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The 2012 Melbourne Cup will be run and won at 3pm AEDT and we’ll bring you live updates, results – including who came last – and all the news of the race as we build to Australia’s richest race.
Preview: International raiders will be looking to claim their third Melbourne Cup and what appears to be the strongest field in Melbourne Cup history is littered with fairytale stories awaiting the victor.
With British, French, Italian, American, German and Irish horses all making the final field, the world’s richest 3200m handicap has now progressed beyond the race that stops the nation to the race that stops the world.
The quality of horses to miss the Melbourne Cup highlights the strength of this year’s field. The winners of the Herbert Power Stakes (Shahwardi), Geelong Cup (Gatewood), Moonee Valley Cup (Vatuvei) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Ironstein) have all been balloted out of the final field.
Previous years have shown those four aforementioned races to be excellent Melbourne Cup indicators. Additionally, the overseas trip for international raiders Brigantin, Lost in the Moment and Ibecenco have been in vain after the successful European stayers narrowly missed out on the final field.
In the end however, the Melbourne Cup is about who wins, not who missed out and when the gates open, 24 horses will run the race of their lives and cement a place in history for themself, their trainer, jockey and owners.
Can Dunaden claim back to back Melbourne Cups carrying what would be a history defying 59kg which would essentially secure a spot in the racing hall of fame?
Ten years on from Damien Oliver’s emotional victory aboard Media Puzzle which was dedicated to brother Jason, he once again finds himself in the centre of media attention. Can the champion jockey once again bounce back from adversity in a story which could not be scripted by Hollywood’s finest and win aboard Americain?
After losing by the narrowest of Melbourne Cup margins, will Red Cadeaux be racing with a vengeance to go one better than his second placing in 2011?
Renowned internationally as one of the best racing partnerships in history, Frankie Dettori will be riding for Godolphin aboard Cavalryman. In this swansong, could both parties finally win that elusive Melbourne Cup?
Since the Melbourne Cup existed, Luca Cumani wanted to win it, but it has taken all of his forty year career to train what he believes to be his best ever.
He’s trained the runner up on two occasions but genuinely believes Mount Athos and My Quest For Peace are better than any he’s sent in the past. Is it honesty or desperation from the trainer who will never give up?
Cups King Bart Cummings has become synonymous with the first Tuesday of November and will need the greatest ever of his training performances to bring home outsiders Sanagas or Precedence to victory. Does the 84 year old have anything left in the tank?
As the only horse to be bred by an Australian and trained by and Australian, Ethiopia is the ultimate underdog story of this field. Trainer Pat Carey and jockey Rhys McLeod are true battlers in the Australian industry with little resources compared to the large metropolitan stables. As the least raced horse in this field with just seven previous starts, can Ethiopia carry the Australian flag to victory?
As the most successful international trainer in this race, Dermot Weld saddles up Galileo’s Choice as the Irishman attempts to win his third Melbourne Cup. Having claimed this race in 1993 and 2002, Weld’s horse has drawn the most successful barrier (11) in the race’s history but is that enough?
Lloyd Williams buys horses to win Melbourne Cups and victory in any other race is just loose change for him. He entered the season with six genuine Cup chances but injuries have cruelled his contingent down to two. As an owner, Williams has the 1981, 1985 and 2007 Cups in his trophy cabinet. Can Green Moon or Mourayan deliver one of Australia’s most prominent owners their fourth Melbourne Cup?
Narrowly missing out in 2010, Maluckyday will be out to deliver trainer John Hawkes his first Melbourne Cup after being at the top of Australian racing for four decades. Two years on, has the horse has matured enough to go one better than his 2010 second placing?
No mare has won this race since the legendary Makybe Diva claimed her third Melbourne Cup in 2005. Does locally trained Lights of Heaven have what it takes to join the honour roll of girls who beat the boys and give the successful Peter Moody-Luke Nolen partnership their first Melbourne Cup?
The Lexus Stakes has been an excellent form race in past years with the past three winners all running well three days later in the Cup. Carrying absolutely no weight with Glen Boss aboard, can Kelinni replicate the success of past Lexus winners to give Boss a record equalling four Melbourne Cups?
On the biggest betting day of the year, bookmakers will be praying to hear Jakkalberry, Winchester, Voila Ici, Fiorente, Glencadum Gold, Niwot, Tac De Boistron, Unusual Suspect or Zabeelionaire finding the winning post first. In the event of a boilover, will the surrounding streets of Flemington be a safe place at 5pm?
All of these questions and more will be answered at 3pm when 24 horses and 24 jockeys go to war in what is quickly becoming much more than ‘the race that stops the nation’.
Melbourne Cup 2012 Photos
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