The countdown is on towards the race that stops a nation®, the $10 million Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday, after the final field of 24 was confirmed and the barriers were drawn at the conclusion of Howden Victoria Derby Day on Saturday afternoon.

Among the final field are horses trained on a remarkable four continents and in a record seven countries: Australia, Asia (Japan), Europe (Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany) and, for the first time, North America (United States). 

A decade on from Michelle Payne’s historic success aboard Prince Of Penzance, Jamie Melham will attempt to join her as a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey. She rides Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours, who has drawn gate eight for Tony and Calvin McEvoy as he strives to become the 13th horse to complete the Cups double.

Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning trainers Chris Waller (five runners) and Ciaron Maher (three runners) received a mixed bag out of the barrier draw. Waller’s leading contenders Valiant King (10), Buckaroo (12) and River Of Stars (14) will jump from the middle of the line, split by two of Maher’s runners in Smokin’ Romans (11) and Middle Earth (13).

The third of Maher’s runners, Group 1 winner Royal Supremacy, will have to contend with barrier 21 for last year’s winning jockey Robbie Dolan.

Vauban is aiming to become the first horse since 1988 to win the Melbourne Cup for the first time at his third attempt. The former Irish runner has called Australia home since last year’s Cup, having joined Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Gai Waterhouse and the Adrian Bott stable. He will jump from gate two.

Leading the international charge is Joseph O’Brien’s multiple Group 1 winner Al Riffa, who drew gate 19. His stablemate Goodie Two Shoes, a first Australia runner for renowned international owner J P McManus, drew 20, meaning they will jump from neighbouring gates.

O’Brien, just 32, is aiming to win his third Melbourne Cup after victories with Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020).

Fellow Irish trainer Willie Mullins may not have Vauban in his arsenal this year but Absurde returns, also for the third time, after finishing seventh and fifth the last two years. He will start from stall four.

Parchment Party, the first ever runner trained in the United States, will jump from stall three for American Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey John Velazquez.

Japan is represented by Hisashi Shimizu’s Chevalier Rose, who drew gate five; France has Presage Nocturne for Alessandro Botti in nine; and German stayer Flatten The Curve, trained by Henk Grewe, will break from barrier 17.

Also cheering the runners home will be 24 rural and regional destinations which hosted the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour during 2025. Each town has been assigned a horse through the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep; the town which draws the Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with $50,000 to put towards a charity supporting a local community initiative. See below for the list of towns and their horses.