Vauban heads the contenders for the Melbourne Cup today as Irish trainer Willie Mullins seeks his first win in Australia's most famous race.
Mullins also saddles Absurde in the two-mile contest, while last year's victor Gold Trip seeks another triumph.
The Irish trainer has won all the major jump racing prizes, including the Grand National and three Cheltenham Gold Cups, but this would be his biggest victory in Flat racing.
A crowd of 100,000 is due at Flemington for "the race that stops a nation" today.
Britain's Ryan Moore, a winner in 2014 with Protectionist, rides Vauban after taking Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf in the United States with Auguste Rodin.
British rider Hollie Doyle will be the first female jockey from outside Australia or New Zealand to take part in the race as she partners Future History for trainers Ciaron Maher an David Eustace.
The pair, successful with Gold Trip last year, also saddle Right You Are, Ashrun and Interpretation.
Doyle will look to follow Michelle Payne, who became the only woman to triumph on Prince of Penzance in 2015.
Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight, Soulcombe - formerly trained in Britain by William Haggas - and Japanese contender Breakup are among other leading contenders.
Serpentine, a surprise winner of the Derby at Epsom in 2020 for Joseph's father Aidan O'Brien, represents Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Organisers will hope all runners return safely, as in the last two runnings.
Stricter checks on overseas runners were introduced in 2021 after six equine fatalities in the previous eight year.
The Melbourne Cup Race starts at 4pm today.
Source: BBC
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