Victoria’s premier trainer Ciaron Maher has continued to build his representation in the Cup, with 14 horses still in contention, headlined by 2025 placegetter Middle Earth. Bolstering his team further is Mr Monaco, now exempt from the ballot after securing a golden ticket in The Lexus Bart Cummings (2520m), joining fellow golden ticket winner Shockletz.
Two-time Lexus Melbourne Cup winning trainer Joseph O’Brien is set to return and looks to have his strongest hand to date heading to the Cup, accepting with 9 horses, including golden ticket winner of the Group 2 Prix Kergolay (3000m) Defiantly and James J Braddock.
Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller has kept the dream alive for 9 of his runners, with his headline horse Aeliana staying in contention, along with Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) winner Ohope Wins and last Saturday’s Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) winner Pinhole.
On the 20th anniversary of Japan’s first win in the Cup with Delta Blues, representing Japan this year will be Stinger Glass, who will be ridden by world-class jockey Christophe Lemaire, who was successful in the 2011 Cup aboard Dunaden. British trainer Harry Charlton will be hoping for a successful first trip to Australia with his Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2671m) winner Wine Dark Sea, who is also one of the more favoured runners heading into Saturday’s Caulfield Cup.
This Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) will again prove to be a pivotal step towards the first Tuesday in November, following Half Yours’ success last year enroute to completing the Caulfield/Lexus Melbourne Cup double. 19 of the 22 Caulfield Cup hopefuls have accepted for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The reigning Cups champion Half Yours will aim to become the first horse since Rising Fast in 1954/55 to go back-to-back in the Caulfield Cup, before he aims to carry the topweight (59kg) in his quest for a second Lexus Melbourne Cup. Other notable entries for both feature cups include Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) winner Green Spaces, Group 3 Glorious Stakes (2400m) winner Enfjaar and 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice.
Only four golden tickets remain for automatic entry into the Lexus Melbourne Cup, including the Caulfield Cup, Geelong Cup, Moonee Valley Gold Cup and the Cox Plate.
With just three weeks remaining until the 166th running of the race that stops a nation, anticipation continues to build for connections.
Third declarations for the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup close on Monday 26 October.
The full list of second acceptances for the Lexus Melbourne Cup can be found here.
