The ‘race that stops a nation’, the Melbourne Cup 2015, takes place tomorrow as Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEST) and below is the comprehensive Races.com.au form guide and betting preview on the two mile classic.

$31 outsider in Melbouirne Cup betting Hartnell boasts a two-from-three record over the two miles leading into Tuesday’s 3200m classic at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

A capacity field of 24 faces off in the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) including a record 11 international raiders, more Southern Hemisphere visitors than there is Melbourne Cup prize money paid.

Only three in the line-up are under double figures for the win in the latest Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au where the more unique Melbourne Cup bets you place the more entries into their incredible Melbourne Cup giveaway you receive!

Fame Game leads the markets at an easing $4.40 to improve on his fast-finishing Caulfield Cup sixth where he was held up until the final 150m in the 2400m clash from October 17 and salute for Japan for the first time since Delta Blues (2006).

He is followed in Melbourne Cup betting by another international Caulfield Cup graduate, the Ed Dunlop-trained runner-up Trip To Paris ($8) jumping from barrier 14 with Tommy Berry in the saddle.

The money has come in again for one other runner, the Chris Waller-trained Preferment ($9.50) in the most successful Melbourne Cup barrier in history (11) on the back of a Cox Plate ninth he’ll improve on with less weight and more distance.

So will one of the top three in betting salute for the Melbourne Cup punters or is there another upset on the cards from a longer priced stayer such as the Cox Plate runner-up Criterion ($15) or Caulfield Cup third placed German import Our Ivanhowe ($19)?

To help you sort the genuine Melbourne Cup contenders from the pretenders below we’ve got the must know facts, betting history and statistics on the world’s richest handicap based off the Melbourne Cup form guide before you head to Ladbrokes.com.au and back your favourites!

2015 Melbourne Cup Form Guide & Betting Preview

• Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner was the then German-trained Protectionist (2014) who came off a Herbert Power Stakes fourth, jumped from barrier 10 (of 22) at $7 and carried 56.5kg to victory with Ryan Moore aboard
• Protectionist was the third international in five years to beat the locals in the Melbourne Cup
• There are 11 international raiders in the 2015 line-up with: #1 Snow Sky ($41), #3 Fame Game ($4.40), #5 Big Orange ($61), #7 Hokko Brave ($34), #8 Max Dynamite ($13), #9 Red Cadeaux ($26), #10 Trip To Paris ($8), #12 Sky Hunter ($41), #16 Quest For More ($101), #18 Kingfisher ($41) and #20 Bondi Beach ($21)
• The only one with previous Melbourne Cup form is triple runner-up Red Cadeaux who contests the race for the fifth straight year and who was second to Protectionist 12 months ago
• The other runner from last year’s Melbourne Cup Trifecta back in 2015 is #11 Who Shot Thebarman ($21) who was third for Chris Waller
• Waller also saddles-up #15 Preferment ($9.50) and his Sydney Cup winner #14 Grand Marshal ($41) this year
• Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning jockey Ryan Moore shoots for back-to-back wins this season aboard #1 Snow Sky
• #1 Snow Sky (58kg) carries the Melbourne Cup top weight and is out to join Makybe Diva (2005) as the only winner with that weight in over 30 years
• Since Gold And Black (1977) only three from 64 have won the Melbourne Cup carrying 57kg or more to victory
• That is a hoodoo #1 Snow Sky, #2 Criterion (57.5kg) and #3 Fame Game (57kg) are out to break on Tuesday
• Along with Ryan Moore (3-1-0-0) the other previous Melbourne Cup winning jockeys with a ride this year are: Gerald Mosse (5-1-2-0) on #9 Red Cadeaux, Blake Shinn (6-1-0-0) on #11 Who Shot Thebarman, Jim Cassidy (19-1-0-0) on #14 Grand Marshal, Brett Prebble (11-1-0-1) on #20 Bondi Beach, Kerrin McEvoy (12-1-1-1) on #23 Excess Knowledge and Damien Oliver (25-3-3-0) on #13 The Offer

• The previous Melbourne Cup winning trainers with a runner this year are: Lee Freedman (19-5-3-0) who trains #4 Our Ivanhowe in partnership with Anthony Freedman, Gai Waterhouse (20-1-3-0) with #13 The Offer and #23 Excess Knowledge, and Robert Hickmott (12-1-0-0) with #22 The United States
• Last year’s winning barrier (10) has produced three winners (since 1983) and belongs on Tuesday to #17 Almoonqith ($16)
• The most successful Melbourne Cup barrier in that time with four winners and overall looking further back in history is 11 that #15 Preferment jumps from this year
• The only barrier yet to produce a winner is 18 with #20 Bondi Beach stuck with the gate in 2015
• Three last start winners have saluted in the Melbourne Cup in the past six years and this year those coming off a win are: #8 Max Dynamite (Group 2 Lonsdale Cup, 3300m, York, UK, 21/08/2015), #13 The Offer (Group 3 Bendigo Cup, 2400m, Bendigo, 28/10/2015), #17 Almoonqith (Group 3 Geelong Cup, 2400m, Geelong, 21/10/2015), #22 The United States (Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup, 2500m, Moonee Valley, 24/10/2015) and #23 Excess Knowledge (Group 3 Lexus Stakes, 2500m, Flemington, 31/10/2015)
• Two of the past three Melbourne Cup winners came off a Geelong Cup win, which is a double #17 Almoonqith is looking to complete this season

• The last Lexus Stakes winner to back-up and win the Melbourne Cup the way #23 Excess Knowledge is looking to do this year was Shocking (2009)
• The other most successful lead-up in recent times with three winners since 2007 is the Cox Plate and this year the Cox Plate contenders backing-up are: Criterion (2^nd), Hartnell (5^th) and Preferment (9^th)
• Melbourne Cup favourites have only saluted twice in the past 10 years with #3 Fame Game out to be the next in 2015
• The only other Japanese-trained Melbourne Cup winner in history was Delta Blues (2006)
• Six-year-olds have won five of the past 10 Melbourne Cups and the 6YOs in the mix this year are: #3 Fame Game, #4 Our Ivanhowe, #8 Max Dynamite, #12 Sky Hunter, #14 Grand Marshal, #16 Quest For More, #17 Almoonqith, #19 Prince Of Penzance, #22 The United States and #23 Excess Knowledge

• Only one mare is in the field this year looking to win for the first time since Makybe Diva (2003-05) with #24 Gust Of Wind ($34)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #12 Sky Hunter (55%) followed by #22 The United States (42%) and #20 Bondi Beach (40%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #20 Bondi Beach (100%) followed by #12 Sky Hunter (73%), #16 Quest For More (68%), #22 The United States (67%) and #23 Excess Knowledge (67%)
• The horses with previous winning form at the track (Flemington) are: #11 Who Shot Thebarman (4-2-0-1), #15 Preferment (2-2-0-0) #14 Grand Marshal (1-1-0-0), #19 Prince Of Penzance (6-1-3-0), #21 Sertorius (6-1-2-1) and #23 Excess Knowledge

• The horses with previous winning form over the distance (3200m) are: #16 Quest For More (5-4-1-0), #6 Hartnell (3-2-0-0), #8 Max Dynamite (13-2-5-0), #10 Trip To Paris (3-2-0-1), #11 Who Shot Thebarman (4-1-1-1), #13 The Offer (2-1-0-0), #5 Big Orange (5-1-0-0) and #14 Grand Marshal (1-1-0-0)

Stay tuned to Races.com.au for our insider 2015 Melbourne Cup tips to be published shortly.

In the meantime head over to our preferred online bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au and get behind a host of your favourites for the cup with a unique Win or Trifecta bet on each / combinations to earn more entries in the $70,000 Melbourne Cup giveaway!

2015 Melbourne Cup Form Guide