.
The Closutton maestro has sent the 2022 Triumph Hurdle hero and fellow dual-purpose star Absurde on the long journey to Australia for a shot at redemption, however.
Northumberland Plate winner Onesmoothoperator is set to spearhead the British charge after a striking success in the Geelong Cup on Aussie soil.
Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien was set to run a horse in the race for the first time in four years in the form of St Leger hero Jan Brueghel but Racing Victoria’s infamously strict vets have ruled the Ballydoyle star out of proceedings.
You can run the rule over our Melbourne Cup odds on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, otherwise all the key details about this year’s renewal can be found below.
Melbourne Cup 2024 date and start time
The Melbourne Cup is set to take place at Flemington on Tuesday, November 5. The post time has been scheduled for 04:00. You can watch the race live on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app.
Melbourne Cup 2024 runners and riders
The following 24 horses have been declared for the Melbourne Cup 2024.
Vauban (William Buick)
Buckaroo (Joao Moreira)
Circle Of Fire (Mark Zahra)
Warp Speed (Akira Sugawara)
Kovalica (Damian Lane)
Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Michael Dee)
Just Fine (Jye McNeil)
Land Legend (Zac Purton)
Absurde (Kerrin McEvoy)
Athabascan (NR)
Knight’s Choice (Robbie Dolan)
Okita Soushi (Jamie Kah)
Onesmoothoperator (Craig A Williams)
Zardozi (Andrea Atzeni)
Sea King (Hollie Doyle)
Valiant King (Craig Newitt)
Fancy Man (Ronnie Stewart)
Interpretation (Teodore Nugent)
Manzoice (Declan Bates)
Mostly Cloudy (Karis Teetan)
Positivity (Winona Costin)
Saint George (Tyler Schiller)
The Map (Rachel King)
Trust In You (Mark Du Plessis)
Without A Fight winning the Melbourne Cup 2023 at Flemington
Melbourne Cup 2024 betting
Melbourne Cup odds are on paddypower.com and prices for the leading contenders can be seen on our snazzy widgets below.
Despite flopping last year, Vauban is the favourite with Paddy Power for the Melbourne Cup after scooting to victory in the Lonsdale Cup at the Ebor Festival and finishing a fine second behind Kyprios in the Irish St Leger last time out.
Buckaroo, formerly trained by Joseph O’Brien, is next in the betting for the Melbourne Cup after an impressive run of results in the past two months including victory in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.
Willie Mullins’ other runner, Absurde, is third in the market after last year’s seventh warmed up for the trip Down Under by landing the Listed Chester Stakes.
Northumberland Plate winner Onesmoothoperator is also prominent in the market after landing the Group 3 Geelong Cup on his first outing Down Under.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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