Lexus Melbourne Cup Betting Tips

The race that stops a nation takes place on Tuesday at Flemington in Melbourne, Australia and there are several British and Irish-trained runners making the trip down under. Here are our tips for the action in Melbourne ahead of the big race on Tuesday.

Bet on the Melbourne Cup

4.00am – Lexus Melbourne Cup

There will be plenty of punters looking to Vauban and the top-class hurdler has a good chance to give Willie Mullins a first Melbourne Cup. However, the market is all over him and his stablemate ABSURDE appears to have been overlooked following his Ebor victory at York.

Absurde was readily beaten by Vauban over 1m6f at Royal Ascot off level weights, but is 4lb better off now that they meet again and his win at York suggested he is still going forwards.

He had the widest draw of the lot in stall 24 on the Knavesmire, but made light work of that when coming through to defeat Sweet William, who was well-handicapped going into the race and has since twice finished in the first three in Group 2s in Britain. The form is strong. Mullins has given Absurde a long break with this race in mind since and Zac Purton is a positive jockey booking. He rode Max Dynamite to finish third for the stable back in 2017.

Melbourne Cup NAP: Absurde

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The home team are always strong in the Melbourne Cup and it's worth taking a chance on MILITARY MISSION, who represents Gai Waterhouse. She won the race ten years ago with Fiorente and looks to have another outstanding candidate in partnership with Adrian Bott.

Military Mission will need to improve, but he appears to be doing just that. He won the Newcastle Gold Cup in September and added a Grade 2 at Caulfield on his latest outing. Those efforts are his two best according to ratings and Waterhouse gave Military Mission a trial for this race at Sale last week. He won that with relative ease.

That should have put the selection spot on for this and Rachel King, who has ridden him to several victories, is set to ride. There is every chance Military Mission can outrun huge odds.

Melbourne Cup Each-way: Military Mission

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Other British and Irish contenders

Vauban will be many people's idea of the winner and the Mullins first string warmed up well for this when successful in the Ballyroan Stakes at Naas. He also looked like a Group 1-class stayer when landing the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, but this will be far tougher.

Valiant King chased Vauban home in the Ballyroan, but has struggled in two outings since. The Joseph O'Brien-trained runner was well held at Leopardstown in September and couldn't get competitive behind Without A Fight in the Caulfield Cup in Australia last time. He was behind some of these rivals there and hardly franked Vauban's Naas form. That has to be a concern if you are considering backing either the favourite, or Valiant King himself.

Okita Soushi is the other O'Brien-trained runner and he was also well held in the Caulfield Cup, finishing six places behind his stablemate Valiant King. He clearly has plenty to find.

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