Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 11:50amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 11:50am
Why was Asterix scratched?
What was asterix scratched?
– Mark
G’day Mark.
Stewards found that a product called Penetrene was used on the horse this morning.
It is a topical product to relieve muscle strains, sprains and muscle soreness.
However, anything considered a medication, which Penetrene is, is not allowed on race day unless authorised by the stewards.
Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 11:40amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 11:40am
30 years since Saintly’s Melbourne Cup win for Bart Cummings
While we’re all about today’s big race, sometimes it’s good to look back at some of the great stories that have come out of the Melbourne Cup.
Thirty years ago this week, the “horse from heaven”, Saintly, ridden by Darren Beadman, won at Flemington to give “Cups king” Bart Cummings his 10th victory.
Cummings, the unchallenged master of training Cup winners, always had a plan. But he broke his own hard-and-fast rules to guide Saintly’s campaign.
Cummings’s long-time track rider, Joe Agresta, spoke to the ABC about those days and his initial thoughts about the horse.
“He was a nice horse, but he was a gangly type of three-year-old,” Agresta says.
When he turned four, things changed and the big-striding chestnut gelding won the Australian Cup earlier in the year before an unlikely win in the Cox Plate leading into the big day at Flemington.
You can read the full story of Cummings’s training masterclass here:
Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:30amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:30am
When do scratchings get announced?
When will we know if there are any scratchings please?
– Cath
G’day Cath.
Thanks for joining us.
There is no set time for when a horse needs to be scratched or not.
Essentially, as soon as a horse is deemed unfit to run, that horse is scratched immediately. Then that news filters through quite quickly as well.
So, when it happens, we will let you know straight away on the live blog.
Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:19amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:19am
Punters file into Flemington early for Melbourne Cup Day
Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:10amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 10:10am
When are all 10 races at Flemington today?
There is a full day of racing at Flemington.
Here is when the gates are scheduled to open for each race:
All times are in AEDT
Race 1: 10:45amRace 2: 11:20amRace 3: 12pmRace 4: 12:40pmRace 5: 1:20pmRace 6: 1:55pmRace 7 (Melbourne Cup): 3pmRace 8: 3:50pmRace 9: 4:35pmRace 10: 5:15pm
Tue 3 Nov 2026 at 9:41amTue 3 Nov 2026 at 9:41am
Welcome to the ABC Sport Melbourne Cup blog
Good morning, Australia.
Welcome to ABC Sport’s live digital coverage of the 2026 Melbourne Cup.
British horse Hopewell Rock begins Melbourne Cup Day as the favourite for the race that stops the nation.
There has been rain in Melbourne over the previous 24 hours, with the Flemington track currently rated a Soft 5.
Join Andrew McGarry and me throughout the day, and be part of the conversation in the comment section.