Melbourne Cup 2014: Race Schedule, Date, Odds, Weather Forecast and More

Tuesday sees the 154th instalment of the Melbourne Cup take centre stage in Melbourne, Australia, as the horse racing world’s eyes turn to the Flemington Racecourse for an event decorated in tradition.

Known as “The Race that Stops a Nation,” the Melbourne Cup has proven to be exactly that in recent years, with some famous victories taking place on the flat track.

Damien Oliver’s victory on the back of Fiorente in the 2013 race summed up the drama that we come to expect at the Melbourne Cup, and this year’s race promises to be no different.

Venue: Flemington Racecourse

Date: Tuesday, November 4

Time: 3 p.m. AEDT/4 a.m. GMT

Weather Forecast: Good to soft

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With a race length of 3,200 metres, the Melbourne Cup is notoriously difficult to prepare for, and it is a test of a horse’s staying power rather than its pace.

Previous winners reflect such a notion, too, as champions have not necessarily been the best runners but those that can find their legs when it really matters.

Here’s a look at the 24 competitors looking to find something extra in this year’s race, together with their odds:

Horse	Odds
Admire Rakti	4/1
Protectionist	7/1
Lucia Valentina	7/1
Signoff	8/1
Fawkner	10/1
Mutual Regard	10/1
Red Cadeaux	20/1
Cavalryman	20/1
Who Shot Thebarman	20/1
Junoob	25/1
Willing Foe	25/1
My Ambivalent	33/1
Araldo	25/1
Seismos	33/1
Royal Diamond	40/1
Lidari	50/1
Opinion	50/1
Brambles	66/1
Gatewood	66/1
Au Revoir	66/1
Precedence	100/1
Sea Moon	100/1
Mr Oceirin	200/1
Unchain My Heart	250/1

Admire Rakti Looking to Continue Form

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Being the favourite at the Melbourne Cup can be seen as a curse rather than a blessing, and that’s the seemingly unfortunate tag that’s resting on Admire Rakti ahead of Tuesday’s race.

The Japanese iron horse has another hurdle to overcome, too, after being penalised 0.5 kilograms courtesy of his controversial Caulfield Cup victory.

Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Admire Rakti carried 58 kilograms in that recent triumph, but his new weight of 58.5 kilograms hasn’t put any punters off—and for good reason, too.

His final serious gallop at Werribee on Friday will have given backers nothing but encouragement, likewise did it have trainer Tomoyuki Umeda in high spirits when he spoke to the media, saying to Adam Pengilly of The Age: “We're really happy he's favourite now and his condition is so good so we hope he can answer the punters.”

Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

While the Admire Rakti camp is oozing confidence and the horse is looking like it can go the distance, it’s going to be far from an easy ride at the Flemington.

Part of the Melbourne Cup’s charm is just how strong the field is and how, no matter the odds, there’s never an overwhelming favourite.

One of those looking to break clear from the congested field is German horse Protectionist, who’s the second favourite behind Admire Rakti in Tuesday’s race.

Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Australia’s biggest race has never seen a German winner crowned, but the five-year-old, whose half brother is last year’s winner, Fiorente, comes into the Melbourne Cup in the right form to break that duck.

Protectionist won high-class events in Germany and France earlier in the year with minimal fuss and impressed on his Australia debut in the Herbert Power handicap at the start of October.

Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

He came in fourth in that race, but trainer Andreas Wohler is hoping for an even better showing in his first Melbourne Cup, per ABC: “He ran well [at the Herbert Power handicap] and has come on from that. He knows his game and just keeps improving race by race.”

While the likes of Protectionist and the other favourites will be backed heavily, the chance of there being, say, a 66/1 outsider shot coming in is high for such a demanding race.

And whoever emerges victorious will be handsomely rewarded, with the race’s prize fund standing at $6.2 million.