With third acceptances on Monday 26 October and the final field on Saturday 31 October, here is how the Melbourne Cup picture looks after the Caulfield Cup.
The Caulfield Cup is run and the Melbourne Cup (Group 1, 3200m) is two weeks away, on Tuesday 3 November. These are the key dates:
- Monday 26 October – third acceptances
- Saturday 31 October – final field and barrier draw
- Tuesday 3 November – Melbourne Cup Day
There were 58 horses left after second acceptances, and no more than 24 will start.
Winners and losers from Caulfield
Enfjaar was the Caulfield run Melbourne Cup punters will remember. Roger Varian's English stayer looked the winner on the turn before finishing third, beaten a length. His connections have confirmed he goes to Flemington.
Knight's Choice, the 2024 Melbourne Cup winner, ran on steadily in the Caulfield Cup and was well backed for Flemington afterwards, shortening from $51 to $26.
Half Yours, who completed the Cups double last year, fell in the Caulfield Cup straight. He got up and cantered away, but a Melbourne Cup start now looks highly unlikely.
Caulfield Cup winner Kingswood is not entered for the Melbourne Cup.
The ballot-exempt runners
Four horses already have a guaranteed start: Defiantly, Shockletz, Zakouma and Mr Monaco, who earned his place by winning the Bart Cummings.
Follow the Cup with us
We have profiled the 29 horses most likely to make the field on our Melbourne Cup Horses page, and we will update it after third acceptances and again after the barrier draw.
FREE: The 2026 Melbourne Cup Guide – the clues that find Cup winners, the last 10 winners, our betting plan and the horses to watch, updated through Cup week.