UPDATED: With the 2024 Melbourne Cup to be run on Tuesday 5th November the race is certainly closing in so we take a look at a likely field for this years edition of the race with the final field to be announced on Derby Day.
The market for the Melbourne Cup 2024 underwent quite a big reshuffle this week with early race favourite Jan Brueghel being withdrawn from the race by Victorian stewards as well as Cox Plate winner Via Sistina being ruled out of backing up in the race.
With the two early race favourites coming out of the Melbourne Cup the new favourite for the race is the exciting stayer Buckaroo who is at $5.00 with betting sites in Australia after his eye catching run in the Caulfield Cup.
Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator is another horse that has shortened considerably since his win last week and is now at $6.00 on the second line of Melbourne Cup betting.
Vauban has been given a chance to rectify his poor run in the race last year as favourite and he is on the third line of betting at $7.00 and has been kept very safe by betting companies.
Following his emphatic win in the Bendigo Cup the Harry Eustace trained Sea King jumped up into fourth favourite for the Melbourne Cup and good judges have indicated they think he has what it takes to win the rare Bendigo Cup Melbourne Cup double.
Melbourne Cup Likely Field:
| 1 | VAUBAN (FR) | 55.5kg | Willie Mullins |
| 2 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | 54.5kg | Ciaron Maher |
| 3 | BUCKAROO (GB) | 54.5kg | Chris Waller |
| 4 | WARP SPEED (JPN) | 54.5kg | Noboru Takagi |
| 5 | SHARP ‘N’ SMART (NZ) | 53.5kg | G & D Rogerson |
| 6 | KOVALICA (NZ) | 53.5kg | Chris Waller |
| 7 | JUST FINE (IRE) | 53kg | Waterhouse & Bott |
| 8 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | 53kg | Chris Waller |
| 9 | ABSURDE (FR) | 52.5kg | Willie Mullins |
| 10 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | 52kg | O’Shea & Charlton |
| 11 | MAHRAJAAN (USA) | 52kg | Ritchie & Murray |
| 12 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | 51.5kg | Symons & Laxon |
| 13 | ZARDOZI | 51kg | James Cummings |
| 14 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | 51kg | Ciaron Maher |
| 15 | ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) | 51kg | Brian Ellison |
| 16 | MURAMASA | 51kg | Busuttin & Young |
| 17 | VALIANT KING (GB) | 50.5kg | Chris Waller |
| 18 | THE MAP | 50kg | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray |
| 19 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) | 50kg | Ciaron Maher |
| 20 | FANCY MAN (IRE) | 50kg | Neasham & Archibald |
| 21 | MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) | 50kg | Busuttin & Young |
| 22 | POSITIVITY (NZ) | 50kg | Andrew Forsman |
| 23 | MISSION OF LOVE | 50kg | Symons & Laxon |
| 24 | SEA KING (GB) | 50kg | Harry Eustace |
| NEXT IN LINE | |||
| 24 | TRUST IN YOU (NZ) | 50kg | Wallace & Cooksley |
| 25 | SAINT GEORGE (GB) | 50kg | Ciaron Maher |
| 26 | BRAYDEN STAR (GB) | 50kg | Busuttin & Young |
| 27 | MANZOICE | 50kg | Chris Waller |
