Nominations for the Melbourne Cup 2017 are now out with 140 of the world’s best stayers entered for a shot at the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington on Tuesday November 7.

2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin has been included in a list of 140 nominations for this year’s Flemington feature. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos

Up from 124 official entries, which included 31 international raiders, at this stage last year the Group 1 $6.2 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) nominations attracted 140 horses including 31 internationals.

Already bookmakers are taking no chances with the international contingent of Melbourne Cup horses including the early favouritism of Japan’s Admire Deus who is now officially trained out of Victoria by Darren Weir.

Weir celebrated one of the biggest upsets in Melbourne Cup history two years ago when his $101 roughie Prince Of Penzance stole the show in the famous Flemington Race 7.

The master horseman is now back with a far shorter priced hope in Admire Deus along with 16 other stayers from the stable including his Sydney Cup third placegetter Big Duke.

The reigning Melbourne Cup winner Almandin, who handed owner Lloyd Williams a fifth success last spring in the two-mile classic, is the other best fancied hopeful in pre-field odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Makybe Diva enjoyed a hattrick of Melbourne Cup wins from 2003-05 and remains the last back-to-back winner of the iconic staying showdown.

Williams will have another strong hand for his bid at a sixth ‘Loving Trophy’ with other key entries for him including last year’s original top weight Order Of St George who never made it out in 2016, gun three-year-old Rekindling and lightly raced import Aloft who resumed with a 2000m Flemington win at the start of August.

Looking to secure a Melbourne Cup win for Japan for the first time since Delta Blues and Pop Rock ran the quinella back in 2006 is another punters favourite Albert prepared by Noriyuki Hori.

The northern hemisphere raiders dominate futures Melbourne Cup betting with other noteworthy contenders in the mix including Francis Of Assisi from the UK, Germany’s Red Cardinal and in-form French-trained stayer Tiberian.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin galloper Francis Of Assisi travelled down under last spring winning the Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m), but failed to make the Melbourne Cup field.

He celebrated a consolation prize later in the Melbourne Cup Carnival with a 10-length romp home in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m), but is after the big prize in 2017 for the powerhouse stable.

Red Cardinal represents Andreas Wohler who chases his second Melbourne Cup victory after the win by Protectionist, the last by an international galloper, back in 2014.

The Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock-raced Tiberian meanwhile raced into Melbourne Cup contention winning a prestigious Group 2 race over 2500m at home in France over the weekend.

As for the mares out to be the first Melbourne Cup winner for their sex since the aforementioned triple champ Makybe Diva the early favourites to beat home the boys include the dual Oaks winning Kiwi Bonneval and Lasqueti Spirit.

Prepared by Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman, Makfi four-year-old Bonneval was a star three-year-old over the autumn securing the NZ Oaks – ATC Oaks double.

The Melbourne Cup first acceptances close on October 10, 2017.

Check out the latest Melbourne Cup 2017 odds on the official nominations now at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Melbourne Cup Nominations

Flemington Race 7 –  07/11/2017