There is no bigger race in this part of the world than the Melbourne Cup. And with it comes a full ten-race card, almost all of which are capacity fields or near enough to capacity.

It’s arguably the toughest day’s punting on the racing calendar, but we shouldn’t let that stop us from having a crack.

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Race 1 – 10.40am
An early start, with unpredictable two-year-olds taking on the famous Flemington straight. Only a handful of these 16 juveniles have had race experience, and a number haven’t even been seen at the trials.

Madeenaty is the odds-on pop after an impressive debut when she was well backed to win here on Turnbull Stakes day. Tarima, Margot and New Blessing all come from the same Bendigo maiden, but are not expected to figure here.

Lucky Louie, down from Sydney, looks the value. Anthony Cummings has had a bright start to the season with his two-year-olds, albeit without winning yet, and it would be an omen start to Melbourne Cup day for the famous Cummings name to salute.

Selections: 1. Lucky Louie 2. Madeenaty 3. Hard Faith 4. Wired

Suggested Bet: Lucky Louie each-way

Race 2 – 11.20am
This race over 1700m brings together some good class mares that have been racing in better grade but without many wins on their recent resume, and some visitors from interstate or the country tracks.

The unbeaten Model Dragon will be hard to beat second-up, stepping up in distance from a good draw, and the Phillip Stokes/Dom Tourneur combination has been one of the most winningest in Cup week over recent years.

Nassak has a good winning strike rate, and the James Cummings stable is firing. Sort After beat the highly regarded Euro Angel two starts back and never runs a bad race. Gai Waterhouse will have trained her to peak on this day.

Of the locals, Amarela should appreciate Flemington after three runs at Caulfield, and makes each-way appeal. Every Faith may be ready to strike now fourth-up. Jessy Belle and Metaphorical are the proven class runners, but have to carry 59.5 kilos accordingly. They won’t be far away, but whether they can beat them all is another question.

Selections: 1. Model Dragon 2. Sort After 3. Nassak 4. Amarela

Suggested bet: Model Dragon – win

Race 3 – midday
This race brings together the lesser class of stayer over 2800m, a few levels below Melbourne Cup level. Some might even call them the battlers, but there are some honest horses among them.

In these type of races on the big days, it can pay to stick with the big name trainers, especially when they are partnered with their favourite jockeys.

Chris Waller is a master trainer of stayers, and has three live chances here. Murphy’s Delight is the most favoured of the trio, no doubt helped by the engagement of Hugh Bowman to ride. This horse has had a solid build-up to this kind of trip, and the further the better for him.

Waller also has top weight Kinema, whose fourth in the Geelong Cup looks better now given Oceanographer ran third there and is now second favourite in the Melbourne Cup. Four Carat is an honest type down in the weights.

Darren Weir has the ever-consistent Firenze, with Dean Yendall engaged, who is riding a hot patch of form in big races with two Group 1 wins and a Cox Plate third in recent weeks. Owner Lloyd Williams has four runners in the big one, but also Morning Mix in this, with Katelyn Mallyon on board, one of the best judged of pace in the country.

There are chances also to Super Haze, All I Survey and Sonntag who has been well backed at odds in early markets.

Selections: 1. Murphy’s Delight 2. Morning Mix 3. Firenze 4. All I Survey

Suggested bet: Boxed quinella – Murphy’s Delight, Firenze, Morning Mix, All I Survey.

Race 4 – 12.40pm
This race over 1400m looks one of the easiest to dissect of the day.

Demonstrate has matured into a nice sprinter, and has been putting together some nice wins in lesser grade after running into a few stars earlier in his career. Rageese is a quality galloper that is building to a win but just hasn’t had things go his way this prep. 59.5 kilos is a steadier for him here.

Lucky Liberty is extremely smart, and trainer Henry Dwyer has a huge opinion of him. He wasn’t far behind Demonstrate three starts back and has won twice since, improving each time. Burning Passion brings good Sydney form to the event and must be included.

Sebring Sun and Sovereign Nation are classy types running in good form races and are both due to break through. They appeal as the value runners at double figure odds.

Selections: 1. Lucky Liberty 2. Demonstrate 3. Rageese 4. Burning Passion

Suggested bet: Boxed first four – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Race 5 – 1.20pm
This is the second straight race for the day over 1000m for three-year-olds, and it brings together some handy types. They are coming from everywhere, so their form is hard to line up against each other.

Speedeor has only had two starts, winning his maiden last time out, and has been heavily backed in the early markets. His sire, Northern Meteor, was a Group 1 winner down the Flemington straight.

Biased Witness will be tough to beat for Robert Smerdon. Ashlor is three from three working his way through the grades, and deserves this kind of test now. Amanaat won a moderate maiden by four lengths back in May, but hasn’t been seen since. This will have been a target race for the Hayes and Dabernig stable.

Neapolitan must be taken seriously, and if you just backed the Stokes/Tourneur combination this week you’ll probably end up in front. Dream First has created a lot of interest first-up since February, when she contested the Blue Diamond lead-ups, running with distinction.

Selections: 1. Speedeor 2. Dream First 3. Neapolitan 4. Biased Witness

Suggested bet: Dream First each-way

Race 6 – 2pm
This 1400m race for fillies has attracted an even field, with at least half of them genuine winning chances. It’s one of the toughest races of the day.

Sylpheed heads the market, and her supporters that backed her into odds-on favouritism last start are keen to follow up again after Damien Oliver gave her a ride that was not magnificent. Tommy Berry should give her a gun run from barrier three.

Sweet Sherry looks toughest to beat, winning two from three this prep, and should probably have won the other after a run that was interrupted several times in transit. She’s drawn to be ridden with cover and swoop late.

The Snowden yard always finds a winner or two in Cup week and have My Country ready to win here, as well as Quick Feet at much longer odds than she should be. Faraway Town ran well in Group 1’s in the autumn, and we’ve seen that form stand up through Yankee Rose and Prized Icon this spring. She’ll relish every bit of 1400m.

Samara Dancer can improve at odds with a more economical run. Skylight Glow has form behind the right horses from earlier in her prep, but may have trained off. The race does not end there either.

Selections: 1. Faraway Town 2. Sweet Sherry 3. Sylpheed 4. Quick Feet

Suggested bet: Faraway Town each-way

Race 7 – Melbourne Cup – 3pm
The race that stops our nation is here, and brings with it the usual array of storylines and chances, from local hopes, imports, and visiting internationals.

Caulfield Cup winner Jameka has been on the drift in recent days, as is often the case given she hasn’t raced for two and a half weeks, and other horses run and catch the attention of punters.

Jameka was a powerful, explosive and dominant winner of the Caulfield Cup, in a manner that suggested 3200m would prove no problem. She has drawn perfectly in barrier three and will be able to sit in the fourth pair behind what should be a strong speed. Nothing from the Caulfield Cup will be beating her home, so you can rule out Our Ivanhowe, Exospheric, Almoonqith and Sir John Hawkwood.

Hartnell beat Jameka pointless in the Turnbull Stakes two starts back and has since run second in the Cox Plate behind the great Winx. Of the last six locally trained Melbourne Cup winners, four of them have used the Turnbull/Cox as their final lead-ups. It’s the right formula. Question marks remain over his distance credentials, and whether the Cox Plate run will have taken too much out of him.

Oceanographer is the late horse on the scene, improving out of sight since arriving in the country. The winner of the Lexus Stakes always runs well in the Cup, and he should prove no exception. Nothing that he has faced in that race or the Geelong Cup will finish in front of him here, so there is no room for Qewy, Grey Lion, Rose of Virginia and Pentathlon.

Almandin for Lloyd Williams has been the street-corner tip for a couple of weeks, and will give you value for money around the $16 mark with only 52 kilos on his back. He’s won his two lead-ups in fine style, giving the impression that he would have plenty more to give in the Cup.

Looking at horses behind Almandin at his last two starts, and thus tying in the Moonee Valley Cup, we can rule out B-graders like Assign, Excess Knowledge, Grand Marshal, Gallante and Who Shot Thebarman.

That leaves us with the internationals that are all having their first run here this prep.

Big Orange ran fifth in the Cup last year, and looks less suited this time. Exospheric looks to have his measure from when they met in Europe, and we saw Jameka have that horse covered in the Caulfield Cup. Bondi Beach was part of the midfield carnage in the Cup last year, and needs to find a bit to be a contender here.

Godolphin visitors Beautiful Romance and Secret Number don’t have a great deal of respect in the market, and don’t profile like Melbourne Cup winners. Japanese runner Curren Mirotic has run six times in the last 12 months, for one good run and five plain performances. He is a good horse on his day, but that day is coming around less and less frequently. He will set the pace and likely be the first one beaten.

Wicklow Brave and Heartbreak City are the two visiting horses we are yet to see with the best chance of taking home the Cup.

Wicklow Brave is a last start winner that is peaking at the right time. He had Trip to Paris 16 lengths behind him there, and we remember that horse running second in the Caulfield Cup and fourth in the Melbourne Cup last year. His trainer has targeted this race successfully in the past, for two top-four finishes from the only horses he’s brought over.

Heartbreak City has won three in a row, including a couple over the jumps, and is coming into his own at the right time as a 10-15 length better horse than he was a year ago. His trainer has a reputation for canny placement and scoring big ticket wins with well-rated handicappers.

There looks to be a genuine tempo in this race, and the strongest stayers will certainly come to the fore at the end of 3200m. Expect to see a well-spread field as they cross the finish line.

The winner should come out of Hartnell, Wicklow Brave, Jameka, Heartbreak City, Almandin and Oceanographer.

Selections: 1. Jameka 2. Oceanographer 3. Wicklow Brave 4. Hartnell

Suggested bet: Box the six horses mentioned above in a trifecta.

Race 8 – 4pm
Fabrizio is one of the hottest favourites of the day and will prove hard to beat in this 1800m event. He was barbequed in the lead in the Epsom two starts back, which has proven one of the hottest form races of the spring. He bolted in last time, and will look the winner for most of the straight.

Jacquinot Bay brings Melbourne Group 1 form into the race, and has been itching to get into easier grade and become a winning chance. He is ridiculous overs at around the $17 mark.

Plot the Course will be hard to beat if barrier one isn’t a disadvantage. Lidari has been a proven Group 1 performer over the years, and made The United States work to beat him in the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley last week.

Hi World and Tashbeeh have the quality to figure if they find their best form, but are enigmatic competitors. US import Closing Bell is one of the most interesting runners of the day, on debut for Chris Waller with magic man Joao Moreira on board.

Selections: 1. Jacquinot Bay 2. Fabrizio 3. Closing Bell 4. Tashbeeh

Suggested bet: Jacquinot Bay each-way

Race 9 – 4.40pm
Near capacity field 1200m straight races are always among the hardest to predict, and this race looks no exception.

Faatinah carries top weight and will be hard to beat if he can reproduce his Bobbie Lewis win from September. He was superb at Caulfield last start too. Ruettiger comes out of the same race, and also enjoys the straight course. Sir Bacchus was heavily backed to win last start, and has claims again.

Ravi is a lightly raced mare with form behind some good horses like Heavens Above and Sheidel this prep. The latter won on Derby day, and the former was denied luck in the Myer Classic. This won’t be an easy race for Ravi to win, but she is certainly capable.

Lord Von Costa isn’t the worst $31 shot you’ll see all day, unlucky last start behind a good horse. His three previous runs were down the Flemington straight, where he finished in the first two each time, and the form around him there is strong.

Selections: 1. Lord Von Costa 2. Ravi 3. Faatinah 4. Sir Bacchus

Suggested bet: Lord Von Costa each-way

Race 10 – 5.15pm
The last race of a long day, over 1400m for the mares, sees what might be the best bet.

Silent Sedition has had six runs in 2016 for three wins, including two black type events, and three seconds, including one at Group 1 level, and last start when first-up behind Sheidel, a horse that has since won again on Derby day.

Silent Sedition likes to race handy to the speed, and Craig Williams will have every chance to get the perfect run from barrier four, especially given the race looks like it could be run at a moderate tempo.

The main dangers appear to come from Sydney, particularly through the Nivison Stakes won by Egyptian Symbol, a four-year-old mare that ran well in good races as a three-year-old filly.

Artistry was second there and could have finished closer with a kinder run. Onemorezeta ran a closing fifth despite doing a few things wrong, and can improve. Kimberley Star was fourth behind Egyptian Symbol, and was another hard luck story.

A Lotta Love was right behind Silent Sedition two starts back and must be taken seriously hitting 1400m for the first time this prep. She always runs well. Shillelagh is talented and appears destined to win black type races.

Selections: 1. Silent Sedition 2. Onemorezeta 3. Shillelagh 4. Kimberley Star

Suggested bet: Silent Sedition – win