British horse Hopewell Rock begins Melbourne Cup Day as the favourite for the race that stops the nation.
The four-year-old colt is one of 24 horses preparing to start the 166th edition of the Cup at Flemington this afternoon.
Follow all the action of Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington on the live blog below.
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Melbourne Cup Day 2026
Melbourne Cup guide: Field, horses and form
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What are the conditions at Flemington today?
There has been some rain around Melbourne in the past 24 hours, which has resulted in the Flemington track starting Cup Day rated as a Soft 5.
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The weather is expected to improve as the day goes on, with a top of around 18C degrees.
When do scratchings get announced?
When will we know if there are any scratchings please?
There is no set time for when a horse needs to be scratched or not.
Essentially, as soon as a horse is deemed unfit to run, that horse is scratched immediately. Then that news filters through quite quickly as well.
So, when it happens, we will let you know straight away on the live blog.
Punters file into Flemington early for Melbourne Cup Day
(Getty)
(Getty)
(Getty)
When are all 10 races at Flemington today?
There is a full day of racing at Flemington.
Here is when the gates are scheduled to open for each race:
Melbourne Cup 2026 field, horses and form guide
Point Of Law, a horse bought from King Charles only a few months ago, remains the punters' elect ahead of Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
He'll be having only his sixth career start and is one of a record seven runners in the race for leading trainer Ciaron Maher.
Explore our interactive form guide to all the horses set to line up in the 166th Melbourne Cup, by tapping the link below.
What time is the Melbourne Cup?
Here are the start times for the Melbourne Cup in each state and territory, including New Zealand.
Welcome to the ABC Sport Melbourne Cup blog
Welcome to ABC Sport's live digital coverage of the 2026 Melbourne Cup.
British horse Hopewell Rock begins Melbourne Cup Day as the favourite for the race that stops the nation.
There has been rain in Melbourne over the previous 24 hours, with the Flemington track currently rated a Soft 5.
Join Andrew McGarry and me throughout the day, and be part of the conversation in the comment section.