The 24 Melbourne Cup horses lining up in the official 2017 Melbourne Cup Final Field has been announced by Racing Victoria ahead of the two-mile classic next Tuesday, November 7, at Flemington Racecourse.

Almandin is one of six Lloyd Williams-raced Melbourne Cup 2017 horses chasing a sixth ‘Loving Trophy’ for their owner. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

As expected prolific owner Lloyd Williams has six chances to add a sixth ‘Loving Trophy’ to the cabinet including the defending winner of the Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) Almandin.

2017 Melbourne Cup Field:

• 24 horses
• 11 internationals including Marmelo
• 6 for five-time owner Lloyd Williams
• 1 defending champion in Almandin
• 3 for Darren Weir including Cox Plate runner-up Humidor
• 1 for Godolphin in 57.5kg top weight Hartnell
• 3 for Irish horseman William Mullins after Thomas Hobson snuck in
• 1 for Gai Waterhouse with the Lexus Stakes winner Cismontane
• 2 mares with Single Gaze and Amelie’s Star
• 2 nine-year-olds out to be the first of that age to win in Wicklow Brave and Who Shot Thebarman

Williams won the Melbourne Cup for a record fifth time as an owner in 2016 and Almandin returns as favourite in Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au to defend his title and secure multiple editions of the race since Makybe Diva (2003-05) made history with three on the trot.

Two other of Williams’ runners are Robert Hickmott-trained with the roughie shot Gallante who needs rain to run his best and the imported Bondi Beach.

Williams will also be represented by three international raiders with the Caulfield Cup third placegetter Johannes Vermeer to be ridden by Ben Melham, Rekindling who has 2009 Melbourne Cup winning hoop Corey Brown in the saddle and US Army Ranger.

The Melbourne Cup field features its strongest ever international presence with a total of 11 Northern hemisphere-trained raiders including Thomas Hobson who narrowly made the starting line-up after the non-acceptance of Jon Snow.

Thomas Hobson gives Irish trainer William Mullins three runners joining nine-year-old Wicklow Brave and the 2015 runner-up Max Dynamite.

The shortest-priced of the raiders in the Melbourne Cup odds is Marmelo, the Hughie Morrison-trained Duke Of Marmalade entire to be ridden by Hugh Bowman.

Bowman rode the horse for the fast-finishing sixth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Marmelo should be improving out over more metres on Tuesday.

Trainer Darren Weir is in with three chances of enjoying a second win after the shock 2015 success of $101 roughie Prince Of Penzance.

He saddles-up The Bart Cummings winning mare Amelie’s Star chasing the double Almandin completed in 2016, dour stayer Big Duke and Humidor.

Humidor flew into contention after the excellent second to Winx in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, but needs to prove his staying potential rising notably in distance.

Hartnell was third in the Melbourne Cup trifecta last spring and is the only remaining runner for Godolphin, the powerhouse stable after their first win after plenty of close calls including three seconds.

The lead-up form of the James Cummings-trained Hartnell has left a bit to be desired and the seven-year-old gives the weight away with 57.5kg.

Chris Waller is in with two runners after Who Shot Thebarman and Libran ran the quinella in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, the former lining-up in his fourth Melbourne Cup field looking to be the first nine-year-old winner of the classic.

Cismontane is the lightweight of the Melbourne Cup field in 2017 carrying only 50kg after making the line-up via a Lexus Stakes win on Derby Day and Beau Mertens has picked up the ride.

He is out to give Gai Waterhouse her second after Fiorente (2013) won for the punters and is out to emulate Shocking (2009) as the last Lexus Stakes – Melbourne Cup double winner.

The only female hoop with a mount is Kathy O’Hara on Single Gaze.

See below for the full 2017 Melbourne Cup Field & Horses, the confirmed Melbourne Cup Jockeys and Weights with the live Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw to follow from 5:30pm (AEDT).

2017 Melbourne Cup Final Field

Flemington Race 7 (3:00pm) – 07/11/2017