With just 91 days until the 2010 Emirates Melbourne Cup takes place at Victoria’s famous Flemington Racecourse, the marquee race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the nominations for the world’s richest handicap are in.

This year will mark the historic 150^th anniversary of the ‘race that stops the nation’ and with such an elite list of hopeful horses nominated for the Melbourne Cup, it is shaping up as one of the greatest final fields of all time.

A record number of gallopers make up the 2010 Melbourne Cup nominations with 253 nominations, up by 23 on last year.

Last year there were 230 horses nominated including 39 international entries, which was down on the 2008 when 262 horses, including 57 overseas runners, where nominated.

A collection of both Australian and international turf champions have been paid up for the nomination stage of the 2010 Melbourne Cup, worth an unparalleled $6 million in prizemoney and trophies, setting the stage for the year’s best thoroughbred showdown.

We have already reported on a number of the early 2010 Melbourne Cup favourites that the punters have been getting behind in the ante post betting markets at SportingBet.

Overseas-trained runners ready to take on the Aussies in the Melbourne Cup include Goodwood Cup Winner Illustrious Blue, and Jaguar Mail and Meiner Kitz after Japanese Horses were Cleared for the 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Other Japanese-trained horses nominated to be one of the first Melbourne Cup runners from Japan since 2006 include Three Orion, Tokai Trick and White Pilgrim.

While the leading contenders representing Australia include hot early favourite Faint Perfume and stablemate So You Think both trained by the Cups King Bart Cummings, recent first-up winner of the Bletchingly Stakes Shoot Out, 2009 Melbourne Cup winner back to defend his title Shocking, and the Michael Moroney-trained Monaco Consul.

Cummings also has a number of other potential stars nominated as he aims for his record 13th Melbourne Cup victory this year including Brightnight, Empires Choice, Joe Blow, Landlord, Moatize, Precedence, Sirmione, Star Ripper, Zabdued and Queensland Derby winner Dariana.

As the Melbourne Cup nears closer for 2010 we will continue to provide punters and horse racing enthusiasts with the latest news, best lead-up race previews, results and detailed Melbourne Cup form to guide you with your Cup betting this year.

Now that the 2010 Melbourne Cup nominations are in, betting activity will reach a new peak and the earlier you get in on the action the better odds you will lock in.

Bookmakers all across the country will begin to open their Melbourne Cup betting markets in anticipation of the big event, scheduled as Race 7 at Flemington on Tuesday November 2, so keep an eye on [sportsbet] especially.

Today also marks the announcement of the nominations for a number of the other leading Spring Carnival Races including the illustrious $3 million Cox Plate (2040m) and the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m).

So check out the list of nominations for this spring features then head to [sportsbet] for a free $100 bet and to get better odds this spring than the TAB.

2010 Emirates Melbourne Cup Nominations

No	Horse	Trainer	Handicapper Rating
1	ABOVE AVERAGE (IRE)	Lee Freedman
2	AJHAR (USA)	Lee Freedman	94
3	AKMAL (GB)	John Dunlop
4	AKZAR (IRE)	John Oxx
5	ALANDI (IRE)	Robert Hickmott
6	ALCOPOP	Jake Stephens
7	ALL TIME CHAMPION	Evan Holland
8	AMERICAIN (USA)	Alain de Royer Dupre
9	ANANIAS	Kelvin Southey	61
10	ANOTHER LEGEND	Hugh Moran
11	ANUDJAWUN (NZ)	Shaun Dwyer	68
12	APPREHEND	Tony Vasil	96
13	ASSO BELLO	Dennis O’Leary
14	AVIENUS	Mark Webb	93
15	BALLYGORAN (NZ)	Eric Musgrove	66
16	BARON	Robert Hickmott	64
17	BASALTICO (IRE)	Bill & Symon Wilde
18	BASE (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	70
19	BAUER (IRE)	Luca Cumani	110
20	BECQU ADOREE (FR)	Luca Cumani
21	BERLIOZ (NZ)	David Hayes	88
22	BILLSON	Robert Hickmott	68
23	BINT MAHER	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas
24	BOLTON (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	64
25	BOOMING (NZ)	Jeff Lynds
26	BRIGHTNIGHT (NZ)	Bart Cummings	67
27	BUCCELLATI (GB)	Tony Noonan
28	BY THE WAY	Mark Lewis	82
29	C’EST LA GUERRE (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	108
30	CAMPANOLOGIST (USA)	Saeed Bin Suroor
31	CAPECOVER (NZ)	Patrick Payne
32	CATS FUN	Jarrod McLean	96
33	CAVALRYMAN (GB)	Saeed Bin Suroor
34	CEDARBERG	Pat Carey	66
35	CHARTREUX	David Hayes
36	CHECKABOARD LOUNGE (NZ)	Neil Walsh	65
37	CHEVIOT BEACH	Nigel Blackiston	62
38	CLAREMONT (IRE)	Mahmood Al Zarooni
39	CONISTON BLUEBIRD	Bede Murray
40	COUNT ENCOSTA	John P Thompson
41	CROCODILE CANYON (NZ)	Howie Matthews
42	DAAD’S OVERTIME (NZ)	Guy Walter
43	DANCING DAVID (IRE)	Brian Meehan
44	DANGEROUS MIDGE (USA)	Brian Meehan
45	DARIANA	Bart Cummings
46	DARLEY SUN (IRE)	Saeed Bin Suroor
47	DESCARADO (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
48	DOCTOR FREMANTLE (GB)	Lee Freedman
49	DOUBLE WHISKY (NZ)	Chris Waller
50	DOUBTFUL JACK	Peter G Moody	102
51	DRUNKEN SAILOR (IRE)	Luca Cumani
52	DUAL HEMISPHERE	David Hayes	73
53	DUBAWI’S DAUGHTER	Greg Eurell	58
54	DUNDRUM	Hugh Moran
55	EASTERN ARIA (UAE)	Mark Johnston
56	ECHELON	Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston
57	EFFICIENT (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	120
58	ELAPARADO (NZ)	Peter G Moody	61
59	EMBLEM OF LIBERTY (SAF)	Darren Weir
60	EMPIRES CHOICE (NZ)	Bart Cummings	103
61	ERASET	Danny O’Brien	82
62	EXALTED EGO	Kevin & Heather Frew
63	EXCEPTIONALLY (NZ)	Terry & Karina O’Sullivan	82
64	EXTRA ZERO	David Hayes
65	FAINT PERFUME	Bart Cummings
66	FAIRFIELD FLAME (GER)	Michael Moroney
67	FAIRYGEM (NZ)	Peter G Moody	97
68	FANJURA (IRE)	Lee Freedman	101
69	FORTUNI (IRE)	Sir Mark Prescott
70	FROZONE (NZ)	Alan Bailey
71	FUJI FAME	Charles Schembri	66
72	GALLANT LADY	Lee Freedman	72
73	GET UP JUDE	Kevin Moses
74	GHOSTMILK (IRE)	Peter G Moody
75	GO WITH THE FLO (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
76	GOLDEN CHARMER	Dan O’Sullivan	82
77	GOLDEN SWORD (GB)	Jane Chapple-Hyam
78	GORKY PARK (NZ)	David Hayes	103
79	GOTHIC CROWN	Todd Balfour	60
80	GRAND DUCAL (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	98
81	HAPPY SPIRIT (SAF)	Darren Weir
82	HARRIS TWEED (NZ)	Murray & Bjorn Baker
83	HASTEIN (NZ)	Mark Kavanagh
84	HERCULIAN PRINCE (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
85	HILLSTREET	Mark Kavanagh
86	HISSING SID	Bill & Symon Wilde	105
87	HOLBERG (UAE)	Saeed Bin Suroor
88	HOLLOWAY (NZ)	Richard Otto
89	HOME ON A WING	Anthony Cummings
90	HUME (NZ)	Brian Smith	95
91	ILLUSTRIOUS BLUE (GB)	William Knight
92	IMPOSING (GB)	Sir Michael Stoute
93	INDITE (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	61
94	INTERLOCKING (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	76
95	IREL (NZ)	Graeme Rogerson
96	ISHANT	Peter G Moody	82
97	JAGUAR MAIL (JPN)	Noriyuki Hori
98	JESSICABEEL (NZ)	John O’Shea
99	JEUNEYS END	Allan Fitzgerald	78
100	JOE BLOW	Bart Cummings	75
101	JUNGLE ROCKET (NZ)	Jeff McVean
102	JUST A BLAZE (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
103	KALESKE	Mark Kavanagh	68
104	KEEP THE PEACE (NZ)	Shaune Ritchie
105	KIBBUTZ (NZ)	David Hayes	100
106	KING OF MOUNTAINS	David Hayes
107	KING OF WANDS (GB)	John Gosden
108	KUTCHINSKY	Tony Noonan
109	LADY ECLAIR (IRE)	Mark Johnston
110	LANDLOCKED (NZ)	Anthony Cummings
111	LANDLORD	Bart Cummings
112	LARGO LAD	David Hayes
113	LARISTAN (FR)	Jean-Claude Rouget
114	LEGISLATURE	John P Thompson
115	LEICA FALCON	Arthur Pace
116	LEICA LARRIKIN	Richard Freyer	97
117	LETHAL ARROW	Peter G Moody	61
118	LIBEL LAW (GB)	Saeed Bin Suroor
119	LINTON	Robert Hickmott	99
120	LITTORIO	Nigel Blackiston
121	LIVIA	David Hayes	67
122	LOOK NOW	Tricia Cox	54
123	LORDS RANSOM	Bill & Symon Wilde	105
124	LOS CRISTIANOS (FR)	Alan Couetil
125	MACEDONIAN (NZ)	Peter G Moody	86
126	MAESTRO OF MURANO	Roslyn Day
127	MAJESTIC CONCORDE (IRE)	Dermot K Weld
128	MALUCKYDAY (NZ)	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
129	MANIGHAR (FR)	Luca Cumani
130	MARTIAL LAW (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	80
131	MARTIN PLACE	Rodney Northam
132	MARTYR (GB)	Richard Hannon
133	MASTER O’REILLY (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	109
134	MASTERY (GB)	Saeed Bin Suroor
135	MATEO	Tony Noonan	60
136	MEINER KITZ (JPN)	Sakae Kunieda
137	METAL BENDER (NZ)	Chris Waller
138	MILES ABOVE	Denis Daffy	82
139	MISS DARCEY	Anthony Cummings	95
140	MISS KEEPSAKE (NZ)	Andrew Scott
141	MOATIZE	Bart Cummings	105
142	MONACO CONSUL (NZ)	Michael Moroney	108
143	MONCALIERI	Brian Smith
144	MONTAHLIA (NZ)	Michael Kent	89
145	MONTJEU MADAME (NZ)	Darryl Dodson	89
146	MOSHAV (NZ)	Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston	58
147	MOUDRE	Ciaron Maher	87
148	MOURAYAN (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	107
149	MR CHARLIE (NZ)	Peter G Moody
150	MR MEDICI (IRE)	Peter Ho
151	MUIR (GB)	Robert Hickmott	82
152	MY BENTLEY (NZ)	Michael Kent	82
153	MY CENTRAL (ITY)	Darren Weir
154	NAADJI (NZ)	Bevan & Richard Laming
155	NATURAL HIGH (IRE)	Dermot K Weld
156	NAZABEEL (NZ)	Richard Otto
157	NEWPORT	Paul Perry
158	NIPTIOUS	Danny Curran	87
159	NITONIC	Ron Daniel	86
160	NO WINE NO SONG	Kevin Moses
161	NOTHIN’ LEICA CAT (NZ)	Anthony Cummings	89
162	OAK HEART	Darren Weir	92
163	OCEAN DREAM	Peter G Moody
164	OLYMPIC WIN (NZ)	John Sadler	77
165	ONCE MORE DUBAI (USA)	Saeed Bin Suroor
166	ONCE WERE WILD	Gai Waterhouse
167	OUR ARISTOCRAT (GB)	Robert Hickmott	70
168	OUR CANNAVARO (NZ)	Chris Waller
169	OUR DESTINY (NZ)	Corrina McDougal
170	OUR KOBI JADE	Dan O’Sullivan	65
171	OUR ROCKHAMPTON (IRE)	Robert Hickmott
172	PENTO DIABLO	Doug Harrison	70
173	PERSIAN STAR	Robert Smerdon
174	PHANTOM AGENT	Gregory Minns
175	PHAZE ACTION	Robbie Laing	86
176	POLLY’S MARK (IRE)	David Hayes
177	POMPEYANO (IRE)	Saeed Bin Suroor
178	PRECEDENCE (NZ)	Bart Cummings	101
179	PROFOUND BEAUTY (IRE)	Dermot K Weld
180	PURPLE MOON (IRE)	Luca Cumani
181	RAFFAELLO	Jim Marconi
182	RAINBOW PEAK (IRE)	Michael Jarvis
183	REBEL RAIDER	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas
184	RED COLOSSUS	Greg Eurell
185	RED RULER (NZ)	John Sargent
186	REIGNING RHYTHM	Gary Portelli
187	REPRISAL	David Hayes	87
188	RIGHT FONG	David Balfour
189	RITE OF PASSAGE (GB)	Dermot K Weld
190	ROWLAND	Robbie Laing	78
191	RUN FOR NAARA	John P Thompson
192	RUNDLE	Robert Hickmott	78
193	SAINT ENCOSTA	John P Thompson	72
194	SAINTHOOD	Rick Worthington
195	SALINAS	Peter G Moody
196	SANS FRONTIERES (IRE)	Jeremy Noseda
197	SCOUTING WIDE (NZ)	Tim Martin
198	SCULPTOR (NZ)	Peter Mckenzie	105
199	SEA GALLEON	Colin & Cindy Alderson	70
200	SHAHWARDI (FR)	Jeremy Gask
201	SHAMOLINE WARRIOR	Mark Kavanagh	95
202	SHERPA TENZING (NZ)	Jim Conlan	68
203	SHOCKING	Mark Kavanagh	115
204	SHOOT OUT	John Wallace	112
205	SIRMIONE	Bart Cummings	113
206	SMALL MINDS	John P Thompson
207	SMOKIN’ GUN (NZ)	John O’Shea
208	SNAKE GULLY (NZ)	Howie Matthews
209	SNOW ALERT	Chris Waller
210	SO YOU THINK (NZ)	Bart Cummings	116
211	SOARING DRAGON	Jamie Edwards & Bruce Elkington	66
212	SOPRANIST (GB)	Saeed Bin Suroor
213	SPACECRAFT	Mick Price	85
214	SPEED GIFTED (GB)	Lee Freedman
215	STANSTILL (IRE)	Allan Swinbank
216	STAR RIPPER	Bart Cummings
217	STERLING PRINCE (NZ)	Wayne Hillis
218	STILLMAN (USA)	Robert Hickmott	75
219	STREETFIGHTER	Terry Mathrick	93
220	SUGAR BUSH (NZ)	John Sadler
221	SUNDAY MIST	Colin Little
222	SUNSET CAFE	John Sadler	62
223	TACTIC (GB)	John Dunlop
224	TARAWERA	Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston	68
225	THE FUZZ (NZ)	David Hayes	106
226	THE HOMBRE	John Bary
227	THE MINIVER ROSE (IRE)	Mick Price	100
228	THREE ORION (JPN)	Akira Murayama
229	TOBIQUE	Allan Denham
230	TOKAI TRICK (JPN)	Kenji Nonaka
231	TOKEN OF HONOUR	David Hayes
232	TORA TORA TORA	Tom Mulholland
233	TRIPLE HONOUR (NZ)	Chris Waller
234	TRIUMPHANT CHOICE	Peter G Moody	70
235	TRUSTING	John P Thompson	103
236	TRY PICKLE	John Nugent
237	TULLAMORE (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
238	TWO FOR TEA (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse
239	VALDEMORO	Tony Vasil
240	VESPER	Robert Hickmott	72
241	VIGOR (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	108
242	WARRINGAH (GB)	Chris Waller
243	WELL ROUNDED	Lee Freedman	66
244	WHITE PILGRIM (JPN)	Ippo Sameshima
245	WHY WOULDYA (NZ)	Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston	65
246	WOW (NZ)	David Hayes	62
247	ZABDUED (NZ)	Bart Cummings
248	ZABRASIVE (NZ)	John O’Shea
249	ZAMAN (NZ)	Neville McBurney
250	ZAMPARA	Matthew Smith
251	ZANTELAGH	Mark Kavanagh
252	ZAVITE (NZ)	Anthony Cummings
253	ZIPPING	Robert Hickmott	116