The excitement is almost at fever pitch for “the race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Gold Cup in Australia which will be held on Tuesday 5^th November. It’s bonfire night here in the UK so you expect fireworks to happen!

Great Britain and Ireland are well represented this year with Cup regulars, Aidan O’Brien, Joseph O’Brien and Charlie Appleby all declaring runners for the Australian showpiece.

Melbourne Cup: Trends & Statistics

Age of the winners:

3-y-o = 23 wins, 4-y-o = 45 wins, 5-y-o = 44 wins, 6-y-o = 33 wins, 7-y-o = 11 wins, 8-y-o = 2 wins.

• Four and five-year-olds have the best record of any age group with 89 winners between them, that’s a 56% strike-rate.
• The last three-year-old to win was Skipton (1941) and the last eight-year-old was Catalogue (1938).

Effect of the draw:

• Over the last 20 years five stalls - 14 (2 wins), 10 (2 wins), 11 (2 wins), 5 (2 wins) and 22 (2 wins) have accounted for 10 victories.
• Lucky stalls: Stall 5 = 8 wins, Stall 10 = 7 wins, Stalls 11, 14 & 17 = 7 wins, Stalls 1, 4, 6, 8, 19 and 22 = 7 wins. The unluckiest stall is 18 which has never released a winner since stalls were first introduced.

Melbourne Cup 2019: Runners & Riders

Mer De Glace (JPN)

A Group winner in the Japan, the five-year-old shot towards the head of the horse racing betting after an excellent win in the Caulfield Cup.

It’s 18 years however since the last Caulfield Cup winner won the Melbourne Cup and he may struggle under this new weight.

Surprise Baby (NZ)

This five-year-old gelding is sired from the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and has earned his owners over $700,000 in ten career starts thus far.

Winner of the Group 2 Adelaide Cup, he should relish the distance here and it is easy to see why he is one of the leading contenders.

Steel Prince (IRE)

A tough stayer and he is proven at this track, but this is a whole new level for the six-year-old and on the face of it he looks outclassed.

Cross Counter (GB)

The five-year-old is a proven world-class stayer and was the winner of this race last year which counts for plenty.

Runs behind Stradivarius and Search For A Song over the summer should have readied him for a big defence of his crown.

Marmelo (GB)

The Hughie Morrison-trained stayer returns for a third tilt at the Melbourne Cup and should run with credit once again after finishing runner-up to Cross Counter last year.

No horse has ever won on their third cup attempt however.

Mirage Dancer (GB)

Finished third in the Caulfield Cup and is very highly regarded by Sir Michael Stoute, who trained him in the UK.

He could well place at a nice price.

Southern France (IRE)

Third behind Search For A Song in the Irish St Leger, a race which has been a stepping stone for international runners going over to Melbourne.

He has to be respected.

Constantinople (IRE)

Constantinople was trained by Aidan O’Brien and had two wins and four seconds from eight starts. He finished second in the Great Voltigeur which is the same race Cross Counter did exactly the same in last year before scoring in Melbourne.

The omens look good!

Master Of Reality (IRE)

Ascot Gold Cup third Master Of Reality is an interesting contender for Joseph O’Brien with Frankie Dettori set to partner the four-year-old.

The trainer won this race in 2017 with Reklinding.

Il Paradiso (USA)

Has form around the best European stayers including Stradivarius and has to be respected from the Aidan O’Brien stable.

Latrobe (IRE)

His form has been fairly patchy this season and he will have to step up on his Irish St Leger sixth. Connections have a good record in this race however.

Angel Of Truth (AUS)

A front-runner who has struggled in four runs so far this season. He has the class and pedigree but it is very hard to win from the front in this race.

Mustajeer (GB)

The York Ebor winner settled into Australia well finishing sixth in the Caulfield Cup. He should come on for the run and the step up in distance.

Rostropovich (IRE)

He was no match for the mighty mare Winx in the Cox Plate, but the Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Frankel is in with a better chance here.

Ispolini (GB)

The five-year-old ran some solid races in Dubai last winter before winning the German St Leger this summer. He has to come into the reckoning based upon Appleby’s record here.

Verry Elleegant (NZ)

Verry Elleegant is a talented mare currently trained by Chris Waller, one of Australia’s premier trainers. This will be a tough ask for her though.

Magic Wand (IRE)

Magic Wand finished fourth last Saturday in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley and may tackle the Mackinnon Stakes instead if conditions are not quick enough at Flemington.

Hunting Horn (IRE)

Winner of the Moonee Valley Cup in impressive fashion last Saturday and became yet another live arrow in Aidan O’Brien’s bow.  He certainly won’t be on pacemaking duties in this.

Twilight Payment (IRE)

The seven-year-old is a thorough stayer and has decent form that ties in with Torcedor, Order of St George and Flag of Honour.  He shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand.

Prince Of Arran (GB)

A victory in the Geelong Cup cemented his place in the race the other day and the British-raider will be hoping to improve upon his third placing last year.

Finche (GB)

Finche ran fourth in last year's Melbourne Cup when ridden by Zac Purton and he may well be on the premises again. He headed the betting for a while after his Kingston Town Stakes victory.

Raymond Tusk (IRE)

Trained by Richard Hannon, he was last seen finishing fourth behind Mustajeer in The Ebor at York in August. This dark horse could surprise a few.

Vow And Declare (AUS)

Trained by an O’Brien but this time a local one named Danny.  He finished a decent second in the Caulfield Cup and is bidding to become the first Australian-bred winner of the race in ten years.

Master Of Wine (GER)

The up-and-coming stayer produced a dazzling turn of foot to win the City Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick and may well take up an entry here off a useful low weight.

Melbourne Cup: 2019 Picks

International raiders have dominated this race in recent times and I can see that trend continuing with the Charlie Appleby-trained Cross Counter becoming the first back-to-back winner since Makybe Diva completed a three-timer between 2003 – 2005.

Fellow British raider, Prince Of Arran, has fully acclimatised to the conditions down-under and has shown he can beat the best of the native challengers. He should put in another bold bid this year.

888sport suggests: Cross Counter (nap), Prince Of Arran (nb).

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Andy Brownbill / AP Photo*

The gap at the top of the Premier League table WAS eight points but now it is six. Liverpool had to settle for a draw at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon after Manchester City’s victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday night.

Pep Guardiola’s men will be hoping for more help from Tottenham Hotspur when they visit Anfield this weekend but the Citizens must first avoid a potential banana skin at home to Aston Villa in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

With four of the ‘Big 6’ occupying top five berths, the Premier League table is beginning to take its usual shape. Leicester City continue to defy the odds though and Brendan Rodgers’ side will be dreaming of a Champions League place.

Without further ado, it is time to preview this weekend’s biggest Premier League fixtures – starting with that clash at the Etihad Stadium. Will the deficit at the top be six points after the weekend or not? Only time will tell…

Manchester City vs Aston Villa

Expect City to burst out of the blocks on Saturday afternoon. Pep’s side put five goals past Atalanta in the Champions League this week and the hosts will want to make a statement after losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last Premier League game.

Aston Villa have been hit and miss so far this season but they have started to put a run of form together in recent weeks. Dean Smith’s side have won back-to-back top flight games and some punters will fancy Villa to keep the scoreline respectable.

The 5/4 for Man City to lead by two or more goals at half-time is the way to go. Villa may crumble under pressure and things could get ugly for the visitors if City are on top form.

TIP: Man City to lead by two or more at half-time (5/4)

Burnley vs Chelsea

Expected to struggle this campaign, Burnley have defied the odds in recent months. Sean Dyche’s men are up to eighth in the table and most Premier League fans will be expecting the Clarets to stay well clear of the relegation battle in 2019/20.

Chelsea’s victory over Ajax on Wednesday night sent shockwaves across Europe – it was the biggest win of Frank Lampard’s tenure by some way. The Blues have won six in a row in all competitions and a win could see Chelsea climb up to second if results go their way.

888sport punters, take the 3/4 available for Chelsea to claim three points here. The Clarets are rock solid but Lampard’s men should have too much class for Burnley at Turf Moor.

TIP: Chelsea to win (3/4)

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool are still six points clear at the top of the table – Jurgen Klopp’s side could look back on last week’s result as a point gained come the end of the season. The Reds are still in pole position to go on and secure their first title in the Premier League era.

Tottenham are one of the most frustrating teams to watch in the Premier League. Capable of beating anybody on their day, confidence is low and Mauricio Pochettino is a man under pressure. Watch this space, a heavy defeat here will not help his standing.

7/4 for the Reds to win with goals for both teams is a decent price. Klopp’s men will want to get back to winning ways after drawing at Old Trafford but Spurs could push them close…

TIP: Liverpool to win and both teams to score (7/4)

Norwich City vs Manchester United

Norwich have been a breath of fresh air since gaining promotion to England’s top flight. The Canaries claimed a famous win over Manchester City earlier this season but their form has been shaky in recent games – they were horrendous in that 5-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Manchester United ended their run of 14 away games without a win with a 1-0 victory over Partizan Belgrade on Thursday night. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have his side primed for this fixture and the Red Devils will be quietly confident of a positive result.

Both teams to score looks like the way to go here. The 4/7 available is a fantastic price given Norwich’s record at Carrow Road – sparks could fly if both teams go hell for leather.

TIP: Both teams to score (4/7)

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

The Formula One season arrives in Mexico this weekend. Mercedes secured a stunning sixth consecutive Constructors’ Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix a fortnight ago as Valtteri Bottas stood atop the podium after a faultless drive.

Bottas’ victory – with the help of other drivers – guaranteed a Mercedes driver will win the Drivers’ title for a sixth straight season, too.

Lewis Hamilton could sew up a sixth Drivers’ Championship this weekend, but Mexico hasn’t been a favoured race for the dominant Brit in recent seasons with the Red Bull of Max Verstappen claiming victory in each of the last two seasons.

Let’s take a look at some of the history of the Mexican Grand Prix…

Mexican Grand Prix: Brief History
The first Formula One race in Mexico took place in November 1962 at Magdalena Mixhuca. Mixhuca witnessed some epic battles between Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees, with the title often on the line.

The circuit, located in a park in Mexico City, presented some really testing conditions for the drivers such as high altitude and a bumpy surface.

Formula One remained at the circuit until 1970 and was planned to take place in 1971. Security was a major concern after previous incidents, but there was a fund to make sure the race could go ahead.

The death of Pedro Rodriguez saw the race cancelled and Formula One didn’t return to Mexico until 1986.

After numerous attempts to bring Formula One back, the revamped Mixhuca – now named Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – re-appeared on the calendar in 1986.

Gerhard Berger shocked the field to win his first Grand Prix in 1986 before an historic race saw Nigel Mansell pip Nelson Piquet in 1987 despite finishing behind him on the track.

The race was moved earlier in the season for the late-80s and early-90s, again providing some great racing between Mansell, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

A combination of issues – including driver complaints and air pollution – saw Formula One leave Mexico again in 1992.

Bernie Ecclestone announced that Mexico would be back for 2009. Rumours followed it would be on the 2014 calendar. Issues meant Mexico’s return was delayed until 2015.

Mexican Grand Prix: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

A different circuit from the one Clark dominated on in the 1960s, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is still 7,500 feet above sea level, a factor you will frequently hear mentioned on this weekend’s Formula One coverage.

With a very long start-finish straight, we can expect to see a lot of overtaking into the sweeping first three corners of the lap.

Similar to the Parabolica at Monza, Peraltada curve used to allow drivers to build up a lot of speed ahead of the straight. Alterations to the track have cut off the first part of Peraltada, however.

Hermann Tilke led the changes for Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as it prepared for its return to Formula One in 2015. The straight was shortened, the section between turns 7 and 11 was tweaked and the baseball stadium part of the lap was altered.

Cars come through a winding section ahead of Peraltada; it might not be great for overtaking but it provides an extraordinary image as they disappear between the stands with packed crowds either side.

Mexican Grand Prix: Recent Winners
2018 – Max Verstappen

2017 – Max Verstappen

2016 – Lewis Hamilton

2015 – Nico Rosberg

Mexican Grand Prix: Most Wins
3 – Jim Clark

2 – Max Verstappen, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost

Mexican Grand Prix: F1 Betting Tips
Lewis Hamilton is a massive 64 points clear of Valtteri Bottas in the Drivers’ Championship and could secure the title in Mexico for the third year running.

Hamilton needs a 14-point swing this weekend to guarantee yet another championship. It’s a matter of when, not if, for Hamilton.

While Hamilton might just be the greatest ever, Mercedes aren’t full of confidence heading into this weekend. The Brit is still as short as 5/2 to win the race in 888sport’s F1 betting, though that price is notably longer than many of his odds earlier in the season.

Mercedes have talked down their chances all year, but it feels different this time round. The Red Bulls showed great pace at Mexico last year - the Silver Arrows didn’t have a good weekend.

The long straight will favour the Ferraris, while sectors two and three are ideal for Max Verstappen and Alex Albon’s Red Bulls.

Charles Leclerc is the 11/10 favourite to take pole, and it’s hard to argue with Ferrari’s Saturday pace. Sebastian Vettel at 15/4 might be a good pick after his superb performance in qualifying at Suzuka.

This is set up for a repeat of Austria’s Leclerc versus Verstappen duel in the race. The two clashed in Japan, but Mexico presents an opportunity for more wheel-to-wheel racing from the youngsters.

With the Red Bull expected to be more competitive than recent weeks, Albon at 6/1 to make the podium is the best bet on offer, however.