With the 2013 Melbourne Cup field due for release this afternoon from 5:30pm (AEST), below the Races.com.au team take a look at a few facts on the ‘race that stops a nation’ to help you uncover this year’s winner.

A is for Attrition

There are only 24 horses allowed to run in a Melbourne Cup field meaning the race is on for those outside of the top 24 in the order of entry to make the field today, especially with ballot exemptions on offer for the Mackinnon and Lexus Stakes winners.

B is for Bart

Bart Cummings it the most successful Melbourne Cup trainer in history boasting an incredible 12 wins from his 87 starters in the iconic two mile handicap. This year he is sweating on Precedence, currently 28^th on the order of entry, to make the field for the fourth year in row.

C is for Catalogue

Eight-year-olds have a disastrous record in the Melbourne Cup with only two in the race’s 152-year-history winning, the last being Catalogue way back in 1938.

D is for Diva

While there have been a number of multiple Melbourne Cup winners, only one great horse has taken out the ‘Loving Trophy’ three times – the mighty Makybe Diva (2003,2004, 2005).

E is for Empire Rose

Empire Rose (1998) was the most recent of the eight Melbourne Cup winners to have won the race after placing in a previous edition of the classic.

F is for Five (Multiple Winners)

Five horses have won the Melbourne Cup more than once with: Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005), Think Big (1974, 1975), Rain Lover (1968, 1969), Peter Pan (1932, 1934) and the inaugural winner Archer (1861, 1862)

G is for Green Moon

Green Moon won the 2012 Melbourne Cup for leviathan owner Lloyd Williams and is back to defend their title this year currently rated a $31 chance as one of six possible acceptors for Williams and trainer Robert Hickmott.

H is for Harry

Harry White co holds the Melbourne Cup jockey record with four wins along with Bobbie Lewis.

White won all within a five year period with: Think Big (1974, 1975), Arwon (1978) and Hyperno (1979).

Lewis took a quarter of a century with: The Victory (1902), Patrobas (1915), Artilleryman (1919) and Trivalve (1927).

I is for International

There have been five internationally-trained Melbourne Cup winners with: Vintage Crop (1993), Media Puzzle (2002), Delta Blues (2006), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).

J is for Just A Dash

Before Green Moon (2012) Just A Dash was the most recent of Lloyd Williams’ three other Melbourne Cup winners along with Efficient (2007) and What A Nuisance (1985).

K is for Kilos

The heaviest weight ever carried to victory in a Melbourne Cup was by Carbine, the sire of Phar Lap, who won in 1990 with 10 stone 5 pounds (66kg).

The lightest weight ever carried by a Melbourne Cup winner was then just 33.5kg back in 1863 when Banker won.

L is Lindop & Lyndon

Clare Lindop was the first Australian female jockey to ride in a Melbourne Cup when she rode the unplaced Debben 2003.

The first female ride in the race was back in 1987 with Maree Lyndon on Argonaut Style.

M is for Makybe

She made the facts under D for Diva thanks to her three Melbourne Cup victories, but the magnificent Makybe Diva is good enough to make the list twice as she’s also the last favourite to win the race (2004 and 2005).

She jumped favourite in her second two but was underdog in her maiden Cup appearance in ’03.

N is for Nelly

While it seems a stretch, Nelly was the affectionate nickname trainer Peter Moody and connections called the world’s best mare Black Caviar. Wait for it. Despite being a sprinter and never a chance for the Melbourne Cup, Moody was famously asked by a novice journo if she was running in that year’s Melbourne Cup. You can imagine his response.

O is for Owners

The most Melbourne Cup wins by an owner is four, record co-held by four owners with: John Tait (1866, 1868, 1871, 1872); Etienne de Mestre (1861*, 1862*, 1867*, 1878) *The winners of these years were leased; Dato Tan Chin Nam (1974, 1975, 1996, 2008) and Lloyd Williams (1981, 1985, 2007, 2012).

P is for Poseidon

The Isaac Earnshaw-owned Poseidon was the first of, to date, 11 Caulfield Cup winners to back up and win the Melbourne Cup back in 1906. The others were: The Trump (1937), Rivette (1939), Rising Fast (1954), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Gurner’s Lane (1982), Let’s Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might and Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001).

Q is for Question

What Australian sporting event did Russia win in 1946? The Melbourne Cup! Russia was a horse (of course).

R is for Race Record

Kingston Rule still holds the current Melbourne Cup race record having won in 3:16.30 back in 1990.

S is for Slow

The slowest edition of the Melbourne Cup was also the inaugural run in 1861 when Archer, who returned to win in 1862 as well, took it out in 3 minutes and 52 seconds.

T is for Tuesday

The Melbourne Cup is famously held on the first Tuesday of November and was first run on the second day of the working week back in 1875 when Wooomai won.

U is for Underdog

Just three triple figure roughies have won the Melbourne Cup over the years, the most recent being Old Rowley (100-1 in 1940). The others were The Pearl (100-1 in 1871) and Wotan (100-1).

V is for Viewed

Viewed (2008) was the last of 12 Melbourne Cup winners prepared by the King Bart Cummings.

W is for Weld

Dermot K Weld prepared the first ever internationally-trained Melbourne Cup winner with Vintage Crop (1993). The star Irish horseman also returned to win again in 2002 with Media Puzzle.

X is for X-Factor

It takes a special kind of horse to win a Melbourne Cup over the testing two miles. You work out what it is and you’ve got yourself a star!

Y is for Yasunari Iwata

This is the jockey that rode Delta Blues to victory in the 2006 Melbourne Cup. Delta Blues remains the only Japanese-trained horse to take out the race. It was a Japanese quinella that year too as they defeated their stablemate, the fellow Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Pop Rock.

Z is for Zero

Subzero that is! The most famous of the six grey Melbourne Cup winners over the years.

Phew! Now you know all there is to know on the famous Flemington Race 7 next Tuesday, November 5, head over to Ladbrokes.com.au and lock in your bets on the country’s showcase race at the guaranteed best odds.