VRC Confirms Second Declarations for the 2025 Melbourne Cup
With 53 contenders still in the running and international stars arriving in Melbourne, anticipation is building for the 2025 Melbourne Cup — the race that stops a nation.
Canva/CC
The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) has confirmed that 53 horses are on the list of second declarations for the 2025 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on November 4. The field for the race that stops the nation” will be whittled down to 24 runners once the final ‘Golden Ticket’ race has been run later this month.
Top Australian trainer Chris Waller still has nine potential runners in the race despite withdrawing star mare Via Sistina from the line-up. She is due to run in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse on October 25. Waller has yet to confirm why he has decided to swerve the Melbourne Cup with the mare. His decision sparked a significant shake-up in the betting market. Recent Turnbull Stakes winner Sir Delius has been trimmed in to 5.00 to win the big race.
The best betting app for the Melbourne Cup rates Al Riffa as the second favourite, while Half Yours and Valiant King are also prominent in the ante-post market. The sportsbooks featured on the AustralianBettingSites comparison platform will be inundated with wagers on what promises to be a thrilling edition of the Melbourne Cup. The third declarations for the race close at 10.30am (AEDT) on October 27 and are guaranteed to trigger another wave of price changes in the betting.
2015 Melbourne Cup Carnival — Melbourne Cup Day. Photo by Chris Putnam, Canva/CC.
Five international horses are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne this week including United States raider Parchment Party. The Bill Mott-trained winner of the Belmont Gold Cup is scheduled to be ridden by legendary American-based jockey John Velazquez.
This weekend’s Caulfield Cup could provide a useful pointer to the Melbourne Cup, with several fancied runners on course to contest both races. They include the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde, who has finished seventh and fifth in the last two editions of the Melbourne Cup.
The last horse to complete the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double was Without a Fight in 2023, who was trained by Sam and Anthony Freedman. Mullins’ assistant, David Casey, believes the decision to give Absurde a prep run in Australia could boost his chances of making it third time lucky in the Melbourne Cup.
“He travelled great, didn’t lose a lot of weight, put it back on pretty quick and he’s settled in well here – he knows his way around,” Casey said. “He’s very good – we’re delighted with him. We’ve come out early to get a run into him this time. It’s something we have done before, and we’ve decided to give it a go with him. We thought the Caulfield Cup would suit him and I’m hoping he goes in there with a chance. Hopefully they go a good gallop, and they sustain it over the shorter trip, as that is what he likes.”
Melbourne Cup 2025 – Latest Betting
- Sir Delius – 5.00
- Al Riffa – 7.00
- Half Yours – 13.00
- Valiant King – 17.00
- Absurde – 21.00
- Deakin – 21.00
- Vauban – 21.00
- Land Legend – 26.00
- Buckaroo – 26.00
- Golden Snap – 26.00
- Gilded Water – 26.00
- Furthur – 26.00
- Royal Supremacy – 26.00
- Revelare – 26.00
- Presage Nocturne – 26.00
- Arapaho – 34.00
- Zardozi – 34.00
- Birdman – 34.00
- Goodie Two Shoes – 34.00
- Middle Earth – 34.00
- Meydaan – 34.00
- Flatten The Curve – 34.00
- Chevalier Rose – 41.00
- Changingoftheguard – 41.00
- Onesmoothoperator – 41.00
- Adelaide River – 51.00
- River Of Stars – 51.00
- Point King – 51.00
- Parchment Party – 51.00
- Whisky On The Hill – 67.00
- Brayden Star – 67.00
- Moira – 67.00
- Mark Twain – 67.00
- Torranzino – 101.00
- Athabascan – 101.00
- Smokin’ Romans – 101.00
- Sayedaty Sadaty – 101.00
- Don Diego De Vega – 101.00
- Interpretation – 101.00
- Grand Pierro – 101.00
- Trav – 101.00
- More Felons – 101.00
- Etna Rosso – 101.00
- Post Impressionist – 101.00
- Star Of India – 151.00
- Sharp ‘n’ Smart – 201.00
- Kings Valley – 210.00
- Dashing Duchess – 201.00
- Quietness – 201.00
- So You Are – 251.00
- Scary – 251.00
- Cleveland – 251.00
- Fernao – 251.00
