Horse Racing

The meeting every race fan, punter and fashionista around Australia and abroad eagerly awaits for each year is nearly here, with the 2011 Melbourne Cup Day to take place next Tuesday, November 1, and here the Races.com.au team take a look at the Flemington fields, race favourites and race previews for Cup Day.

Australia’s most famous turf showdown and the richest handicap race in the world headlines the action with the $6 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) run as per tradition as Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDST).

Melbourne Cup 2011 Race Details

• Sponsor: Emirates
• Race Number: Flemington Race 7
• Race Time: 3:00pm (Melbourne time)
• Prize Money: $6 million total. 1^st $3.6 million, 2^nd $900,000, 3^rd $450,000, 4^th $25,000, 5^th $175,000 6^th – 10^th $125,000
• Distance: 3,200 metres
• Conditions: Handicap
• Field Limit: 24
• Reigning Winner: Americain

Acceptances for the iconic two-mile handicap are open until 5:00pm (AEDST) this Saturday, with the official 2011 Melbourne Cup field to be announced live from Flemington Racecourse soon after as part of the Victoria Derby Day celebrations with the Melbourne Cup 2011 barrier draw taking place from 6:30pm (local).

Current Melbourne Cup odds at Luxbet have defending champ Americain as the $4 favourite followed on single-figures by Geelong Cup winner Dunaden ($7.50) and German import Lucas Cranach ($9.50).

While the Melbourne Cup final field is still pending, the acceptances for the nine support races on the day were taken and fields finalised on Friday.

The dream of training a Melbourne Cup Day winner is again a common one with all but two of the 10-race Cup Day card attracting capacity fields.

Flemington’s Melbourne Cup Day action will get underway with Race 1 – the $100,000 Listed Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) for two-year-old fillies, the majority of which will be having their maiden runs on the biggest day on the Australian racing calendar.

There are a total of six black-type races on the program.

Aside from the Melbourne Cup, other highlight races that Luxbet punters and aficionados won’t want to miss including:

• Flemington Race 4 – the $200,000 Group 3 Herald Sun Stakes (1400m) – a full field of classy mares to face off including the Peter Snowden-trained Divorces, Chris Waller’s multiple stakes winner Little Surfer Girl and  the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Zubbaya
• Flemington Race 5 – the $100,000 Schweppes Tonic (1000m) – Smart Canberra filly Karuta Queen to shoot for her seventh career success and second on the trot following her Cox Plate Day win
• Flemington Race 8 - $150,000 Listed Johnnie Walker Stakes (1800m) – Middle-distance gallop for many one-time Melbourne Cup hopes led by the Lloyd Williams-owned Linton

Galileo grey Linton is still currently entered for the 2011 Melbourne Cup and is assured of a start sitting 10^th on the order of entry, but connections will withdraw them from contention to give stablemate Tanby, winner of the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday, a better chance of making the starting 24.

Tanby sits 32^nd on the Melbourne Cup order of entry and is rated a $101 long-shot in the Luxbet markets.

Other noteworthy contenders for the Johnnie Walker Stakes on Tuesday include Sydney raider Lamasery, top Perth visitor God Has Spoken, Seymour Cup conqueror Tiakinui and David Hayes’ recent David Jones Cup runner-up Extra Zero.

There is certainly lots to enjoy on Cup Day aside from just the Cup, so make sure you don’t miss a minute of the action by checking out the full Flemington race fields, times and schedule below; note all times are local.

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2011 Melbourne Cup Day Fields, Early Tips & Race Schedule

Flemington Race 1 – Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) – 10:20am

• Early Tip: #10 Princeton Miss – Luxbet

Flemington Race 2 – TAB Sportsbet Handicap (1700m) – 11:00am

• Early Tip: #15 Tantrum – Luxbet

Flemington Race 3 – The Lavazza Long Black (2800m) – 11:45am

• Early Tip: #2 Above Average – Luxbet

Flemington Race 4 – Herald Sun Stakes (1400m) – 12:30pm

• Early Tip: #2 Divorces – Luxbet

Flemington Race 5 – Schweppes Tonic 1000 (1000m) – 1:15pm

• Early Tip: #2 Karuta Queen – Luxbet

Flemington Race 6 – Lexus Hybrid Plate (1400m) – 2:00pm

• Early Tip: #8 Secret Liaison – Luxbet

Flemington Race 7 – Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) – 3:00pm

2011 Melbourne Cup Field & Barrier Draw to be released on Victoria Derby Day.

Flemington Race 8 – Johnnie Walker Stakes (1800m) – 3:55pm

• Early Tip: #4 Lamasery – Luxbet

Flemington Race 9 – MSS Security Sprint (1200m) – 4:35pm

• Early Tip: #2 Conservatorium – Luxbet