There have been a number of changes to the futures Melbourne Cup 2013 odds at bookies around the country following the Cox Plate results at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

2013 Melbourne Cup favourite Fiorente has firmed after their Cox Plate third. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

While the upset Cox Plate winner Shamus Award, the first in history to win the weight-for-age classic as a maiden, is not in the picture for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) a number of horses they beat home are.

Cox Plate third placegetter was the Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente who put in a brave run to challenge and eventually cross just half a length off the winner.

That run was full of merit, the import looking bang on for a second shot at the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington Racecourse on the first Tuesday of November.

The Monson stallion was runner-up in the Melbourne Cup 12 months ago in their Australian debut, and before running in the Cox Plate was paying as long as $7 in the markets to go one better this spring.

That price has since firmed and Fiorente is the $5 Melbourne Cup favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au.

They are followed by just one other single figure fancy with the Mark Botti-trained European raider and  Caulfield Cup runner-up from last weekend Dandino paying $8 out from $7.

At the start of the week the other Melbourne Cup fancies were:

• Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner now out from $10 to $18
• Hawkspur, seventh in the Caulfield Cup, now out from $11 out to $12
• Puissance De Lune $11 out to $26

As you can see Puissance De Lune has been the big drifter in Melbourne Cup betting after the one-time favourite could only manage to finish 12^th in today’s Cox Plate.

Having been up on the pace during the early stages the Darren Weir-trained grey couldn’t get a run on the straight and dropped right out eventually crossing 10.5 lengths off the winner.

Those to firm in the markets meanwhile include:

• Mount Athos (Luca Cumani) $12 into $10 who is yet to race down under
• Voleuse De Coeurs (Michael Moroney) $16 into $13 the import another maiden starter in Australia having won the Irish St Leger last start on September 15
• Lloyd Williams-owned last start Herbert Power Stakes winner Sea Moon (Robert Hickmott) $17 into $14

Two of Sea Moon’s stablemates Masked Marvel ($18 out to $31) and Green Moon ($21 out to $26) also ran in the Cox Plate 2013 and have blown out in betting after running 13^th and ninth respectively.

See below for the top 20 in Melbourne Cup markets, prices courtesy of our preferred online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au who’ll be offering double the Melbourne Cup odds once the field for the world’s richest handicap is out on Victoria Derby Day next Saturday!

2013 Melbourne Cup Odds

Flemington Race 7 – 05/11/2013

*Odds quoted are all-in, win, top 20 only and subject to change @ Ladbrokes.com.au