The countdown to the 2026 Melbourne Cup is gathering momentum, with 39 horses remaining in contention following third acceptances on Monday, 26 October.
The $10.2 million Melbourne Cup will be run over 3200 metres at Flemington on Tuesday, 3 November. The final field is limited to 24 runners and is due to be confirmed on Saturday, 31 October.
Melbourne Cup 2026: Third Acceptances
The following 39 horses remain in contention. This list is alphabetical, not the official ballot order.
- Asterix
- Defiantly
- Enfjaar
- Future History
- Goodie Two Shoes
- Hopewell Rock
- James J Braddock
- Jennivamoose
- Juja Kibo
- King Pedro
- Kings Valley
- Kizlyar
- Knight’s Choice
- Litzdeel
- Manzor Blue
- Middle Earth
- Mr Monaco
- Omni Man
- Onesmoothoperator
- Pinhole
- Point of Law
- Royal Supremacy
- Saint George
- Shockletz
- Small Fry
- So You Are
- Sons And Lovers
- Soul Of Spain
- Soulcombe
- Stinger Glass
- Strictly Business
- The Euphrates
- Torranzino
- Trustyourinstinct
- Valiant King
- Vauban
- Wine Dark Sea
- Zahrann
- Zakouma
Provisional Order of Entry: Top 24
The order of entry remains provisional and does not guarantee a start.
| Rank |
Horse |
Weight |
| 1 |
Defiantly |
56.5kg |
| 2 |
Juja Kibo |
55kg |
| 3 |
Point of Law |
53kg |
| 4 |
Mr Monaco |
52.5kg |
| 5 |
Zakouma |
52kg |
| 6 |
Shockletz |
51kg |
| 7 |
Sons And Lovers |
57.5kg |
| 8 |
Stinger Glass |
57kg |
| 9 |
Trustyourinstinct |
57kg |
| 10 |
Goodie Two Shoes |
55kg |
| 11 |
Middle Earth |
56.5kg |
| 12 |
James J Braddock |
53.5kg |
| 13 |
Vauban |
56.5kg |
| 14 |
Knight’s Choice |
56.5kg |
| 15 |
Strictly Business |
53kg |
| 16 |
Royal Supremacy |
56kg |
| 17 |
Enfjaar |
56kg |
| 18 |
Wine Dark Sea |
56kg |
| 19 |
Saint George |
55kg |
| 20 |
Asterix |
55kg |
| 21 |
Soul Of Spain |
54.5kg |
| 22 |
Onesmoothoperator |
54.5kg |
| 23 |
Zahrann |
54.5kg |
| 24 |
Hopewell Rock |
54.5kg |
Point of Law and Juja Kibo Strengthen Their Claims
Ciaron Maher has two prominent contenders after Point of Law won the Geelong Cup and Juja Kibo took out the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. Both victories secured ballot exemptions for the Melbourne Cup.
Latest Melbourne Cup News — 27 October
Racing Victoria has confirmed that Juja Kibo received a Melbourne Cup weight penalty following his Moonee Valley Gold Cup victory. Ciaron Maher has eight runners currently inside the provisional top 24, while Joseph O’Brien has five in those positions.
Among the notable confirmed jockey bookings are James McDonald on Trustyourinstinct, Ryan Moore on Sons And Lovers, Mark Zahra on Middle Earth, Craig Williams on James J Braddock and Blake Shinn on Saint George. Apprentice Jabez Johnstone is booked for Mr Monaco.
Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup is especially important for The Euphrates (25th in the provisional order), So You Are (28th), Litzdeel (33rd), Kings Valley (36th) and Soulcombe (39th). Soulcombe must satisfy the first elimination clause and could move into contention with a top-three finish at Bendigo. The race does not award an automatic Melbourne Cup start.
Other runners outside the current top 24, including Future History, Kizlyar, Pinhole and Valiant King, may depend on withdrawals or horses failing mandatory veterinary checks.
International Contenders
Joseph O’Brien has multiple horses among the remaining acceptances, including Defiantly, Trustyourinstinct and Goodie Two Shoes. Japanese challenger Stinger Glass and British-trained Enfjaar and Wine Dark Sea are also among the contenders.
Which Horses Are on the Bubble?
So You Are, Pinhole, The Euphrates and Litzdeel are among those facing uncertainty over a place in the final field. The Bendigo Cup does not offer an automatic Melbourne Cup berth.
When Is the Final Melbourne Cup Field Announced?
Final acceptances and the barrier draw are scheduled for Saturday, 31 October. RacingBet will update its coverage with the confirmed runners, jockeys, barriers and betting markets when available.
