Derby day 2023 LIVE updates: Racing results, times, fields, odds, Melbourne Cup

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Early to the track are friends and Victoria Racing Club members Joy Erskine, Brenda Nugent and Michelle Rodeh.

They attend Derby Day every year and have been coming for about 20 years.

“We come all the time during the year between Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Flemington” Erskine says. “It’s just nice to be out and about frocked up and just having a great day and having bubbles.”

The trio said it was too early in the day to have looked at a form guide but they were excited about the racing.

“It’s probably a better racing day than Melbourne Cup” Rodeh said.

All three had purchased new outfits in traditional Derby Day black and white for the occasion.

“After a few years of not coming to the track it’s nice to be able to buy something again,” Erskine said. “We are supporting Australian designers and small businesses in the milliners.”

“That’s my excuse anyway, my husband is not happy with it,” Rodeh said.

All but one spot in the Melbourne Cup field has been locked away, after Valiant King was scratched late last night from the Cup.

That final spot will be determined in race two, the Archer Stakes, with Ladies Man, Athabascan, United Nations, Kalapour and Mostly Cloudy vying for the 24th spot.

They each sit 24th to 28th respectively, but the Archer offers a direct passage into the race.

Interpretation, winner of Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup, is now comfortably in the field at 23rd in the order of entry after Valiant King’s scratching.

Athabascan is favourite for today’s Archer Stakes.

With a traditional black-and-white dress code on Derby Day, it can sometimes be hard to stand out from the crowd.

Not so for Sky and Fox Sports presenter Holly Stearnes, whose hat, which she got from France, would have made catching the train a challenging task.

Stearnes is giving strong Riviera vibes in a Jacquemus dress and vintage beaded clutch.

One of the cutest looks we’ve seen so far this morning - but the day is still very young.

Media personality Christian Wilkins is among the first of the celebrity arrivals, and, true to form, isn’t afraid to make a fashion statement.

He’s wearing an emerging Melbourne designer, Vasilios, and says his look was inspired by Grace Jones, Kylie Minogue, designer Elsa Schiaparelli and Saint Laurent.

“He absolutely nailed it,” Wilkins says.

His number one fashion tip for a race day?

“I always like a shoe that you’ve worn before. I’ve made that mistake [wearing new shoes] before and it’s hell on earth.”

Wilkins will be on the judging panel for the emerging designer award at fashions on the field later today.

Chris Waller expects favourite Riff Rocket to appreciate the intensity and pressure of the $2 million Victoria Derby as the stable chases a third win in a decade in the famous race.

Master trainer Waller triumphed in the 2500m Group 1 contest with Preferment in 2014 and again with Manzoice last year.

Riff Rocket claimed favouritism for Saturday’s renewal after an “effortless” victory in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) two starts ago, when he bolted away to win by five-and-a-half lengths.

But he was then beaten as a short-priced favourite in the Group 3 Norman Robinson (2000m) at Caulfield.

Waller believes the son of American Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner American Pharoah is primed to bounce back on his return to Flemington.

Riff Rocket will be ridden by gun jockey James McDonald.

“It was a little bit disheartening for him to get beaten last start but we’ve made excuses openly that there wasn’t the intensity or the pressure in the race,” Waller said.

“We will see that in a Derby. As they leave the barriers straight in front of the stands for the first lap, it’s a quick run to the first turn and that will create a bit of tempo.

“Then it’s all about conserving energy and finishing off strong. He’s very good at conserving energy.

“Then we’ve seen that he does have that turn of foot here at Flemington with a nice, long straight where they build from a long way home.”

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A three-piece brass brand are greeting punters with a rendition of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads as they arrive through the Flemington Racecourse iron gates.

The Victorian Racing Club are expecting 70,000 people to flood into the racecourse today - but it’s still a bit early, so it’s mostly hospitality staff that get to enjoy the 1971 hit.

Things are also relatively quiet at the mounting yard, as photographers, journalists and workers set up for what is sure to be a hectic day ahead.

Today is the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and therefore the first day to test out the new rules regarding dress codes in the members areas.

By way of a quick refresher, the Victoria Racing Club as of this year has allowed shorts to be worn in the members for the first time, as well as the official welcoming of cut outs for dresses.

With a forecast high today of 19 degrees, it’s unclear yet how many will take the plunge - we’ll be watching with interest.

But with the weather getting warmer throughout Cup week we’re more than likely to see some shorts on Tuesday and Thursday.

One person in particular we’ll have our eyes on is Kate Waterhouse, the daughter of racing royalty trainer Gai Waterhouse, who earlier this week decried the shorts rule as the silliest thing she’s ever heard.

Will Kate defy her Mum and rock a pair of designer bermudas? We’re waiting for her stylist to text us.

Lightly raced import Valiant King has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup after he failed a Racing Victoria vet test just days out from the race.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained galloper, who finished sixth in the Caulfield Cup, worked perfectly at Werribee on Thursday and Friday, but was determined to be slightly lame when inspected by Racing Victoria vets on Friday.

Zac Lloyd had been booked to ride Valiant King in the Cup, after Jamie Kah was released earlier in the week to pursue a guaranteed ride in the race.

Racing Victoria inspected the 22 local horses left in the Melbourne Cup by Thursday night, with only the Chris Waller-trained Sheraz deemed to be unfit. They found he was moving well but had some heat in his right front leg, but an inspection on Friday deemed him clear to run.

The six other international horses at Werribee left in the hunt for the Cup were also passed fit on Friday, including race favourite Vauban.

All 29 horses have passed their mandatory CT scans, Racing Victoria said on Thursday, while every horse will need to undergo another veterinary inspection the Monday before the Cup.

Any runner in Saturday’s exempt Archer Stakes, who accepts to run in the Cup, will also need to pass a post-race veterinary inspection on Saturday afternoon.

King’s Gambit, one of the favourites for Saturday’s group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, was scratched on Friday because of a slightly elevated temperature.