Melbourne Cup day is upon us once more. From a punting perspective, it’s the toughest card of the year – 10 races, capacity fields, and horses from all over the country (and the world, for the Melbourne Cup itself) bringing different form to line up.

But, none of that will stop us having a bet in every race.

Given the size of the fields, chasing value isn’t to be discouraged. All you have to do is find one double-figure winner and you’ve done your job for the day. That said, it can also mean some favourites are possibly a point or two over what they should be.

Race 1 – 10.50am

An early start sees the two year old fillies opening proceedings. Eight of the 12 horses are making their debut, which makes things tricky.

Two year olds with race experience are usually the way to go in these early season events, and Champagne Boom looks to have a lap those that we’ve seen.

She won by an arrogant 2.5 lengths first up, and will have been given plenty of straight racing experience at the Euroa training stables of the Hayes clan.

This race is called the Bumble Stakes, named after a dating app. We’ll be looking a long time for a bigger omen bet this week than Still Single. The Chris Waller / Hugh Bowman combination is well known through Winx, to add even more luster to this horse.

Sisstar won her recent trial by a good margin, and Tony McEvoy is one of the most astute trainer of juveniles in the country. Bella Rosa also showed something at the trials, and her stable has already won one of the main two year old races this season.

Win – 1.Champagne Boom
Omen bet – 12.Still Single

Selections: 1.Champagne Boom 2.Sisstar 3.Bella Rose 4.Still Single

Race 2 – 11.30am
Second up is a 1700m handicap for mares, and there are some horses here that have been running in stronger races than this.

Mamzelle Tess looks to tick all the boxes with placings at Group 2 and Group 3 level at her last two starts, as well as one behind the talented Tulip. It has been 12 starts since she’s won, with eight placings in that time, so that’s a little knock given she’ll be favourite here. She’ll box seat and has to be right in the finish.

One More Try has been carrying big weights in lesser grades, and is two from two this prep. She’ll appreciate the drop to the minimum and stepping up in distance. Seductive Miss is coming off a nice run at Caulfield behind I Am a Star, and if replicated here would put her in the frame. Mrs Gardenia will appreciate the lesser grade and shapes to get a perfect run – it never hurts to side with Darren Weir either.

Each-way – 5.Mamzelle Tess
Roughies – 11.Seductive Miss; 12.One More Try

Selections: 1.Mamzelle Tess 2.One More Try 3.Mrs Gardenia 4.Seductive Miss

Race 3 – 12.05pm
Fifty Stars has come up a $2.30 favourite in this race. Now, he’s a smart and progressive type, but has already been beaten as even money favourite twice this campaign, and we can’t be taking that price in a capacity field when he’s jumping from a double figure barrier at the tricky 1400m start.

With such a short favourite, there’s plenty of value on offer, and four horses appeal at double figure odds.

Suncraze has been going great guns in Sydney – Trekking form is good form for this grade, and last start he was second in a $1.3M race on Everest day. Fox Hall is a Stakes winner and Group 3 placegetter that has been targeted at this race second-up after running well upon resumption and will strip fitter. Likely leader.

Éclair Calling is just so consistent, knows how to win, and trainer Phillip Stokes has a knack for popping up in Cup week. Beau Geste probably hasn’t lived up to his early promise at this stage of his career, but look for improvement from him back onto a good track and with blinkers going on. He’s run competitively and chased home some pretty good horses in his time.

The James Cummings stable is flying for Godolphin at the moment, so Haunted goes in everything.

Each-way – 9.Eclair Calling
Roughies – 4.Suncraze; 7.Fox hall; 12.Beau Geste

Selections: 1.Eclair Calling 2.Fifty Stars 3.Haunted 4.Fox Hall

Race 4 – 12.40pm
The first of the staying races on the card presents itself, over 2800m, and it looks a tough one to dissect. There are a number of horses here coming off plain performances in much better races, and then a number of horses winning or running well in the lower grades.

Darren Weir holds a strong hand with four runners – Azuro and Steel Price ran the quinella over 2400m at Caulfield on Blue Sapphire day last start and are in the mix again. Kellstorm got back on the winners list with a strong victory in Adelaide a fortnight ago. Chequered Flag looks ready to go at big odds after an improved showing in the Geelong Cup – this is more his class.

Chris Waller has the fresh horse on the scene, with Shraaoh having his first start in the country. Doukhan is coming off the best last start run by far, with a second at Group 3 weight-for-age level, but he is a better horse with the cut out of the ground at least, and truthfully prefers it wet – if the track comes up soft he’s the bet.

Each-way – 12.Steel Prince
Roughie – 5.Chequered Flag

Selections: 1.Steel Prince 2.Chequered Flag 3.Doukhan 4.Azuro

Race 5 – 1.15pm
The respite of a smaller field presents here, but to offset that it’s a 1000m straight race with a number of talented three-year-olds.

Nomothaj has two wins at this track and distance, and has the scalps of Ranier and Sunlight in one of those – and doesn’t that stand out after both won races on Derby Day. She’s been friendless in the early betting though and has to give weight to the boys. Legend of Condor returned to form in the Brian Crowley last start, and his two-year-old form looks good for this, but can we trust him?

Roosevelt was short favourite in that Brian Crowley, but put in a run that can only be described as basic. Not sure where he is at exactly, but the straight might help him. Fine Dane has only had the three starts – he got within half a length of Written By two back, and last time out clearly should have won at Bendigo beating Beauty – that horse subsequently won a Stakes race at Moonee Valley.

Each-way – 7.Fine Dane

Selections: 1.Fine Dane 2.Legend of Condor 3.Chabreet 4.Roosevelt

Race 6 – 1.50pm
Another capacity field here, this time for a 1400m Listed race for fillies.

Mirette is the market-elect, and comes up favourite off the back of her Thousand Guineas sixth. She wasn’t quite up to winning at that level, but was only two lengths away – Fundamentalist was second there, and placed in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes on Saturday to frank the form. She’s easy to find.

As ever on Cup day, there’s some value around.

Enbihaar might be ready to win now up to 1400m. She was second in the Blue Diamond at two, and last start was a fast finishing fourth to Sunlight in a leader dominated race – Sunlight won the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day against the best three year old sprinters in the country. $15 is a great price.

Beauty is unbeaten in three starts, and is coming off a Stakes win. If Fine Dane wins in Race 5, that will only enhance her credentials, so double figure odds appeals. Into the Abyss has form around Group 1 fillies Sunlight and Seaburge, and was right there behind Beauty at Moonee Valley. A wide barrier isn’t great for her.

Notation is two from two, both dominant wins, and is clearly untapped. She might just be too good for them and having the worlds best jockey Ryan Moore on board is no harm.

Each-way – 12.Mirette

Roughie – 1.Enbihaar; 9.Into The Abyss

Selections: 1.Mirette 2.Notation 3.Enbihaar 4.Into The Abyss

Race 7: Melbourne Cup – 3:00pm

The Melbourne Cup looks a thin race for top end chances this year. As ever, any number of horses could run into third and fourth for exotics, but we don’t need to dig too deep to find the winner.

Yucatan is the dominant favourite, and rightfully so. The formguide says his win in the Herbert Power at Caulfield says 1.25 lengths, but in reality it was an 8-10 length demolition of some decent stayers. A horse like Gallic Chieftan was fourth there beaten the same margin (on paper) as he was in the Caulfield Cup a week later.

All reports are that Yucatan has continued to thrive since his Herbert Power win and the three and a half weeks between runs shapes perfectly. Look for him to push across from barrier 23 and take a position forward of midfield.

Magic Circle looks the biggest threat to Yucatan, coming off two six length victories in long distance races this year. The acceleration he showed in the final furlong of those wins suggest he’ll measure up to the Australian racing style. He’ll be thriving at the end of 3200m, while many of the chances this year are untested at the distance.

Youngstar is the Australian horse that might be a threat. Her Turnbull Stakes second to Winx was superb and we need to rate that form. Even Winx might not have been able to win the Caulfield Cup from where Youngstar was but she still ran fast closing sectionals. Craig Williams will ride her where comfortable, but won’t want to be much worse than midfield.

Muntahaa was an authoritative winner of the Ebor over 3200m last time out, and was really pulling away strongly on the line. Marmelo should run well and can improve on his ninth in the Cup last year when riding a hot speed and left a sitting duck a long way out.

Sound Check, Chestnut Coat and Ace High might improve into a top five finish from their Caulfield Cup failures. The former was too far back, like Youngstar, while the latter two should enjoy a drier surface.

Each way – 11.Yucatan; 3.Magic Circle
Roughie – 22.Youngstar

Selections: 1.Yucatan 2.Magic Circle 3.Youngstar 4.Muntahaa

Race 8 – 4.05pm
The 1800m race run after the Melbourne Cup always attracts a good field, and this year is no exception. It shapes as a great race.

Mahamedis looks a nice each-way play at double figure odds after his Coongy Stakes run at Caulfield. He was only 2.5 lengths off Best of Days, who won the Kennedy Mile on Derby Day. Life Less Ordinary ran third in the Coongy and was fifth in the Kennedy, so it’s very solid Group 1 form.

Radipole beat more home than beat him in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap as the most despised runner in the field, and his form is better than it reads on paper. Best roughie, but he needs another win though. Muraaqeb finished next to Radipole there after being too far back, and he was fifth in the Group 1 Epsom before that.

Stampede is the class of the field, and is a good tough horse. He won with 61.5kg’s on his back first-up, so 60kg’s won’t worry him. Duca Valentinois showed he might be ready to win after a good third to Cliff’s Edge at Moonee Valley, and that horse ran well in the Kennedy Mile too.

Kaonic and Take It Intern are other chances certainly, for Waller and Weir respectively. It’s a deep race

Each-way: 16.Mahamedis
Roughie: 12.Radipole

Selections: 1.Mahamedis 2.Radipole 3.Muraaqeb 4.Stampede

Race 9 – 4.45pm
Eek. A 17-horse field down the famous Flemington ‘straight six’. This race is always a lottery, so good luck getting through if still alive in the quaddie.

Trekking and Brave Song are professionals that have been super solid in these type of races over the last few months, and look the testing material accordingly. They’ve faced each other in their last two starts, and recorded one win apiece.

Snitzkraft ran on to finish a length behind Brave Song last start, which was his first for Darren Weir, and that was with the rider cautioned by stewards about ensuring he rides his mounts out to the line. The second to dual Group 1 Viddora at the Gold Coast Magic Millions stands out, and barrier 15 shapes well later in the day. He’s the fresh horse on the scene.

Tversky is a winning machine up in Queensland, peeling off four in a row working through the grades. He goes in. Man of His Word is another Queensland, and also comes out of the Brave Song/Trekking/Snitzkraft race at Caulfield – if you take his run at face value when held up for a large part of the straight but still recorded the quickest last 600m of the race, he’s a big threat at a big price.

Another horse from the sunshine state is Acqume, and she can improve at a price. Holbien has been plain at his last two, but back to 1200m might be the trick to recapturing his best.

Each-way: 7.Snitzkraft
Roughie: 10.Man of his Word; 15.Acqume

Selections: 1.Snitzkraft 2.Brave Song 3.Man of His Word 4.Trekking

Race 10 – 5.20pm
Hopefully we’ve still got some money in our pocket hitting the last on Cup day, and with some luck we’ve increased the balance of our online accounts. A 1400m Group 3 for mares awaits.

Another capacity field is presented to us here, and there looks to be a few over the odds.

Ellicazoom was flying for David Hayes earlier in the prep, and the oldest saying in racing is to forgive a good horse a bad run. She is a much better horse on top of the ground so if the track is good she’s top pick despite the horror draw.

Princess Posh looks a little bit forgotten with form around all the right mares in those good stakes races. Our Crown Mistress won the 1400m fillies race on Cup day last year, and has surely been set for this third-up – her third to class mares Winter Bride and Booker last start tells us she’s ready. $17? Yes please.

Savatiano is easy to find back to 1400m after not looking to run out a strong mile last start. Any form around Invincibella is good in mares grade. If Spanner Head gets in the field as first emergency, which she surely will, then she’s a threat – she was well backed in from huge odds last start and ran second to the Group 1 competitive mare Eckstein. She loves the Flemington 1400m, and should get the run of the race.

Each-way – 4.Princess Posh
Roughie – 7.Our Crown Mistress; 17.Spanner Head

Selections: 1.Our Crown Mistress 2.Princess Posh 3.Ellicazoom 4.Savatiano