In what looks another competitive renewal of the ‘Race The Stops A Nation’, we look at which horses are set to be the Melbourne Cup favourite come post time on Tuesday 5th November. 

The 2024 Melbourne Cup Favourites Are Buckaroo and Vauban

This Tuesday’s 2024 Melbourne Cup runners are down to 23 and if the market with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK is anything to go by – most seem to have a chance.

In 2015 the Melbourne Cup also saw a 100/1 winner land the race (Prince Of Penzance), while in the last four runnings it’s produced 20/1 and 25/1 winners – showing that really any horse can take home the monster £2,352,941 prize money.

Jockey Mark Zahra has also ridden the last two Melbourne Cup winners, and he tries for a third with one of the outsiders in the market Circle Of Fire.

But, at the other end of the betting, it’s the one of the two Willie Mullins Melbourne Cup runners – Vauban – and the Chris Waller entry Buckaroo that top the market.

Vauban Was Also Sent Off As The Melbourne Cup Favourite In 2023

12 months ago, the Rich Ricci-owned Vauban was backed into the shortest-priced runner in the field. However, under top jockey Ryan Moore, the horse could only manage 14th.

Since that Melbourne Cup run, he’s bounced back to run well this season – including running fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup in June and also winning the Lonsdale Cup at York at the end of August (watch below).

William Buick takes the ride this time and the horse is back with just one pound more in weight. While last year in stall 3 the Melbourne Cup trends were also against Vauban – he’s been handed a better berth in 11 this time.

Trainer Chris Waller Has One Of The Melbourne Cup Fancies In Buckaroo

The Chris Waller camp took the Melbourne Cup in 2021 with Verry Elleegant and the best betting sites in the UK feel they’ve got a great chance of adding to that with Buckaroo.

This 5 year-old is currently the shortest-priced of the home-trained runners in the market and it’s not hard to see why.

He was last seen running well to be second in the Caufield Cup on the 19th October (watch below) – the same race that last year’s winner Without A Fight landed before taking the Melbourne Cup.

Buckaroo might also be a horse that’s familiar with Irish racing fans as he used to be trained by Joseph O’Brien – winning two Listed races during 2022-23.

Melbourne Cup 2024 Details and Date?

📅Date: Tuesday 5th November 2024
⌚Time: 4:00am (GMT)
🏇Racecourse: Flemington Park (2m)
💰Winning Purse: £2,352,941
📺 TV: Sky Sports Racing

How Many Melbourne Cup Favourites Have Won Recently?

The quick answer is – not many.

We’ve not had a winning Melbourne Cup favourite in the last 10 runnings, with the last being Fiorente in 2013.

If we also go back over the last 20 runnings, we’ve only seen three winning market leaders of the race.

12 months ago, as mentioned, Vauban – who was sent off as the market leader – could only manage 14th (watch below).

Without A Fight won the race at odds of 7/1.