Aeliana remains in the hunt for the Melbourne Cup despite trainer Chris Waller saying "we are not keen on it at the moment".

The mare will have to carry 58kg on the first Tuesday in November which Waller has been quite vocal about, suggesting the Cox Plate will be her major target.

But connections have opted to stay in the mix with Aeliana one of 58 second declarations for the great race on November 3.

Waller has nine gallopers on the Cup list while Ciaron Maher has a massive 14 entrants.

Mr Monaco (Bart Cummings) recently collected the fourth ballot exemption amongst first acceptors, which has already solidified Shockletz (Lexus Archer Stakes), Defiantly (Prix Kergorlay), Zakouma (Lexus Andrew Ramsden) in the field.

1 Aeliana (NZ) (Chris Waller)
2 Aethelwulf (Matthew Smith)
3 Asterix (NZ) (Chris Waller)
4 Athabascan (FR) (John O'Shea & Tom Charlton)
5 Bella Montagna (NZ) (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)
6 Birdman (IRE) (Chris Waller)
7 Deakin (FR) (Phillip & Tommy Stokes)
8 Defiantly (FR) (Joseph O'Brien)
9 Enfjaar (IRE) (Roger Varian)
10 Future History (GB) (Gregory Hickman)
11 Goodie Two Shoes (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
12 Green Spaces (Bjorn Baker)
13 Half Yours (Tony & Calvin McEvoy)
14 Hopewell Rock (IRE) (George Boughey)
15 James J Braddock (GB) (Joseph O'Brien)
16 Jennivamoose (NZ) (Ciaron Maher)
17 Juja Kibo (IRE) (Ciaron Maher)
18 King Pedro (NZ) (John O'Shea & Tom Charlton)
19 Kings Valley (IRE) (Ciaron Maher)
20 Kizlyar (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
21 Klondike (GB) (John O'Shea & Tom Charlton)
22 Knight's Choice (John Symons & Sheila Laxon)
23 Land Legend (FR) (Ciaron Maher)
24 Litzdeel (Danny O'Brien)
25 Manzor Blue (NZ) (Lisa Latta)
26 Middle Earth (GB) (Ciaron Maher)
27 Mr Monaco (GB) (Ciaron Maher)
28 Newlook (FR) (Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young)
29 Ohope Wins (NZ) (Chris Waller)
30 Omni Man (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
31 Onesmoothoperator (USA) (Tim Fitzsimmons)
32 Piggyback (Ciaron Maher)
33 Pinhole (GB) (Chris Waller)
34 Point Of Law (GB) (Ciaron Maher)
35 Royal Supremacy (IRE) (Ciaron Maher)
36 Saint George (GB) (Ciaron Maher)
37 Sam Hawkens (IRE) (John O'Shea & Tom Charlton)
38 Sapphire Siren (Bill Papazaharoudakis)
39 Shockletz (NZ) (Ciaron Maher)
40 Small Fry (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
41 So You Are (Bjorn Baker)
42 Sons And Lovers (GB) (Joseph O'Brien)
43 Soul Of Spain (IRE) (Chris Waller)
44 Soulcombe (GB) (Chris Waller)
45 Starford (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
46 Stinger Glass (JPN) (Yasuo Tomomichi)
47 Strictly Business (Thomas Carberry)
48 The Euphrates (GB) (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)
49 Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Bjorn Baker)
50 Torranzino (NZ) (Paul Preusker)
51 Treasurethe Moment (Matt Laurie)
52 Trustyourinstinct (IRE) (Joseph O'Brien)
53 Valiant King (GB) (Chris Waller)
54 Vauban (FR) ( Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)
55 Wine Dark Sea (GB) (Harry Charlton)
56 Wootton Verni (FR) (Chris Waller)
57 Zahrann (IRE) (Ciaron Maher)
58 Zakouma (Grahame Begg)

Read about some of the main chances below:

Mr Monaco

After winning the Group 3 Lexus Bart Cummings, Mr Monaco has stamped herself into the Melbourne Cup conversations as one of the key chances.

The imported gelding was far too strong for his opposition at Flemington last Saturday and now will incur a 1.5kg penalty for the Melbourne Cup.

Trainer Ciaron Maher will now look directly towards the first Tuesday in November with this talented stayer.

Mr Monaco has firmed into $15 with Sportsbet to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Juja Kibo

The talented stayer also out of the Maher stable who impressively won the Group 2 Metropolitan at Randwick and now must be talked about in Cups conversations.

He will very likely go to the Caulfield Cup to begin his Victorian campaign.

He will take like Mr Monaco a handicap penalty – 1kg in the Caufield Cup, and 2kg in the Melbourne Cup.

Juja Kibo is $26 with Sportsbet to win the Melbourne Cup.

Aethelwulf

A talented four-year-old gelding that was every chance to win the Metropolitan last Saturday jumping at a short price.

Handicappers are unable to reconsider his weight unless he wins another race, but even if he does he will still carry one of the lowest weights in the Cup.

But to gain a start, he will likely need to salute in a golden ticket race such as a Moonee Valley or Geelong Cup.

Aethelwulf is currently priced at $26 with Sportsbet to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup

Zakouma

All the way back in May the Grahame Begg trained six-year-old gelding produced a significant staying performance in the Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden which is a golden ticket race to the Cup.

In 2019 Steel Prince won that same race to gain entry in the Melbourne Cup and ran 9th in the great race. No Andrew Ramsden winner has finished higher since.

Considering the golden ticket, Zakouma must be considered in the stocktake.

Zakouma is currently quoted at $15 for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Royal Supremacy

After scoring in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2000m) at Caulfield last Sunday, Royal Supremacy has once again entered the Cups conversation looking full steam ahead for the Caulfield Cup.

Whether it eventuates into another Lexus Melbourne Cup start, we will wait and see.

Wine Dark Sea

The four-year-old gelding trained by Harry Charlton in the United Kingdom has arrived in Melbourne ahead of a Melbourne Cup campaign.

His talent was on display in the Group 3 Highclere Thoroughbreds Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2671m) at Newbury in August, as he won in impressive fashion.

Horses like Mount Athos (2012) and Furthur (2025) won this race, then consequently targeted the Melbourne Cup – illustrated the viable Cups path it provides stayers.

Wine Dark Sea will look towards a Caulfield Cup first, carrying 54.5kg with Damian Lane onboard before a shift towards Flemington for the great race.

James J Braddock

Craig Williams has taken the ride on Joseph O’Brien’s star stayer for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Although he is nominated for the Caulfield Cup on October 17, O’Brien is programming the preparation purely around a Melbourne Cup berth for the Stallion.

His key victory came in the Derby Trial Stakes at Group 3 level in Leopardstown, following in the footsteps of Anthony Van Dyck (2020) who took this route toward a Melbourne Cup.

Goodie Two Shoes

Another Joseph O’Brien trained mare is returning to Melbourne in the coming weeks before looking to go one better after last year’s prominent Melbourne Cup performance.

She had a brave win in the Group 2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood last month, looking destined to once again run well at Flemington.

Shockletz

Taking out the Archer Stakes in flying fashion, the five-year-old Ciaron Maher trained mare now has cemented herself in the Melbourne Cup market.

Maher credited the major victory to the application of blinkers for the first time in her 18-start career.

The gear changes obviously proved successful putting over two lengths on the crafty field.

Shockletz is currently at a price of $15 with Sportsbet for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Defiantly

The fast-running stayer, who won the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay at Deauville in France on August 23, has firmed as one of the favourites for the Cup.

This race has proved an incredibly serviceable lead-up run towards a Melbourne Cup with past winners Protectionist, Dunaden and Americain using it as a springboard towards ultimate success at Flemington.

He is trained by Joseph O’Brien who has a knack for the Melbourne Cup having two winners already to his name with Rekindling (2016) and Twilight Payment (2020).

Defiantly has solidified himself in the Lexus Melbourne Cup marketing posting a price of $11 equal favourite with Sportsbet.

Aeliana

The Chris Waller trained Aussie superstar is embarking on her first Melbourne Cup preparation of her career.

Looking at a Cox Plate into a Melbourne Cup, Aeliana is a far too talented horse to ignore for the first Tuesday of November.

After what was a disappointing first up run in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, she will look to make a splash in this Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield against quality opposition.

Waller is no stranger to training talented middle-distance horses to stay the two-mile trip, the 2021 Cup champion Verry Elleegant is the perfect case study to follow.

James McDonald similar to on Verry Elleegant will jump aboard and give the star every chance in the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

She is currently $11 equal favourite with Sportsbet.

Half Yours

Last year’s Cups Double winner (Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup) Half Yours, trained by father-son combination Tony and Calvin McEvoy, is once again being set for a Melbourne Cup run.

There will be a slight difference in his campaign this time around, opting to run in a 2040m Cox Plate at Flemington instead of the 2400m Caulfield Cup.

Half Yours is looking to become only the sixth horse to ever win multiple Lexus Melbourne Cups.

The talent is paramount and we know she can stay the trip, but it will be interesting to see how the change in preparation style will influence her run in the Cup.

Half Yours is also the equal favourite at $11 with Sportsbet.

Green Spaces

Green Spaces is looking to become the first horse since Phar Lap (1930) to win the Australian Derby and then as a four-year-old take out the Melbourne Cup.

The Bjorn Baker trained stallion is the Caulfield Cup favourite and thus poses as a significant chance to become yet another Cups Double winner, following in the recent footsteps of Half Yours (2025) and Without a Fight (2023).

The rising star faces an almighty challenge, but he is a very good horse and cannot be ignored.

Green Spaces is currently $18 to win the Melbourne Cup with Sportsbet.

Hopewell Rock

An English gelding that has the genuine profile of a Melbourne Cup winner trained by George Boughey.

Hopewell Rock ran fantastically in The Ebor (approximately 2800) at York Racecourse, narrowly missing out on the win in a tight finish.

The Ebor is England’s most significant handicap, and a genuine runway to the Melbourne Cup.

Hopewell Rock is priced at $18 with Sportsbet for the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

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