- French racehorse Dunaden with French jockey Christophe Lemaire on board won the 2011 Melbourne Cup run on November 1 at Flemington Racecourse.
A Group 1 handicap race over 3200 metres, the Melbourne Cup is run at or close to 3pm, Australian eastern daylight saving time, on the first Tuesday in November.
Unbroken tradition
The Melbourne Cup has been run each year without fail since 1861. The 2011 Melbourne Cup is the 151st in an unbroken series.
The 24 horses running in the Melbourne Cup were made known after the last race on Victoria Derby Day, the Saturday before Melbourne Cup Day.
Lead-up Races
Lead-up races to the Melbourne Cup include the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse, Caulfield Cup at Caulfield Racecourse, Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse and Victoria Derby at Flemington.
The Turnbull Stakes (2000 metres for 4-year-olds and older) took place on October 2 and was won by December Draw with Glass Harmonium, second, and Playing God, third.
The 2400-metre Caulfield Cup took place on October 15 and was won by Southern Speed with Green Moon, second, and Tullamore, third. Race favorite December Draw, winner of the earlier Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse, failed to place in the Caulfield Cup, finishing last.
Long-priced outsider Pinker Pinker won the 2040-metre Cox Plate on October 22 at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse, followed by Jimmy Choux, second, and Rekindled Interest, third.
On the same day, last year's Melbourne Cup winner and current favorite, Americain, won the 2500-metre Moonee Valley Cup with Tullamore, second, and Illo, third.
In the Victoria Derby on October 29, New Zealand horse Sangster won the 2500-metre race with Induna, second, and Sabrage, third. Also on Victoria Derby Day, Glass Harmonium won the 2500-metre Mackinnon Stakes, followed by Mourayan, second, and Rekindled Interest, third.
2011 Melbourne Cup field
No, Horse, Barrier, Trainer, Jockey, Weight (Penalty)
- Americain (USA), 15, Alain de Royer Dupre, Gerald Mosse, 58kg
- Jukebox Jury (Ireland), 6, Mark Johnston, Neil Callan, 57kg
- Dunaden (France), 13, Mikel Delzangles, Christophe Lemaire, 54.5kg (0.5kg)
- Drunken Sailor (Ireland), 8, Luca Cumani, Dwayne Dunn, 54kg
- Glass Harmonium (Ireland), 23, Michael Moroney, Lisa Cropp, 54kg
- Manighar (France), 21, Luca Cumani, Damien Oliver, 54kg
- Unusual Suspect (USA), 7, Michael Kent, Brad Rawiller, 54kg
- Fox Hunt (Ireland), 19, Mark Johnston, Silvestre De Sousa, 53.5kg (0.5kg)
- Lucas Cranach (Germany), 11, Anthony Freedman, Corey Brown, 53.5kg
- Mourayan (Ireland), 14, Robert Hickmott, Hugh Bowman, 53.5kg - SCRATCHED
- Precedence (New Zealand), 2, Bart Cummings, Darren Beadman, 53.5kg
- Red Cadeaux (United Kingdom), 16, Ed Dunlop, Michael Rodd, 53.5kg
- Hawk Island (Ireland), 18, Chris Waller, Glyn Schofield, 53kg
- Illo (Germany), 1, Bart Cummings, Jim Cassidy, 53kg
- Lost in the Moment (Ireland), 3, Saeed Bin Suroor, William Buick, 53kg
- Modun (Ireland), 5, Saeed Bin Suroor, Kerrin McEvoy, 53kg
- At First Sight (Ireland), 10, Robert Hickmott, Steven King, 52.5kg
- Moyenne Corniche (United Kingdom), 17, Brian Ellison, Brett Prebble, 52kg
- Saptapadi (Ireland), 22, Brian Ellison, Chris Symons, 52kg
- Shamrocker (New Zealand), 24, Danny O'Brien, Luke Nolen, 52kg
- The Verminator, 4, Chris Waller, Craig Newitt, 52.kg (2.0kg)
- Tullamore (New Zealand), 12, Gai Waterhouse, Chris Munce, 52kg
- Niwot, 9, Micahel, Wayne & John Hawkes, Dean Yendall, 51kg
- Older than Time, 20, Gai Waterhouse, Tim Clark, 51kg
