A record number of international raiders will take on the local stayers in the 2015 Melbourne Cup field next Tuesday, November 3, in Flemington Race 7 with 11 non-Southern Hemisphere trained visitors in the confirmed field.

Irish galloper Max Dynamite is one of the best fancied of the 11 internationals in the 2015 Melbourne Cup field for next Tuesday at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Twenty-four horses face off in this year’s $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m), 11 of which are prepared outside of Australia and New Zealand.

2015 Melbourne Cup Internationals

• #1 Snow Sky (GB)
• #3 Fame Game (JPN)
• #5 Big Orange (GB)
• #7 Hokko Brave (JPN)
• #8 Max Dynamite (IRE)
• #9 Red Cadeaux (GB)
• #10 Trip To Paris (GB)
• #12 Sky Hunter (GB)
• #16 Quest For More (GB)
• #18 Kingfisher (IRE)
• #20 Bondi Beach (IRE)

It is the first time there are more internationals in the mix than there are Melbourne Cup finishing positions with prize money on offer, the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) paying down to 10^th position.

2015 Melbourne Cup Prizemoney

Total Prizemoney: $6,000,000 & $200,000 trophies

• First: $3,600,000 and trophies valued at $175,000, $10,000, $10,000, $2,500 & $2,500 to owner, trainer, rider, strapper (Tommy Woodcock Trophy) and breeder respectively
• Second: $900,000
• Third: $450,000
• Fourth: $250,000
• Fifth: $175,000
• Sixth: $125,000
• Seventh: $125,000
• Eighth: $125,000
• Ninth: $125,000
• Tenth: $125,000

Two represent Japan in the ‘race that stops a nation’, the sole Japanese-trained Melbourne Cup history to date being Delta Blues (2006) who ran the Melbourne Cup quinella with stablemate Pop Rock nine years ago.

Fame Game and Hokko Brave are the two horses from Japan in the field this year, the former leading the latest Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the opening four Melbourne Cup Day races next week.

The Yoshitada Munakata-trained Heart’s Cry stallion Fame Game is $3.80 early favourite in Melbourne Cup betting looking to salute for the punters in the two mile classic for the first time since Fiorente (2013).

He debuted down under with a sixth in the Caulfield Cup over the mile and a half on October 17, his previous run being a second to Gold Ship back home over the Melbourne Cup distance in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m).

Zac Purton is down to ride this year’s Melbourne Cup favourite, while the other Japanese raider Hokko Brave has Craig Williams in the saddle shooting for his maiden Melbourne Cup winning ride.

Occupying the second line of Melbourne Cup betting at around $8 in the markets is the Caulfield Cup runner-up Trip To Paris who represents Newmarket’s UK horseman Ed Dunlop.

Dunlop is famous down under for the three Melbourne Cup seconds run by the always-honest Red Cadeaux, a now 10-year-old by Australian racing standards who has his fifth run in the race this season currently paying $26 for the win.

The other best fancied internationals to continue the strong record of raiders in recent years include: Max Dynamite ($13), and the Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemates Bondi Beach ($17) and Kingfisher ($26).

Max Dynamite, to be ridden by Frankie Dettori, is prepared by Ireland’s William Mullins and will run in the Cup without an Australian lead-up having last been seen winning the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup (3300m) run over 100m further than the Melbourne Cup.

Bondi Beach and Kingfisher also represent Ireland, the best fancied of the two Bondi Beach only lightly raced having had five runs to date for two wins and three thirds.

After a second at York in Group 2 company over 2414m in August the Galileo stallion was last seen on September 12 running second again this time behind Simple Verse beaten only a neck in the Group 1 Doncaster St Leger (2917m).

Kingfisher is also a son of Galileo, a year older than Bondi Beach, and was eighth last start in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) on September 13.

Back your Melbourne Cup selections online at Ladbrokes.com.au between now and race day and go in ‘The Melbourne Cup Prize Draw’ where first prize is a brand new Ford Ranger!

Entries into the giveaway that has a total of $70,000 in prizes on offer is unlimited, just place as many unique Melbourne Cup bets as possible for additional entries.

For example, take a number of different Melbourne Cup trifecta bets with various horses in each arrangement and receive a new entry for each unique bet!