For the second year running, it looks as though Vauban will head the Melbourne Cup runners. Willie Mullins’ great hope came up well short despite going off as last year’s Melbourne Cup favourite, but will history repeat itself?
You can see all the confirmed Melbourne Cup runners and riders alongside their Melbourne Cup betting odds, in our horse-by-horse guide below. The final field won’t be announced until the day before the race, but the most likely Melbourne Cup horses are already detailed below. To get involved, tap the odds that appeal to open a Melbourne Cup betting account and place a bet, or find our Melbourne Cup tips and read how we see this year’s race unfolding.
Melbourne Cup 2024 Runners List
Odds last updated on 17th September 2024 and may be subject to change.
FAVOURITE
#1
VAUBAN
Age: 7 / Form: 0-2431 / Trainer: W P Mullins
Vauban is an impressive dual Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot winner. Having landed the 2022 Triumph Hurdle, he switched to the flat and won the Copper Horse Handicap. He disappointed in the 2023 Melbourne Cup though, fading badly to finish 14th, as Willie Mullins’ wait for a Melbourne Cup winner goes on.
9.0
9.0
9.0
9.0
#2
CIRCLE OF FIRE
Age: 5 / Form: 3-4411 / Trainer: Ciaran Maher
Good form in 2024 has seen Circle Of Fire now become the favourite to win the Melbourne Cup. The 4 year-old horse won back-to-back races in April. Circle Of Fire has won 3 races and finished in the top 3 in 7 of his 8 races.
13.0
13.0
15.0
11.0
#3
JAN BRUEGHEL
Age: 5 / Form: 111 / Trainer: A P O’Brien
15.0
13.0
17.0
15.0
#4
MAGICAL ZOE
Age: 7 / Form: 245131 / Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
A Queen’s Cup victory at Flemington in 2022 showed he’s well suited to the track and he duly followed it up impressively when runner-up in the 2023 Melbourne Cup. Still young so may well return in 2024.
17.0
13.0
13.0
15.0
#5
GROSVENOR SQUARE
Age: 4 / Form: -3721- / Trainer: A P O’Brien
17.0
17.0
15.0
17.0
#6
SAINT GEORGE
Age: 5 / Form: 1123-8 / Trainer: Ciaron Maher
17.0
13.0
13.0
15.0
#7
ABSURDE
Age: 7 / Form: 217-41 / Trainer: W P Mullins
Winner of the Ebor Handicap at York under a signature Frankie Dettori ride, he was sent over from Europe for the 2023 Melbourne Cup alongside Vauban, but both failed to stay the pace.
21.0
17.0
15.0
17.0
#8
WARMONGER
Age: 5 / Form: -62521 / Trainer: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr
15.0
15.0
15.0
21.0
#9
MIDDLE EARTH
Age: 5 / Form: 1-138- / Trainer: Ciaron Maher
26.0
15.0
19.0
17.0
#10
WITHOUT A FIGHT
Age: 8 / Form: 11611- / Trainer: Anthony and Sam Freedman
26.0
21.0
26.0
21.0
#11
LAND LEGEND
Age: 5 / Form: 2751-0 / Trainer: Chris Waller
26.0
26.0
26.0
26.0
#12
ILLINOIS
Age: 4 / Form: -32122 / Trainer: A P O’Brien
170
17.0
19.0
26.0
#13
HARBOUR WIND
Age: 3 / Form: 112-12 / Trainer: D K Weld
21.0
21.0
26.0
26.0
#14
THE MAP
Age: 7 / Form: 122119 / Trainer: Dan Clarken & Oopy Macgillivray
26.0
21.0
34.0
15.0
#15
BIRDMAN
Age: 4 / Form: -1136 / Trainer: Chris Waller
26.0
34.0
21.0
21.0
#16
DELIUS
Age: 4 / Form: -1113 / Trainer: J-C Rouget
26.0
21.0
34.0
26.0
#17
WARP SPEED
Age: 6 / Form: 14-325 / Trainer: Noburu Takagi
34.0
26.0
34.0
34.0
#18
BERKSHIRE BREEZE
Age: 6 / Form: -21112 / Trainer: Ciaron Maher
26.0
34.0
21.0
26.0
#19
FAWKNER PARK
Age: 6 / Form: 441131 / Trainer: Annabel Neasham
26.0
34.0
34.0
26.0
#20
SAYEDATY SADATY
Age: 4 / Form: 3-2253 / Trainer: Ciaron Maher
51.0
34.0
34.0
34.0
#21
HIPOP DE LOIRE
Age: 8 / Form: 2347-5 / Trainer: W P Mullins
41.0
34.0
51.0
26.0
#22
ROYAL CHAMPION
Age: 7 / Form: 5132- / Trainer: Anthony and Sam Freedman
51.0
51.0
51.0
51.0
#23
VALIANT KING
Age: 5 / Form: 212256 / Trainer: Chris Waller
51.0
51.0
51.0
41.0
#24
PLACE DU CARROUSEL
Age: 6 / Form: 110-27 / Trainer: Anthony and Sam Freedman
51.0
51.0
51.0
51.0
#25
ZARDOZI
Age: 5 / Form: 013266 / Trainer: James Cummings
51.0
34.0
34.0
34.0
Please note that, for legal reasons, we are not permitted to display the exact silks of all horses.
Melbourne Cup Order of Entry 2024
The Melbourne Cup order of entry is key in deciding which Melbourne Cup horses will ultimately run in the race. Racing Victoria chief handicapper David Hegan has the task of giving each prospective runner a weight to carry, based on their past performances. Without A Fight, who won both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup last year, has been handed the biggest weight, with past history suggesting it’ll be a massive achievement if he is to go close to repeating the feat.
Qualifying for the Melbourne Cup?
Only certain horses are allowed to take part in the Melbourne Cup 2024. As the Melbourne Cup 2024 is oversubscribed, as usual, a ballot has to take place. Around 300-400 nominees will be whittled down to 24 on race day, helped by some events being ballot-exemption races.
The Melbourne Cup 2024 order of entry list included 77 horses after the ballot clause on 17th September, and the top 24 on that list can be found below.
| Order | Horses | Weights | Order | Horses | Weights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exempt | Magical Zoe | 52.5kg | 13 | Middle Earth | 55.5kg |
| Exempt | The Grey Wizard | 53kg | 14 | Delius | 52.5kg |
| Exempt | Point King | 50.5kg | 15 | Royal Champion | 55.5kg |
| Exempt | The Map | 50kg | 16 | Kalapour | 55kg |
| 5 | Without A Fight | 58.5kg | 17 | Warmonger | 53.5kg |
| 6 | Via Sistina | 56kg | 18 | Grosvenor Square | 52kg |
| 7 | Jan Brueghel | 54kg | 19 | Fawkner Park | 55kg |
| 8 | Illinois | 53kg | 20 | Circle of Fire | 54.5kg |
| 9 | Vauban | 55.5kg | 21 | Warp Speed | 54.5kg |
| 10 | Poptronic | 54kg | 22 | Buckaroo | 54.5kg |
| 11 | Point Lonsdale | 55.5kg | 23 | Zardozi | 51.5kg |
| 12 | Place Du Carrousel | 54kg | 24 | Sharp N Smart | 53.5kg |
What are the Melbourne Cup qualifying races?
Ballot-exemption races are much like the “win and you’re in” events for the Breeders’ Cup in America. Any horse winning a certain race will get automatic qualification to the Melbourne Cup.
Those races are the Andrew Ramsden (May), the Bart Cummings (October), The Caulfield Cup (October), The Cox Plate (October) and The Lexus Stakes (October).
What criteria must be met for horses to qualify for the Melbourne Cup?
Only those aged three and over can run in the Melbourne Cup. As long as a horse over this age is considered good enough and has enough stamina, they may run if not balloted out when the handicap weights are announced. Aside from weight and age, certain veterinary procedures are maintained, too, especially for those challenging from overseas.
Melbourne Cup Favourites for 2024
It’s always useful to know the favourites when it comes to horse racing, but Melbourne Cup history has also taught us that they’re far from a sure-fire bet. In the past ten years, not one of the Melbourne Cup runners that went off as favourite has managed to win – the last to do so was Fiorente in 2013.
Not only that, but there’s the story of Prince of Penzance, who was anything but one of the Melbourne Cup favourites in 2015. He started the race at unlikely odds of 100.0, managed to win and has become known as one of the legendary Melbourne Cup horses, as well as a legend in horse racing history.
Melbourne Cup Race Results
The stakes were high with a field packed full of incredibly talented Melbourne Cup horses fighting to win a spot in racing history, but only one could be crowned the winner of the 2023 Melbourne Cup, one of the most famous horse races in the world.
Keep on eye of these horses reappearing on the confirmed Melbourne Cup lineup list as a number are expected to return in 2024 and could benefit from the experience of running the Flemington Park course last time round.
Melbourne Cup Past Winners
Repeat winners of the Melbourne Cup have been a rare occurrence of late. Archer was the first Melbourne Cup horse to complete the feat way back in 1861 and 1862, but only one horse has tasted success on more than one occasion in the 21st century. Makybe Diva first won the race in 2003, before doing so again a year later and completing the trifecta as the first and only three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup in 2005.
| Melbourne Cup Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2023 Melbourne Cup | Without A Fight |
| 2022 Melbourne Cup | Gold Trip |
| 2021 Melbourne Cup | Verry Elleegant |
| 2020 Melbourne Cup | Twilight Payment |
| 2019 Melbourne Cup | Vow And Declare |
| 2018 Melbourne Cup | Cross Counter |
| 2017 Melbourne Cup | Rekindling |
| 2016 Melbourne Cup | Almandin |
| 2015 Melbourne Cup | Prince of Penzance |
| 2014 Melbourne Cup | Protectionist |
| 2013 Melbourne Cup | Fiorente |
| 2012 Melbourne Cup | Green Moon |
| 2011 Melbourne Cup | Dunaden |
| 2010 Melbourne Cup | Americain |
Melbourne Cup International Horses
With the Melbourne Cup being such an prestigious event, it’s no surprise that horses from all over the world are brought across to Victoria, Australia. This guarantees the calibre of the competition is as high as possible.
The international line-up at this pinnacle of horse racing seems to get stronger every year and that will surely be the case this year too. The most recent Melbourne Cup saw legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins make a concerted effort to target the race, sending both Vauban and Absurde all the way over from Europe. Both horses came up well short, as Australia enjoyed a home victory with Without A Fight, but the Mullins stable are set for another attempt at the big race in 2024.
| Year | Winning Horse | Winning Trainer | Country of Winning Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Without A Fight | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Australia |
| 2022 | Gold Trip | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Australia |
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | Australia |
| 2020 | Twilight Payment | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Ireland |
| 2019 | Vow and Declare | Danny O’Brien | Australia |
| 2018 | Cross Counter | Charlie Appleby | United Kingdom |
| 2017 | Rekindling | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Ireland |
| 2016 | Almandin | Robert Hickmott | Australia |
| 2015 | Prince of Penzance | Darren Weir | Australia |
| 2014 | Protectionist | Andreas Wohler | Germany |
| 2013 | Fiorente | Gai Waterhouse | Australia |
Melbourne Cup horse entry fee
Although the main criteria to qualify as one of the Melbourne Cup horses is performances in previous races, there’s also entry fees that must be paid at every declaration stage. The fees can mount up so it’s important to have the backing of a team who are confident of regaining the costs by winning part of the prize pot.
| Declaration Stage | Melbourne Cup Horse Entry Fees | 2024 Melbourne Cup Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First Nominations | $1,000 | Tuesday 6th August |
| Late Nominations | $5,500 | Tuesday 13th August |
| First Declarations | $1,500 | Tuesday 10th September |
| Second Declarations | $2,000 | Tuesday 1st October |
| Third Declarations | $3,000 | Tuesday 15th October |
| Fourth Declarations | $4,000 | Monday 28th October |
| Final Declarations | $49,500 | Saturday 2nd November |
Melbourne Cup Runners | Horses List 2024 FAQ
There are two main things needed for a horse to qualify for the Melbourne Cup. These are:
- If the horse has won a ballot-free race in the lead up to the event
- The weight of the handicap assigned to the horse
Yes, sometimes horses are occasionally scratched from the Melbourne Cup in the hours before the race, as happened with Lunar Flare before. This may be due to unsuitable ground or some late concerns over a horse’s health.
Without A Fight won the 2023 Melbourne Cup, ahead of Soulcombe and Sheraz.
The Melbourne Cup betting fluctuates right up to the final minutes before the race. However, as things stand, Without A Fight and Soulcombe are the early favourites to win the next Melbourne Cup race.
Learn more about the Melbourne Cup race
For more information about the Melbourne Cup you can read the following pages:
