Time is ticking down to Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDT) and below are the Races.com.au team’s final words on the Melbourne Cup 2017 Horses.

Single Gaze is one of the best supported 2017 Melbourne Cup Horses. Photo: Steve Hart.

#1 Hartnell ($26): Big task for the top weight and third placegetter last year. His third go in the race, has been kept fresh, but has had his chance and failed.

#2 Almandin ($9): Last year’s winner looking for another carrying more weight. Plenty of form experts are tipping him, but Melbourne Cup history says he won’t.

#3 Humidor ($11): Needs to go the distance (3200m), but the Winx form in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate is imposing and he’s a genuine hope if he stays.

#4 Tiberian ($26): One of the top 2017 Melbourne Cup Roughies to tip. Strong European form. There are better-weighted internationals and would be better with a lead-up run in Australia, but not without claims. Ticks a number of the Melbourne Cup Hoodoos & History Tips and the French raider has been consistent at $26 to become the first international to win first-up since Vintage Crop (1993).

#5 Marmelo ($7): Market mover and new favourite in Melbourne Cup betting. Ran the perfect trial in the Caulfield Cup and could prove the horse to beat.

#6 Red Cardinal ($17): Another first-up Northern hemisphere-trained galloper. Has work to do from the outside barrier (23) but dual winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy knows how to ride home a winner from out wide in this race. German trainer Andreas Wohler also has winning form here and is a danger.

#7 Johannes Vermeer ($10): Will he or will he not run two miles? Lloyd Williams said this horse reminds him of 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon. That could be an imposing sight. Right weight, right gate and the two Aussie lead-ups have been good including the Caulfield Cup third.

#8 Bondi Beach ($67): A genuine roughie for a reason. Gets the inside run from barrier one, but nicks no other boxes. Four unplaced runs at Flemington, two unplaced runs at the distance, JRA Trophy 11^th was flat. 13^th in the race last year and won’t be that close this time.

#9 Max Dynamite ($16): Had his chance in 2015 and ran a luckless second to the triple-figure winner. Barrier two and Zac Purton for second shot, can reel off outstanding sectionals late and last start in late August was a huge 3419m effort in Ireland willing by thred lengths with 73kg.

#10 Ventura Storm ($34): Out to atone for a flop in the Caulfield Cup, but can bounce back with three-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop Glen Boss aboard today.

#11 Who Shot Thebarman: Scratched

#12 Wicklow Brave ($51): Bit of late money for the nine-year-old who has in-from jockey Stephen Baster rider, but was well out of the money in the race last year and is now a nine-year-old and that works against him.

#13 Big Duke ($21): Another steady Melbourne Cup chance for Darren Weir, the beaten Moonee Valley Gold Cup favourite out to atone stepping-up in distance with a nice weight (53.5kg) from a favourable gate (5).

#14 US Army Ranger ($71): Williams-owned Irish galloper, right age / sex but lead-up doesn’t suggest he’ll be competitive in this quality a race. Can stay, can’t win.

#15 Boom Time ($34): Big price on the Caulfield Cup winner. Upset the field over 2400m, now has to extend to 3200m. It’s a hard double to do and queries whether this galloper has already run his Grand Final.

#16 Gallante ($71): Best backed Melbourne Cup roughie. Opened at Prince Of Penzance odds and has firmed into $71. Needs rain and no horse has done it from barrier 18. He won’t break that hoodoo.

#17 Libran ($61): Chris Waller trained and proven over the two miles. Hasn’t been in a Melbourne Cup, but good enough in the Sydney equivalent. The second to withdrawn stablemate Who Shot Thebarman in the MV Gold Cup was decent, lightweight and not the worse horse in this race. Looks overs.

#18 Nakeeta ($34): Really hard formline to track into the Melbourne Cup. Connections have brought the Scottish galloper a long way so they must have a bit of a wrap on it. Ebor Handicap win last time out has worked in favour for the Melbourne Cup a number of times, just not sure about this year. Drops huge kilos and should run the two miles though.

#19 Single Gaze ($26): Love the price on this Caulfield Cup second placed mare. She shouldn’t stay, but she did over 2400m when she finished runner-up in the lead-up. Doesn’t run a bad race, defies her pedigree and is honest. Money coming, she’s been well backed and can run top three.

#20 Wall Of Fire ($12): Craig Williams rides this consistent five-year-old from the UK whose last run was a second in the Herbert Power. Form of that race franked in the Caulfield Cup results. Kept fresh since, drops from 58kg to 53kg. Danger.

#21 Thomas Hobson ($21): Late jockey change after the fall of Joao Moreira. Ben Allen is the 18-year-old who gets the chance to make Melbourne Cup history from out wide on this 52kg lightweight Irish raider.

#22 Rekindling ($15): A three-year-old in Europe, gets a gun run from gate four carrying only 51.5kg with the race’s 2009 winning hoop Corey Brown aboard. Unknown with claims and owner Williams has a high opinion on the Doncaster St Leger fourth placegetter and Curragh Cup winner. Stays.

#23 Amelie’s Star ($21): The Bart Cummings winning mare for Weir, chasing the double Almandin did in 2016. She was unplaced in the Caulfield Cup ridden outside her usual style. Gets chance to atone.

#24 Cismontane ($41): Bit of late money after an earlier drift on Gai Waterhouse’s Lexus Stakes winner. Definitely will appreciate only 50kg, Almandin won from this barrier (17) last year and he’s gutsy, but probably outclassed and tiered.

Lock in your late Melbourne Cup 2017 Tips now at Ladbrokes.com.au.