Young jockeys Patrick Moloney and Jordan Childs will have their first Cup rides on the Mike Moroney-trained Vengeur Masque and Sound Check respectively.

The chances of Lloyd Williams adding to his Melbourne Cup record of six wins are threatened by favourite Yucatan’s wide barrier.

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are happy with Geelong Cup winner Runaway going into the Melbourne Cup.

Ace High’s failure in the Caulfield Cup has deterred punters as he heads to the Melbourne Cup but his trainer David Payne has already erased it from his memory.

Aidan O’Brien’s travelling foreman TJ Comerford is happy with his trio of Melbourne Cup runners ahead of the big race at Flemington.

Trainer Hughie Morrison hopes the decision to send Marmelo into the Melbourne Cup without a lead-up run in Australia can net a better result than a year ago.

Mark Zahra has picked up the ride on Santa Ana Lane in the Group One VRC Sprint Classic with Ben Melham to miss the meeting because of suspension.

English stayer Muntahaa will remain in Australia and join the Lindsay Park stable after he runs for trainer John Gosden in the Melbourne Cup.

How quickly Red Verdon can recover from a foot abscess will determine whether the stayer can run again during the spring carnival.

A Prince Of Arran has taken no harm from his win in the Lexus Stakes and it’s all systems go towards the Melbourne Cup.

British star and dual Arc winner, Enable, has beaten Magical to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

Ben Melham will miss the rides on Homesman and Santa Ana Lane in Group One races at Flemington after being suspended for a whip breach in the Victoria Derby.

Melbourne Cup favourite Yucatan has drawn barrier 23 for the $7.3 million race with Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution to start from gate six.

Trainer Kelly Schweida and jockey Jimmy Orman completed a day to remember when they combined to win four races at Doomben.

Light Up The Room has presented trainer Tony Gollan with a feature race dilemma after her impressive win at Doomben.

A full field of 24 will run in the Melbourne Cup, with 11 trained in the northern hemisphere.

A more mature Divine Quality has raced away from her rivals to score a first-up win in the Group Three Furphy Sprint at Flemington.

Time To Reign has made it two from two as he continues the path towards emulating his elder sister She Will Reign in the Golden Slipper.

A syndicate made up of average Australians has shared a Victoria Derby win with a Hong Kong billionaire who only bought a stake in the horse a few days ago.

What the jockeys had to say after the $2 million Victoria Derby at Flemington.

Best Of Days has iced a stellar day for Godolphin, winning the Group One Kennedy Mile from Le Romain and Peaceful State.

Shillelagh has taken advantage of an inside passage to record another Group One win at Flemington.

Extra Brut has taken out the Victoria Derby at his sixth start, beating Stars Of Carrum in the Classic at Flemington.

Trainer Kelly Schweida’s Magic Millions team is gathering strength after Pocket Pistol and Gala Miss provided him a winning double at Doomben.

Shillelagh has taken an inside run to win the Group One Empire Rose Stakes, beating Bring Me Roses in the weight-for-age race for fillies and mares.

The Australian Workers Union says its members who are race day officials may take industrial action, although the Melbourne Cup won’t be affected.

A Prince Of Arran has won the Lexus Stakes to guarantee his place in the Melbourne Cup with his trainer Charlie Fellowes celebrating his first Group One win.

Sunlight has won the $1 million Coolmore Stud Stakes, the premier race for three-year-old sprinters during the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Osborne Bulls has been well supported to give Godolphin’s Australian trainer James Cummings an early stakes double at Flemington.

Femme Fireball maintained her outstanding form this campaign when she scored a last-to-first win at Doomben to justify her odds-on quote.