Today everyone in Australia will be stopped at 3:00pm (AEST) to watch the stellar 24-horse 2013 Melbourne Cup field run down the famous Flemington straight, but aside from the headliner there’s a host of exciting races to get in on this Melbourne Cup Day.

Flemington Track Report

• Weather: Fine
• Track Conditions: Dead (4)
• Penetrometer: 4.87
• Rail: True
• Previous Rail: True Position Entire Circuit (02/11/2013)

The skies are sunny and the weather is fine in Melbourne today for Racing Victoria’s showcase race, the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) due to run as Flemington Race 7.

The track is currently rated a Dead (4) which could just favour the locally-trained hopes trying to hold off a nine-strong international raid on the world’s richest handicap.

Many of the overseas-trained gallopers are used to softer tracks around Europe and so the hopes of one of this year’s raiders becoming the sixth of their kind to take the ‘Loving Trophy’ away from Aussie shores could be fading.

Current Melbourne Cup betting favourite is Gai Waterhouse’s import Fiorente ($7) who is the only horse currently in the markets under $10.

They are set to square off against a bumper field of rivals however with no scratchings from the Melbourne Cup field 2013.

Melbourne Cup Day racing is set to kick off at 10:20am (AEST) with the $120,000 Group 3 7News Stakes (1000m) for the two-year-old fillies, only two of which have had a previous start.

The other major support race on the Cup Day program then runs as Race 4 at 12:30pm (AEST) with Chris Waller’s Arinosa ($3.40) favourite to win the $200,000 Group 3 Lavazza Short Black (1400m).

After the 2013 Melbourne Cup winner makes headlines this afternoon, punters that are still standing have three more races to enjoy with things coming to an end with Race 10 at 5:15pm (AEST).

See below for the full Melbourne Cup Day scratchings so you can see which horses are in and out of the Flemington support races for the country’s biggest day on the track.

Race 1 (10:20am) – $120,000 Group 3 7News Stakes (1000m)

No current scratchings

Race 2 (11:00am) – $100,000 TAB Rewards Trophy (1700m)

#17e God Help Her (14), #18e Godspiel (15), #19e Tully Costa (19), #20e Tinderbel (17)

Race 3 (11:45am) – $100,000 Carnival Handicap (2800m)

#16 Gotta Dream (4), #18 Warwarick (19), #21e Master’s Degree (18), #22e Karata (6)

Race 4 (12:30pm) – $200,000 Group 3 Lavazza Short Black (1400m)

#6 Members Joy (19), #12 Beneden (13), #19e Miss Softhands (12), #20e Nautical (3)

Race 5 (1:15pm) – $100,000 Schweppes #flemingtonfling (1000m)

#8 Lord Of The Sky (11), #16 Kakanui (1)

Race 6 (2:00pm) – $150,000 Listed Lexus Hybrid Plate (1400m)

#7 Spirits Dance (3)

Race 7 (3:00pm) – $6,000,000 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m)

No current scratchings

Race 8 (3:55pm) – $150,000 Listed Visit Victoria Plate (1800m)

#6 Keep Cool (11), #12 Girl Gone Rockin’ (14), #13 St Gabriel (12), #14 Heez Notorious (13)

Race 9 (4:35pm) – $150,000 Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m)

#1 Ready To Rip (14), #17 Freereturn (18), #12 Karacatis (6), #19 Addiction To Rock (13)

Race 10 (5:15pm) – $100,000 Emirates Airline Plate (1400m)

#1 Henwood (15), #7 Loot ‘N’ Run (7)

*All times quoted are local (AEST) and subject to change