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3.44pm — PRE-RACE FAVOURITE ADMIRE RAKTI DIES

JAPANESE horse, Admire Rakti, has unfortunately died after collapsing post-race.

The Tomoyuki Umeda-trained horse collapsed in the stalls after the Melbourne Cup.

Channel 7 reported the horse had passed away.

Admire Rakti was the $5.50 favourite and finished last of the 22 runners.

Araldo, which finished 7th, was also left to fight for his life after shying at a spectator’s flag, jumping a fence and fracturing a cannon bone.

Araldo was being operated on post-race.

MORE: Admire Rakti dies after Melbourne Cup

3.05pm — PROTECTIONIST WINS THE MELBOURNE CUP

PROTECTIONIST has become the first German horse to win the Melbourne Cup.

Red Cadeaux finished second and Who Shot Thebarman third.

“Determination is everything — and he’s got it, he’s got it,” Protectionist’s owner Christoph Berglar said.

Trainer Andreas Wohler added: “It’s a moment you won’t forget in your life.”

Protectionist, ridden by Ryan Moore, delivered the first Melbourne Cup win for Germany and became the fifth northern hemisphere-trained horse to win the race since Vintage Crop scored in 1993.

Starting at $8, Protectionist cleared out to win by four lengths from Red Cadeaux ($21) with Who Shot Thebarman ($21) a half-length away third.

“We’ve had great success all over the world but that’s the biggest of all,” Wohler said.

“When he came round the last bend, I tell he just needs to have the right gap and he found it and he quickened so well. Ryan is a superstar.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a moment you won’t forget in your life. It’s a big achievement from our team.”

2.00pm — WHO THE LATE MONEY’S COMING FOR

PUNTERS don’t want a piece of the favourite, Japan’s Admire Rakti, and are instead backing a couple of Aussie horses — Fawkner and Lucia Valentina — and Ireland’s Mutual Regard.

According to Sportsbet, Mutual Regard has come in from $11 to $9, while Fawkner has shortened from $8.50 to $7.50 and Lucia Valentina from $7.50 to $7.

Admire Rakti has drifted from $5.50 to $6.

1.30pm — JOCKEY’S TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO TWIN BROTHER



TOMMY Berry had two Melbourne Cup rides fall by the wayside but he was delighted to come home a winner aboard General Groove in the Lavazza Short Black.

As he crossed the finish, he blew a kiss to the heavens to honour his twin brother Nathan, who died earlier this year at the age of 23 from Norse Syndrome, an acute form of epilepsy.

12.30pm — ENGAGEMENT IN THE BIRDCAGE

THIS is what love is all about.

Geoffrey Edelston has proposed to Gabi Grecko in the Birdcage.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

12pm — TIME RUNNING OUT TO GET YOUR TIPS IN

IF you know nothing about racing, check out Australia’s most honest Melbourne Cup form guide.

If you know what you’re doing, here’s the real-deal Melbourne Cup form.

Less than three hours to go now, so get cracking.

10.55am — THE INSTAGRAM THAT STOPS A NATION

IF you’re stuck at work unable to watch the Melbourne Cup today, perhaps this Instagram account set up to capture the carnival’s wild antics will suffice.

Entitled “Drunk Girls of the Melbourne Cup”, the social media account shows amusing photos of racegoers who appear to be enjoying the trackside shenanigans as much as the racing itself.

10am — THE HORSE AUSTRALIANS ARE RALLYING BEHIND

AUSSIE punters have this morning rallied behind the Lloyd Williams-owned Fawkner to repel the foreign invaders in today’s Melbourne Cup.

The 2013 Caulfield Cup winner, an eye-catching second in this year’s Cox Plate, is now on the third line of betting at $7.50, in from $9.

With the Cup only hours away, punters are beginning to look away from the favourite Admire Rakti, with all the overnight money with online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au coming for Fawkner, Mutual Regard and Who Shot Thebarman.

As a result Admire Rakti is out from $5.50 to $6.00 with Fawkner in from $8.50 into $7.50, Mutual Regard in from $11 to $10 and Who Shot Thebarman in from $19 to $17.

“All of the late money suggests punters don’t rate the favourite Admire Rakti and are coming for Fawkner, Mutual Regard and Who Shot Thebarman. If it keeps up at this rate Admire Rakti may not even be the favourite at the time of the jump,” said sportsbet.com.au’s Shaun Anderson.

The Darren Weir-trained Signoff remains a $7 equal second favourite along with Lucia Valentina, with German raider Protectionist at $7.50.

MORE: Melbourne Cup form guide for dummies

MORE: Serious Melbourne Cup form guide

9.30am — HEAVYWEIGHT PUNTER BACKS FAWKNER

ONE of Australia’s biggest punters will back Fawkner to win a whopping $1 million in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup — and believes current $5 favourite Admire Rakti should be $21.

Sydney heavyweight punter Sean Bartholomew took the $9 on offer at Monday’s official Call of the Card to win $250,000 on the Lloyd Williams-owned Fawkner.

And come 3pm on Tuesday, Bartholomew is confident he’ll be in the position to collect a seven-figure sum on Fawkner.

FULL STORY: Bartholomew backs Fawkner for whopping $1m clean-up

9am — STARS OFF AND RACING IN MAKE-UP CHAIR

AUSTRALIA’S most fashionable fillies are already gearing up for the Melbourne Cup with early wake up calls to tease their hair and get their race day make-up on.

See more Melbourne Cup fashion pics here.

8.30am — ‘DON’T BE CLEVER, BACK THE FAVOURITE’

RACING expert Kenny Callander explains why you should just back the favourite, Japanese horse Admire Rakti, in the Melbourne Cup.

“At least that way you are not the laughing stock of the office when you back the horse named after your uncle or aunt and it runs like they would if they were running at Flemington,” Callander writes.

Read why he’s putting his money on the Caulfied Cup winner.

MORE: Interactive Melbourne Cup sweep

MORE: Printable Melbourne Cup sweep

8am — SEVERE MELBOURNE CUP WEATHER WARNING

IT’S the Melbourne Cup news we didn’t want to hear. Damaging winds are expected to hit Flemington Racecourse this afternoon.

The good news is, the race that stops the nation should be spared, with the brutal weather not tipped to arrive until 4pm.

Until then, a mostly dry day is expected in Melbourne, with tops of 29C.

The track rating is a dead 4.

7.45am — CAVALRYMAN SCRATCHED

THE Melbourne Cup field is down to 22, with Craig Williams’ mount Cavalryman scratched this morning.

The $26 chance showed signs of swelling in a near foreleg late on Monday.

X-rays of the leg were examined on Monday night both by a leading Geelong vet and Godolphin’s veterinary team back in Dubai, before a decision was made this morning.

On Monday, the Robert Hickmott-trained Sea Moon became the first scratching of the Cup.

MELBOURNE CUP QUIZZES

A BIT of fun before the race itself begins...

Can you pick if the following are movie titles or Melbourne Cup winners?

And which type of jockey are you?

MELBOURNE CUP FIELD

3pm: Flemington Race 7, Group 1 3200m Group 1

Prizemoney: $6,000,000 - 1st: $3,600,000. 2nd: 1,080,000. 3rd: $540,000. 4th: $270,000. 5th: 150,000.

1 ADMIRE RAKTI (JPN, barrier 8) Jockey: Zac Purton. Trainer: Tomoyuki Umeda. Odds: $6

2 CAVALRYMAN (GB, 3) Scratched

3 FAWKNER (9) Nicholas Hall, Robert Hickmott. Odds: $7.50

4 RED CADEAUX (GB, 15) Gerald Mosse, Ed Dunlop. Odds: $26

5 PROTECTIONIST (GER, 11) Ryan Moore, Andreas Wohler. Odds: $7.50

6 SEA MOON (GB) Scratched

7 SEISMOS (IRE, 1) Craig Newitt, Marco Botti. Odds: $101

8 JUNOOB (GB, 7) Hugh Bowman, Chris Waller. Odds: $26

9 ROYAL DIAMOND (IRE, 6) Steven Arnold, Johnny Murtagh. Odds: $101

10 GATEWOOD (GB, 22) William Buick, John Gosden. Odds: $101

11 MUTUAL REGARD (IRE, 12) Damien Oliver, Johnny Murtagh. Odds: $10

12 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ, 13) Glen Boss, Chris Waller. Odds: $17

13 WILLING FOE (USA, 17) James McDonald, Saeed Bin Suroor. Odds: $26

14 MY AMBIVALENT (IRE, 4) Andrea Atzeni, Roger Varian. Odds: $41

15 PRECEDENCE (NZ, 20) Michael Rodd, Bart & James Cummings. Odds: $71

16 BRAMBLES (NZ, 21) Luke Nolen, Peter G Moody. Odds: $71

17 MR O’CEIRIN (NZ, 19) Chad Schofield, Ciaron Maher. Odds: $201

18 AU REVOIR (IRE, 23) Glyn Schofield, Andre Fabre. Odds: $81

19 LIDARI (FR, 10) Ben Melham, Peter G Moody. Odds: $81

20 OPINION (IRE, 14) Tye Angland, Chris Waller. Odds: $61

21 ARALDO (GB, 24) Dwayne Dunn, Michael Moroney. Odds: $26

22 LUCIA VALENTINA (NZ, 2) Kerrin McEvoy, Kris Lees. Odds: $7

23 UNCHAIN MY HEART (5) Dean Yendall, David Hayes & Tom Dabernig. Odds: $101

24 SIGNOFF (IRE, 16) Joao Moreira, Darren Weir. Odds: $7

(all odds courtesy Sportsbet)

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