After the action of Victoria Derby Day all the attention will turn to the 24 top class stayers from around Australia and abroad facing off back at Flemington next Tuesday, and the Melbourne Cup 2014 barrier draw will take place live from the track tonight from 7pm (AEDT).

Araldo is confirmed a 2014 Melbourne Cup start if connections pay the final entry fee by 4:30pm (AEDT) this afternoon. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Melbourne Cup final acceptances for the $6.2 million two mile classic close at 4:30pm with Racing Victoria to confirm the official 24 Melbourne Cup horses, led by Japan’s Admire Rakti, by 6pm.

The Melbourne Cup field has already almost taken shape with the first 22 runners all but confirmed, just the last two spots in the ‘race that stops a nation’ left up in the air.

Robert Hickmott’s 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon was second on the ballot behind only the 58.5kg top weight and Ladbrokes.com.au favourite Admire Rakti, but was withdrawn with a cracked hoof this morning.

That means former number 23 in the order of entry Araldo moves into 22^nd spot and won’t be pushed out, the Michael Moroney-trained seven-year-old now a $19 shot in the Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

That leaves Unchain My Heart and Shoreham, now sitting 23^rd and 24^th respectively, sweating on a start.

Co-trained David Hayes rolls the dice with veteran mare Unchain My Heart, second last in the Caulfield Cup last time out, after scratching her from today’s $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m).

Now she needs Shoreham to finish outside the top three in the race, and the Lloyd Williams-owned import Amralah not to win the Mackinnon Stakes to keep her spot.

Once the Melbourne Cup 2014 field is confirmed the barrier draw will take place live from Flemington to determine the starting line-ups of the hopeful horses.

The Melbourne Cup barrier draw will have a notable effect then on the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au with no horse wanting to draw barrier 18, which has never produced a winner since barriers were introduced in 1925.

Melbourne Cup Barrier Facts

• Barrier 5 has produced the past two Melbourne Cup winners with Fiorente (2013) and Green Moon (2012)
• Before that the previous three winners jumped from double digits with Dunaden (13 in 2011), Americain (11 in 2010) and Shocking (21 in 2009)
• Barrier 18 is yet to produce a Melbourne Cup winner since the gates came into play in 1925
• Barrier 11 is the most successful with seven winners in that time including four since 1983
• The next most successful are then barriers 5, 10 and 14 with six winners each

Stay tuned for the 2014 Melbourne Cup barrier draw from 7pm (AEDT) this evening.

Before then now is your final chance to get in on the juicy futures Melbourne Cup betting markets open at Ladbrokes.com.au who will be offering a $10 million payout if you can pick the first seven over the line in Flemington Race 7 next Tuesday with their Megafecta promo!