Melbourne Cup Runners 2023: All you need to know about the Flemington showpiece

We take a look at the possible runners for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, which takes place at Flemington racecourse on Tuesday 7th November, and take a look at the latest betting for the 'Race That Stops A Nation'. A strong European contingent are set to take their chance with the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban looking the one to beat in what should be a sensational renewal Down Under. Find out all the latest news about the runners and odds for the Melbourne Cup here...

Superstar National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins is far more accustomed to training winners at the Cheltenham Festival, but the master of Closutton is set to unleash a dual-pronged attack on the 2023 Melbourne Cup and his mightily-impressive Royal Ascot winner Vauban is set to fly the Irish flag on Australian soil and is the current ante-post favourite for the Flemington showpiece on November 7.

The dual-purpose performer, who was seen finishing fourth to Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle in March, then switched to the Flat with aplomb as he stormed to glory in the Copper Horse Handicap, while he sprung into Group 3 company next time out and bounded to victory in the Ballyroan Stakes at the Curragh. In the aftermath of his Royal Ascot win there were utterings that he would be Melbourne Cup bound and the Rich Ricci-owned five-year-old is around a 7/2 chance for the race, which is set to attract a hugely competitive line-up.

A seven-and-a-half length second to Vauban in the Copper Horse at the Royal meeting, Absurde will be the likely second shot fired by the Mullins gun and that charge has kicked on since that Ascot loss as he stormed to victory in a classy renewal of the Ebor Handicap at York, where he got the better of the progressive Sweet William, and Absurde is available at double-figured odds to land this prize in Australia.

Soulcombe is second in the current ante-post betting and he's well known to British racing fans as whilst under the stewardship of William Haggas he was an impressive winner of the 2022 Melrose Handicap at York before he was purchased to run in Australia, and he's now trained by Chris Waller. The four-year-old has won two of his four career races on Australian soil and was fourth in a Group 1 event last time out, but he's a class act and has to be respected.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's Just Fine has been hugely progressive this season and was last seen storming to victory in the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick and has racked up a winning run of three on the bounce, so will be looking to make it a spectacular four-timer in the Melbourne Cup, and is one of the stars of the home brigade lining up.

Chris Waller, who saddled Verry Elleegant to victory in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, will look to reign supreme once again and his Francesco Guardi is well-fancied to run a big race and that five-year-old was a Group 2 winner back in October, but was unable to fire last time out when fifth in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, so Waller will be hoping he can improve on his return to the track next month.

Last year's winner Gold Trip will look to emulate the aforementioned Makybe Diva by winning back-to-back renewals of the Melbourne Cup and that star is set for another crack at the contest, while the likes of Without A Fight, Breakup and Valiant King are another notable triumvirate entered for the contest and could play a starring role in what is one of the great racing spectacles on the calendar.