Fifteen international raiders feature in the official nominations taken on Tuesday for this year’s Group 1 $8.41 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip is among the 132 nominations for this year’s edition of the ‘race that stops a nation’. Photo: Steve Hart.

The world’s richest handicap runs for the 163^rd time at Flemington on Tuesday the 7^th of November, 2023 and 132 early entries were received by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) this week.

Heading updated Melbourne Cup odds online at Ladbrokes at $8 is Vauban from the stables of Irish horseman Willie Mullins.

Mullins has nominated for both the French-bred chestnut Vauban who is a multiple Group 1 winning hurdler over two miles and further along with Ebor Handicap winner Absurde.

For the first time this year’s Ebor Handicap offered a golden ticket into the 24-horse Melbourne Cup field down under, and odds on the winner Absurde to travel to Australia and beat home the locals are currently at $21.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Dermot Weld-trained Vintage Crop (1993) becoming the first international Melbourne Cup winner.

Weld returns this spring entering his ultra-consistent Nathaniel four-year-old Harbour Wind who was last seen winning the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes, a race named in honour of Weld’s dual Melbourne Cup runner Vinnie Roe (4^th in 2002 and 2^nd in 2004).

The other top-fancied of the international Melbourne Cup nominees in 2023 are the William Haggas-trained English stayer Desert Hero and Japanese raider Breakup.

Four-year-old Sea The Stars entire Desert Hero is unbeaten with a flawless three-from-three record at time of publish, and he is being kept safe in all-in Melbourne Cup markets at $13.

Breakup is also rated at $13 shot in pre-field Melbourne Cup betting with the classy Novellist entire having run fourth in this year’s Group 1 Tenno Sho over the 3200m back home.

Delta Blues (2006) is the only Japanese-trained Melbourne Cup winner to date.

Trainer Chris Waller famous won the Melbourne Cup in 2021 with his since retired mare Verry Elleegant, and the master Sydney-based horseman has 14 nominees this season.

The best fancied of the Waller clan is Frankel five-year-old Soulcombe ($9) who was last seen winning the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) fresh at Caulfield on September 2.

Other headline entries for Waller include another son of Frankel Francesco Guardi, his Queensland Derby winner Kovalica, and last spring’s VRC Derby champ Manzoice.

The reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip is one of a bumper 17 nominees for trainers Ciaron Maher & David Eustace this year along with 2022 third-placed mare High Emocean.

The other past Melbourne Cup winner back this November is the Danny O’Brien-trained Vow And Declare who won the race back in 2019 at 10/1.

Vow And Declare returns as an eight-year-old this season and is currently at $51 Melbourne Cup odds to become the first dual winner on non-successive years Peter Pan (1932, 1934).

Ten years ago, Gai Waterhouse won her first and to date only ‘Loving Trophy’ with Fiorente.

Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott have nine Melbourne nominees in 2023 led by Kiwi expat Goldman who secured his spot in the event via a win in the Roy Higgins on March 25.

Another hopeful well-supported in early markets is a daughter of Fiorente, the Grahame Begg-trained eight-year-old mare Lunar Flare who is free from ballot after her 5.5 length demolition job in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (3200m) in May.

Melbourne Cup first acceptances are open until midday (local time) on Tuesday the 3^rd of October, 2023.

2023 Melbourne Cup Nominations

Table Credit: Racing Australia