Melbourne Cup set for 24-horse field at Flemington

The Melbourne Cup is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, at Flemington, where 24 horses are expected to contest the 3,200-metre handicap. Ciaron Maher has seven entries in the field, including Point Of Law, a leading contender in race previews and betting markets. No race result is reported. The race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time. The field includes horses trained in Australia, Ireland and elsewhere, with Hopewell Rock and Point Of Law among the prominent names in previews. Market rankings are snapshots, not confirmed predictions of the outcome. Point Of Law won the Geelong Cup on October 21, according to one race preview, which said the horse prevailed by half a length. Ally Mosley, a racing analyst, selected him as her Cup pick, citing that win, his 53-kilogram handicap and barrier nine. She also cautioned that the large crowd and atmosphere could unsettle him in the parade. Maher’s seven-horse team includes Middle Earth, who finished third in last year’s Cup, as well as Shockletz and Mr Monaco. Joseph O’Brien has five runners. Trustyourinstinct, ridden by James McDonald, is among his notable entries, alongside Hopewell Rock, trained by...