Last year's Caulfield Cup winner Dunaden is among entries to win his second Melbourne Cup. Source: Supplied
NOVEMBER'S Melbourne Cup promises to be the best ever, with the last two winners, Green Moon and Dunaden, heading today's 135 entries.
The number of entries for the $6.2 million race is down slightly on the last two years but the quality is up, according to Racing Victoria's racing manager Greg Carpenter.
"The quality of the local and international entries this year is outstanding," Carpenter said.
See the 135 Melbourne Cup entries here.
"To have the past two winners in Green Moon and Dunaden, together with representatives
from most of Europe's premier stables, amongst the nominations is testimony to the stature of
the Melbourne Cup on the world stage.
"For the first time in the Cup's history, internationals account for more than 20 per cent of the total entries and the number of Northern Hemisphere-bred entrants has risen above 50 per cent which best illustrates the internationalisation of the race over the past two decades."
Racing Victoria's international scout Leigh Jordon said the coup of this year's Cup would be the growing likelihood that Dunaden would start.
"I had originally been advised that Dunaden would not be coming, but he is now a 50/50 chance of contesting another Emirates Melbourne Cup with his nomination being received.
"He is scheduled to contest the Prix Foy at Longchamp in France on Sunday week, 15 September and we expect a decision will be made after that whether he contests the Melbourne Cup or the Arc de Triomphe in his homeland."
Dunaden is one of 28 internationally-trained entries in what will be the 20th anniversary of international participation in the Melbourne Cup.
Dermot Weld's Irish raider Vintage Crop broke new ground when becoming the first internationally-trained starter and winner of Australia's most famous horse race in 1993.
Over the past 20 years, there have been 101 internationally trained starters with Media Puzzle
(Dermot Weld, Ireland, 2002), Delta Blues (Katsuhiko Sumii, Japan, 2006), Americain (Alain
de Royer Dupre, France, 2010) and Dunaden (Delzangles, France, 2011) the other
visitors to have triumphed on the first Tuesday in November.
Cups King Bart Cummings has just one entry, likely longshot Precedence, in a bid to win a 13th Cup.
Dunaden (top) holds on to beat Red Cadeaux by the shortest margin in Melbourne Cup history in 2011. Source: News Limited
Delzangles' French compatriot Alain de Royer-Dupre, who won the 2010 Melbourne Cup with
Americain, will return with the Aga Khan-owned Verema, one of four other French nominees.
Dermot Weld is the only other trainer from Europe to have won the Melbourne Cup and the
Irish maestro has two chances to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first win in the race with
Vintage Crop, having entered Pale Mimosa and Voleuse De Coeurs.
Fellow Irish training legend Aidan O'Brien has Ernest Hemingway, Foundry and Leading Light
entered, while 2012 Irish St Leger winner Royal Diamond (Johnny Murtagh) and Simenon
(Willie Mullins) round out a strong Irish contingent.
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