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The Melbourne Cup 2025 field is starting to take shape with potential runners for the $10 million classic on November 4 down to 40 following Monday’s third acceptances.
The 24-horse starting line-up for the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington will not feature Robert Hickmott‘s Lexus Archer Stakes winner Revelare who was withdrawn after his disappointing 17th in the Caulfield Cup last start.
2025 Melbourne Cup Third Acceptances: Quick Glance
- 40 third acceptors
- 11 remaining international raiders led by 59kg top weight Al Riffa
- Al Riffa leads the latest all-in Melbourne Cup betting markets at $6 through Ladbrokes.com.au
- Five ballot exempt contenders remain with Half Yours, Onesmoothoperator, Parchment Party, Torranzino and Valiant King
- 8 chances for trainer Chris Waller led by Caulfield Cup third placed Valiant King and Cox Plate runner-up Buckaroo
The other notable stayers to come out of the mix following the third round of declarations include Adelaide River, Cleveland, Deakin, Sharp ‘N’ Smart, Point King and Zardozi.
Five other key third acceptors have already locked in their place in this year’s Melbourne Cup field thanks to ballot exemption victories across the spring.
Half Yours booked his ticket with a stirring win in the Caulfield Cup, while Brian Ellison‘s UK raider Onesmoothoperator surged into contention after claiming the Moonee Valley Gold Cup on Friday night.
The William Mott trained Parchment Party secured his spot via the Belmont Cup in the US and will be history’s first American trained Melbourne Cup runner next week, Torranzino earned his stripes with a gritty Geelong Cup triumph, and Valiant King stamped his authority in The Bart Cummings at Flemington before a third in the Caulfield Cup trifecta leading up to the first Tuesday of November.
Trainer Chris Waller, who won the 2021 Melbourne Cup with his ill-fated champion mare Verry Elleegant, still has eight potential runners including Valiant King ($7) and Buckaroo ($9).
Buckaroo was second in last year’s Caulfield Cup before a Melbourne Cup ninth place effort.
His Melbourne Cup odds for this year’s event were slashed on Saturday following his game second when nearly denying stablemate Via Sistina back-to-back Cox Plate trophies.
The road to the Melbourne Cup takes a crucial turn on Wednesday, with the Group 3 $500,000 Ladbrokes Bendigo Cup (2400m) shaping as a last-chance saloon for several hopefuls.
Among the headline acts are Arapaho, Don Diego De Vega, Interpretation, Mark Twain, Quietness, and Sayedaty Sadaty — all set to line up in the $500,000 staying feature and still officially in the mix for the two-mile classic next Tuesday.
With ballot pressure mounting and Cup dreams hanging in the balance, a win or placing here could prove decisive in securing a spot in the final 24-horse field for Flemington on November 5.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for full Melbourne Cup field updates, barrier draw coverage following the Victoria Derby Day racing this Saturday, and betting tips as the ‘race that stops a nation’ draws near.
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