After the Victoria Derby Day races are run and won at Flemington Racecourse today the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) are set to release the official Melbourne Cup 2017 Field and perform the live 2017 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw.

Wicklow Brave is one of the record number of international Melbourne Cup 2017 horses in the mix for the two mile classic. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The last on the all-Group race Victoria Derby Day program runs at 5:20pm (AEDT), but the final acceptances for next Tuesday’s coveted Group 1 $6.25 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) close an hour before.

• 2017 Melbourne Cup Final Acceptances: Close at 4:30pm (AEDT)
• 2017 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw: Live from 6:30pm (AEDT) at Flemington

The predicted Melbourne Cup 2017 field cannot be 100% confirmed until then, but punters will have a pretty good idea of the 24 Melbourne Cup horses taking to the track in the two mile classic just after lunch time.

A final spot in the Melbourne Cup field is up for grabs at 1:40pm (AEDT) when a ballot exemption is on offer to the winner of the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m).

• 2017 Melbourne Cup Ballot Exemption: Offered to Lexus Stakes winner at 1:40pm (AEDT)

In the Lexus Stakes field eight of the 10 horses are chasing an eleventh hour spot in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’, looking to emulate Shocking (2009) who did the double.

The Melbourne Cup nominated Lexus Stakes horses and their current spot on the order of entry for next Tuesday’s showdown are:

• Harlem (No. 25)
• Aloft (No. 26)
• Vengeur Masque (No. 28)
• Pentathlon (No. 29)
• Cismontane (=No. 31)
• Kellstorm (=No. 31)
• Guardini (No. 33)
• Alward (No. 34)

Should any of the above salute in the Lexus Stakes results in Flemington Race 4 this afternoon that will see current No. 24 on the Melbourne Cup ballot, the William Mullins-trained Thomas Hobson, pushed outside the starting line-up.

If Thomas Hobson does survive and line-up there will be 11 Northern hemisphere-trained international raiders in the 2017 Melbourne Cup field, breaking a new record for the visitors.

Marmelo ($8) is the current best-fancied of the internationals in pre-field Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au to become the first since the German-trained Protectionist to salute.

2017 Melbourne Cup Internationals

• Tiberian (Alain Couetil)
• Rekindling (Joseph O’Brien)
• Red Cardinal (Andreas Wohler)
• Marmelo (Hughie Morrison)
• Johannes Vermeer (Aidan O’Brien)
• Max Dynamite (William Mullins)
• Wicklow Brave (William Mullins)
• US Army Ranger (Joseph O’Brien)
• Nakeeta (Iain Jardine)
• Wall Of Fire (Hugo Palmer)
• Thomas Hobson (William Mullins)

Stay tuned to Races.com.au across the day for all the latest Melbourne Cup news and field updates, backing your early tips at the best prices online at Ladbrokes.com.au.