Nineteen international raiders have been thrown into the mix for the 165th edition of the Lexus Melbourne Cup – worth a record $10 million 2025 – with nominations now closed for the November 4 classic.

Following on from last month’s Caulfield Cup and Ladbrokes Cox Plate entries, Racing Victoria today received 120 early nominations for the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with a star-studded edition of the two-mile classic pending for the first Tuesday of November at Flemington.

2025 Melbourne Cup Nominations: Quick Glance

• 120 total nominations taken
• Down from 123 in 2024
• 19 international nominees
• Joesph O’Brien’s Irish raider Al Riffa current favourite at $9 through Ladbrokes.com.au
• Defending champion Knight’s Choice at a current all-in price of $51 to go back-to-back through Ladbrokes.com.au
• Last year’s third placegetter Okita Soushi one of 13 for trainer Ciaron Maher
• 27 for Chris Waller chasing his second trophy including unlikely final acceptor Via Sistina

After Knight’s Choice scored an historic upset at 90/1 in a far from vintage edition of the world’s richest handicap last spring, this season we look set for a more esteemed collection of stayers chasing the ‘Loving Trophy’.

Among the 120 Melbourne Cup nominations are 19 Northern Hemisphere trained horses, one less than last year’s international contingent at the same stage.

Leading the international brigade is the Joseph O’Brien trained Al Riffa who is the current $9 outright favourite in Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.

O’Brien is already a two-time winning trainer with his second champion, Twilight Payment (2020), officially the last international from outside of Australia or New Zealand to win.

Al Riffa, stamped his passport to Melbourne with a powerhouse five-length romp home carrying top kilos in the Group 2 Curragh Cup (2816m) on July 19, and the dual Group 1 champ will first contest the prestigious Irish St Leger this month before travelling down under.

O’Brien has also nominated his Fastnet Rock mare Goodie Two Shoes.

Knight’s Choice meanwhile is in the mix to defend his Melbourne Cup trophy for Sunshine Coast duo John Symons & Sheila Laxon and is current at $51 to go back-to-back for the first time since the legendary three-peat of Makybe Diva (2003-05).

The other best out of the 2024 Melbourne Cup results looking to take top honours this season is the Ciaron Maher trained import Okita Soushi who ran third last year.

Despite finishing a first-up last when 10th at The Valley on August 23 in a 1523m handicap with 61kg, eight-year-old Okita Soushi is at conservative early Melbourne Cup odds of $34 with improvement expected as he gets out over a more suitable trip.

Maher has 13 Melbourne Cup nominees in total with Roaring Lion six-year-old Middle Earth, who resumed last Saturday with a hard-closing fifth with 62kg at Caulfield in a 2000m quality handicap, his best fancied at $26.

Master horseman Chris Waller meanwhile has a typically strong hand with 27 from the yard in contention, led odds-wise by his brilliant mare Via Sistina ($18).

While an unlikely final acceptor with the handicap and weight likely to rule out the reigning Australian Racehorse of the Year, no list of Group 1 nominations would be complete without last year’s eight-length Cox Plate hero.

Via Sistina made a sensational return to racing overcoming a Heavy (10) Randwick track to easily account for a talented list of rivals fresh in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) in a scary warning she still has plenty to give.

Of the Waller clan more likely to take part in the 24-horse Melbourne Cup field, the best in betting is Land Legend ($18).

Eighth in the finishing order last November, the consistent Galileo six-year-old resumed on August 16 at Randwick in the Spring Preview (1400m) and caught the eye running third to War Eternal despite having to overcome an unsuitably short distance, 61kg weight, and barrier 12 of 12.

Along with Al Riffa, the other best in futures Melbourne Cup betting 2025 is Sir Delius at $11 for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

Waterhouse made history in 2013 as the third female trainer to win the Melbourne Cup with Fiorente, but she’s still chasing a second success and first in partnership with Bott.

Their imported stayer, Sir Delius, a son of the legendary Frankel, burst onto the Australian racing scene with a commanding victory in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben in May, thriving on a Heavy (8) track while carrying the topweight of 60kg.

This weekend, he launches his spring campaign in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, where his performance over the mile will be closely watched as a key indicator of his Cup credentials.

Waterhouse & Bott also have their smart grey mare Alalcance along with Vauban among the nominations.

Of those, Vauban is the big name with the $11 pop set to line-up in his third Melbourne Cup field.

Formerly with Willie Mullins in Ireland, the now eight-year-old son of Galiway ran 14th to Without A Fight in 2023 and 11th last year.

Another of the early favourites in the markets for trainer Phillip Stokes is Deakin who secured a ballot free ride into the field claiming the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington back in May.

Click here to view the full list of 2025 Melbourne Cup nominations.

The 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup first acceptances close on Tuesday the 30th of September.

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