The historic 150^th Melbourne Cup is due to have a strong international presence after 45 overseas raiders were amongst yesterday’s 253 Melbourne Cup nominations.

The record Melbourne Cup prizemoney of $6 million on offer this year has attracted one of the largest numbers of international horses ready to take on Australia’s top stayers in the richest handicap race in the world on Tuesday November 2 at Flemington.

With so many classy horses from overseas eyeing off this year’s Melbourne Cup, the Ladbrokes.com.au odds on an international Melbourne Cup winner for 2010 have shortened dramatically.

The overseas contingent of horses in the Melbourne Cup entries from all over the globe including Europe, Hong Kong and Japan includes four horses from the stables of premier Irish trainer Dermot Weld.

Weld, who has previously won two Melbourne Cups with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002), is aiming for a Melbourne Cup hat trick with Majestic Concorde, Natural High, Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup (4000m) winner Rite Of Passage and one of the early favourites Profound Beauty.

The esteemed racing powerhouse Godolphin have nominated nine horses, vying for their maiden Melbourne Cup victory after being beaten by one on three occasions with Central Park (1999), Give The Slip (2001) and Crime Scene (2009) all running second in the Melbourne Cup.

Godolphin’s head trainer Saeed bin Suroor will attempt to give them their breakthrough Cup victory via horses including English St Leger winner Mastery, Group 1 winning galloper Campanologist and placegetter in last year’s Arc De Triomphe Cavalryman.

There are five top entries from English trainer Luca Cumani also seeking his breakthrough Melbourne Cup victory having nominated two previous Cup placegetters, Purple Moon (2007) and Bauer (2008), along with the highly rated Drunken Sailor, Manighar and Becqu Adoree.

For the first time since 2006, when the Japanese-trained duo of Delta Blues and Pop Rock finished one-two, the Melbourne Cup final field is set to feature at least one horse from Japan.

The approval of Japanese quarantine facilities by Australian officials ahead of the 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival has seen five horses from Japan entered for the feature.

The favourite Japanese raider is recent Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) winner Jaguar Mail, owned by Katsumi Yoshida who also owned Delta Blues and Pop Rock.

Tenno Sho runner-up Meiner Kitz has also been entered for the 2010 Melbourne Cup.

Other top international contenders include this year’s Goodwood Cup winner Illustrious Blue, French stayers Americain and Laristan, and the Jeremy Noseda-trained Sans Frontieres.

View the full list of 2010 Melbourne Cup Nominations and get ready to make your selections as leading online bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au open their ante-post Cup betting later in the week.

For the best 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage including race previews, results, form guides and betting tips bookmark this page.

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