The countdown to the Melbourne Cup is well and truly on marked by Geelong Cup Day 2016 taking place in Victoria today, 13 days before the ‘race that stops a nation’.

For the past 144 years the Geelong Cup has been run and won, and as time goes on the now $300,000 Group 3 staying test becomes a more essential lead-up to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on the first Tuesday of November.

This afternoon the 2016 Geelong Cup field faces off as part of a bumper nine-race program that also features two Black-Type support acts.

Geelong Track Report – 19/10/2016

• Rail: True Entire Circuit
• Weather: Fine
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Good (4)
• Penetrometer: 5
• Irrigation: nil last 24 hours, 6mm last 7 days
• Rainfall: 1.4mm last 24 hours, 13.2mm last 7 days

Racing kicks off at Geelong Racecourse for Cup Day at 12:30pm (AEDT) and continues through until the card closer at 5:20pm (AEDT).

Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEDT) is the feature with three scratchings from the Geelong Cup field 2016.

Who Shot Thebarman comes out for Chris Waller, John O’Shea has withdrawn Arab Dawn and Darren Weir’s perennial placegetter Black Tomahawk is the last scratching from the line-up.

That leaves just eight runners and while it is far from a vintage edition of the field, there are plenty of international raiders and imports to keep an eye on including the Charlie Appleby-trained Oceanographer who is early favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Read our exclusive 2016 Geelong Cup Betting Tips.

Either side of the Geelong Cup are two Listed features also offering punters a good chance to make some money at the iconic mid-week meeting.

Race 6 at 3:20pm (AEDT) is the $120,000 Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) for three-year-olds where the likes of Nemrud ($3.80), last start Morphettville winner Pretty Punk ($3.90) and Theanswermyfriend ($4) are battling for favouritism.

Race 8 is the last of the stakes’ races on the Geelong Cup Day program with the fillies and mares facing off in the $120,000 Listed Rosemont Stud Stakes (1200m) where Painted Firetail ($3.80) shapes up as the one to beat.

See below for the full 2016 Geelong Cup Day scratchings and program before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to place your bets at the best price.

Geelong Scratchings – 19/10/2016

Total Scratchings: 24

Race 1 (12:30pm) – $23,000 B&B Aluminium BM64 Handicap (1400m)

• No official scratchings

Race 2 (1:00pm) – $30,000 IGA Liquor BM78 Handicap (2400m)

• #8 Delightful Son (2)

Race 3 (1:35pm) – $30,000 Geelong Australia BM78 Handicap (1500m)

• No official scratchings

Race 4 (2:10pm) – $30,000 No Fuss Event Hire BM70 Handicap (1700m)

• No official scratchings

Race 5 (2:45pm) – $40,000 Shojun Concrete Dual Choice Plate (1200m)

• #2 Gallant Harmony (5)
• #8 Lucky Liberty (3)
• #11 Caprese (9)
• #15 Shintaro (15)

Race 6 (3:20pm) – $120,000 Listed Emsley Lodge Geelong Classic (2200m)

• #Resort (2)
• #15 Anaheim (11)
• #19e Shine Tak Star (18)
• #20e Crypto Peer Rocks (13)

Race 7 (4:00pm) – $300,000 Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m)

• #1 Who Shot Thebarman (10)
• #3 Arab Dawn (11)
• #8 Black Tomahawk (3)

Race 8 (4:40pm) – $120,000 Listed Rosemont Stud Stakes (1200M)

• #6 Jacqui’s Joy (18)
• #16 Prompt Response (8)
• #17e World Of Hope (19)
• #18e White House Lady (17)
• #20e Fille Champagne (20)

Race 9 (5:20pm) – $30,000 Roderick Insurance Brokers BM70 Handicap (1200m)

• #4 Sea Spray (9)
• #6 Prince Tarkeida (14)
• #7 Bon’s Ghost (12)
• #8 Chapel Road (17)
• #12 Elle Excite (19)
• #14 White House Lady (2)
• #19e Aurelius Hero (18)

*All times quoted are local (AEDT) and odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – subject to change