The official 2026 Melbourne Cup nominations contain 101 horses, including 23 overseas-trained entries. The full nomination list is retained below and is not the final field.
While Australian gallopers still take up the majority of nominations each year there has been a solid number of internationals nominating for the Melbourne Cup each year.
Once nominations close the weights will be declared by Thursday 17 September, followed by the order of entry.
Final declarations and rider notifications for the 2026 Melbourne Cup close at 4.30pm on Saturday 31 October (Victoria Derby Day). The VRC had not specified a formal barrier-draw time in the published race conditions.
2026 Melbourne Cup Nominations
| Horse | Trainer | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AELIANA (NZ) | Chris Waller |
| 2 | AETHELFLAED | Matthew Smith |
| 3 | AETHELWULF | Matthew Smith |
| 4 | AGE OF SAIL (GB) | Kris Lees |
| 5 | AMELIA EARHART (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 6 | ASTERIX (NZ) | Chris Waller |
| 7 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton |
| 8 | BARNAVARA (IRE) | Chris Waller |
| 9 | BELLA MONTAGNA (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
| 10 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | Chris Waller |
| 11 | CAMPALDINO (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
| 12 | CAUSEWAY (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 13 | CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) | Kris Lees |
| 14 | CHRISTMAS DAY (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 15 | CONSTITUTION HILL (GB) | Nicky Henderson |
| 16 | DARKBONEE | Symon Wilde |
| 17 | DEAKIN (FR) | Phillip & Tommy Stokes |
| 18 | DEFIANTLY (FR) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 19 | DON DIEGO DE VEGA (FR) | Annabel & Rob Archibald |
| 20 | ENFJAAR (IRE) | Roger Varian |
| 21 | FLOATING | Matthew Smith |
| 22 | FUTURE HISTORY (GB) | Gregory Hickman |
| 23 | GOLDEN CENTURY (NZ) | Chris Waller |
| 24 | GOODIE TWO SHOES (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 25 | GRAND PIERRO | Jason Warren |
| 26 | GREEN SPACES | Bjorn Baker |
| 27 | HALF YOURS | Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
| 28 | HIGHLAND BLING (IRE) | Phillip & Tommy Stokes |
| 29 | HIGHWAYMAN (FR) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 30 | HOPEWELL ROCK (IRE) | George Boughey |
| 31 | JAMES J BRADDOCK (GB) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 32 | JENNI MULTABELLA (NZ) | Lloyd Kennewell |
| 33 | JENNIVAMOOSE (NZ) | Ciaron Maher |
| 34 | JOHNICH | Jason Warren |
| 35 | JUJA KIBO (IRE) | Ciaron Maher |
| 36 | KING PEDRO (NZ) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton |
| 37 | KINGS VALLEY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher |
| 38 | KIZLYAR (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 39 | KLONDIKE (GB) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton |
| 40 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | John Symons & Sheila Laxon |
| 41 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | Ciaron Maher |
| 42 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher |
| 43 | LITZDEEL | Danny O’Brien |
| 44 | MACHINE GUN GRACIE | Ben, Will & JD Hayes |
| 45 | MALE MODEL | John Thom |
| 46 | MANZOR BLUE (NZ) | Lisa Latta |
| 47 | MIDDLE EARTH (GB) | Ciaron Maher |
| 48 | MR MONACO (GB) | Ciaron Maher |
| 49 | NEARCO FROD (FR) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
| 50 | NEWLOOK (FR) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
| 51 | NIL BUA GAN DUA (USA) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 52 | OHOPE WINS (NZ) | Chris Waller |
| 53 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) | Ciaron Maher |
| 54 | OMNI MAN (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 55 | ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) | Tim Fitzsimmons |
| 56 | PIAZZA SAN MARCO (USA) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 57 | PIERRE BONNARD (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 58 | PIGGYBACK | Ciaron Maher |
| 59 | PINHOLE (GB) | Chris Waller |
| 60 | POINT OF LAW (GB) | Ciaron Maher |
| 61 | PORTLAND (IRE) | Matthew Smith |
| 62 | POUNDING | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman |
| 63 | RIVER OF STARS (IRE) | Chris Waller |
| 64 | ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher |
| 65 | SAINT GEORGE (GB) | Ciaron Maher |
| 66 | SAM HAWKENS (IRE) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton |
| 67 | SAPPHIRE SIREN | Bill Papazaharoudakis |
| 68 | SHE’S A HUSTLER (NZ) | Grahame Begg |
| 69 | SHOCKLETZ (NZ) | Ciaron Maher |
| 70 | SIR CHARTWELL (FR) | Annabel & Rob Archibald |
| 71 | SMALL FRY (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 72 | SO YOU ARE | Bjorn Baker |
| 73 | SONS AND LOVERS (GB) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 74 | SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE) | Chris Waller |
| 75 | SOULCOMBE (GB) | Chris Waller |
| 76 | STARFORD (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 77 | STARZINTHEIREYES (GB) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton |
| 78 | STINGER GLASS (JPN) | Yasuo Tomomichi |
| 79 | STORM LEOPARD | Ben, Will & JD Hayes |
| 80 | STRICTLY BUSINESS | Thomas Carberry |
| 81 | SUFFOLK STAR (GB) | Paul Preusker |
| 82 | TAJANIS (IRE) | Charlotte Littlefield |
| 83 | TARVUE (NZ) | John Sadler |
| 84 | TAWNY PORT (USA) | Miguel Clement |
| 85 | THE EUPHRATES (GB) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
| 86 | THEBUDGIESMUGLA (NZ) | Bjorn Baker |
| 87 | THINK GIANT (GB) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) |
| 88 | TORRANZINO (NZ) | Paul Preusker |
| 89 | TREASURETHE MOMENT | Matt Laurie |
| 90 | TRUSTYOURINSTINCT (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 91 | VALIANT KING (GB) | Chris Waller |
| 92 | VAUBAN (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
| 93 | VEGAS JACK | Craig Conron |
| 94 | WIGMORE (NZ) | Phillip & Tommy Stokes |
| 95 | WINDAY (FR) | Emmet Mullins |
| 96 | WINE DARK SEA (GB) | Harry Charlton |
| 97 | WOLFGANG (NZ) | Peter McKay |
| 98 | WOOTTON VERNI (FR) | Chris Waller |
| 99 | YELLOW JERSEY (FR) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
| 100 | ZAHRANN (IRE) | Ciaron Maher |
| 101 | ZAKOUMA | Grahame Begg |
You can view the latest Melbourne Cup odds and tips on our Melbourne Cup page here.
Melbourne Cup Acceptances
First declarations close at 12 noon on Tuesday 29 September and will provide the first firm indication of which nominated horses remain in contention. First acceptances gives the first proper guide as to which horses are likely to get a start in the Melbourne Cup.
Second acceptances for the 3200m race are scheduled to be released on Tuesday 13 October. Once second acceptances are announced we begin to see a clear picture as to which horses are likely to gain a start in the field of 24.
Once acceptances are released they will be published on JustHorseRacing.com.au immediately.
Melbourne Cup Weights
The weights for the nominated runners will be released in September, approximately a week after nominations have closed. Once the weights have been declared by the handicapper we will publish them immediately on this page.
Melbourne Cup Key Dates
| Nominations | 12:00 pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 1 September |
|---|---|
| Late Nominations | 12:00pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 15 September |
| Weights | By Thursday 17 September |
| First Declaration | 12:00pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 29 September |
| Second Declaration | 12:00pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 13 October |
| Third Declaration | 10:00am (Melbourne time) Monday 26 October |
| Final Declaration | 4:30pm (Melbourne time) Saturday 31 October |
| Final Field | After final declarations on Saturday 31 October (time TBC) |
| Barrier Draw | Saturday 31 October (time TBC) |
| Melbourne Cup Race | 3:00pm (AEDT) Tuesday 3 November |
When are Melbourne Cup nominations released?
Nominations for the 2025 Melbourne Cup will be released on Tuesday 1 September.
When are Melbourne Cup weights released?
The weights for the nominated runners of the 2026 Melbourne Cup will be released on Tuesday 15 September.
