2023 Melbourne Cup Day Preview

The first Tuesday in November has arrived with a huge crowd set to descend upon Flemington Racecourse for the 163^rd running of the Melbourne Cup.  

The ‘race that stops a nation’ has attracted another lucrative field of international and home-grown stayers, while the rest of the program is made up with several key black-type races, including The Schweppervescence and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.  

For our tips across the entire 10-race program on Cup Day, scroll down below! 

There’s no reason Admitted can’t go one better on his outstanding debut win at Bendigo two weeks ago.  

The Godolphin colt enjoyed a dream run along the fence over the same trip, hitting the front at the top of the straight to draw clear from Tuesday’s rival Dublin Down, who did give good chase himself in the end. 

This son of Brazen Beau is only small to the eye, but his late speed packs a punch and he should take beating again if he gets another cozy ride in behind the speed in this year’s Maribyrnong Plate.  

1 Unit Admitted 

Mr Maestro warrants big respect here with two of his four wins coming over 1800m.  

Andrew Formsna’s four-year-old was excellent on return at Caulfield two weeks ago in the Moonga Stakes, taken right back from the inside alley and really sticking to the task nicely to finish a few lengths off Buffalo River.  

He appeared in need of the run off a lengthy break, but also appeared to have pletny left to give through the line. Proven second-up and drawn wider this time, I think he can give this a good shake.  

1 Unit E/W Mr Maestro  

Warmonger should find the rise to 1800m more than suitable if his debut win at Mornington last start was anything to go by.  

Out of the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr stable, this Kiwi import was strong through the line when charging down the outside over shorter, gapping his rivals by 1.75 lengths in the end thanks to a solid ride by Damian Lane.  

The pair combine again here, while the form from that win also stacks up with the third place getter going on to win his next start quite comfortably.  

1 Unit Warmonger  

Keen to see Revalene out to a bigger track coming off an unlucky run at The Valley last week.  

The colt by Russian Revolution was the beaten favourite after struggling to find clear air at the top of the straight, but I thought he was strong to the line – clocking a speedy late split behind a smart colt in Celui. 

From a wider gate, we might see him settle more off the pace this time now that Blake Shinn has a good feel for him.  

1 Unit Revalene 

He’s drawn a tricky assignment from gate 13, but this does look the right kind of race for Mr Waterville deep into his prep.  

Chris Waller’s five-year-old was among a wall of horses hitting the line hard in the Geelong Cup a fortnight ago, finding the lead at the 100m mark and only conceding narrowly to finish fourth.  

He was outclassed the run prior in The Metrop, but he did handle his first start on Australian soil quite nicely when beaten five lengths by Just Fine at Randwick.  

1 Unit Mr Waterville  

The 1400m trip should be right up Glint Of Silver’s alley in his first run back. 

The Rubick four-year-old was racing consistently before he came undone in the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle back in September, pushing forward to land on the speed before weakening badly in the end.  

This is a nice step back in grade for David Pfeiffer’s gelding, while he also tends to run a good race over this distance – as we saw when he won the Group 2 Autumn Stakes at Sandown earlier in the year.  

Off a break with a trial between starts, he looks a nice bet in an open race. 

1 Unit Glint Of Silver  

Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight still looks to have big scope for improvement.  

The Irish sensation over-raced and was a little flat-footed on debut in the Underwood Stakes when beaten 2.25 lengths by Alligator Blood, but he quickly put any doubts to rest when exploding down the centre of the straight to deny West Wind Blows and Gold Trip a month later.  

Mark Zahra’s decision to stick with him bares plenty of respect, and unlike others, there’s no query out to 3200m after contesting last year’s edition.  

By Novellist, Breakup was a Group 2 winner in Tokyo this time last year, more recently going on to run fourth behind the impressive Justin Palace in the Group 1 Tenno Sho over 3200m at Kyoto.  

His debut at Caulfield a couple of weeks ago was much better than it reads, finding the centre of the straight out of the turn before being squeezed badly between a pair of runners where he eventually settled for eighth. 

Experienced over the trip with long-time Japansese jockey Kohei Matsuyama on board this time, a win certainly wouldn’t shock. 

1 Unit Without A Fight

1 Unit Breakup

Really tricky race that could turn out to be anything. 

Right To Party is an intriguing filly out of the Freedman camp that was enormous last week at The Valley, rounding up the field from the tail to run half a length of Gumdrops down the outside.  

Despite the bigger field, this race isn’t much tougher, and she should be able to find cover this time from a much better draw. Considering that was also her first run back in seven weeks, she should be open to natural improvement.  

1 Unit E/W Right To Party 

Having a couple of throws at the stumps in another wide-open race.  

Revolutionary Miss hasn’t won since she took out the Kewney Stakes over the mile here at Headquarters earlier in March, but she has been racing better than her form suggests.  

The Snowden mare has had excuses in her last two starts, but she did find the line nicely in a bunched finish in the Tristarc at Caulfield only a few weeks ago.  

Kiwi mare Skew Wiff also appeals. She won the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings across the Tasman back in September and was held up badly in the Tristarc beaten just over a length. The draw makes things tough, but on the plus side, she’d handle any rain about in this year’s The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.  

1 Unit E/W Revolutionary Miss 

1 Unit E/W Skew Wiff 

Maher and Eustace four-year-old Chorlton Lane has really caught the eye in his brief time at the races, finding the money in six of his seven starts to date.  

His runs have been spaced this prep, but there’s been plenty to like about the form from his last two attempts at Rosehill and Caulfield.  

The Irish import has won twice over this journey, and despite the tricky gate, he should run a solid race back from a let-up with no weight on his back under Craig Williams.  

1 Unit Chorlton Lane