All week we’ve been keeping our readers up to date with the latest historical and 2013 Melbourne Cup news, facts and statistics and here are some more last minute tidbits on the race that will stop a nation at 3:00pm (AEST) this afternoon.

Scheduled to run as Flemington Race 7, this year’s $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) boasts a field far superior in both depth and class than those of recent years.

Among the ranks are two previous Melbourne Cup winners, nine international raiders looking to steal the ‘Loving Trophy’ from Aussie shores, six from last year’s winning owner Lloyd Williams, two for Sydney’s leading lady of racing Gai Waterhouse including the favourite Fiorente, three mares looking to emulate the mighty Makybe Diva plus a host of others all with genuine claims.

So how do you separate those to back and those to sack in the Melbourne Cup odds?

Firstly you can read our 2013 Melbourne Cup: Expert Tips.

Or you can make your own selections on the world’s richest handicap by going over the below must know Melbourne Cup form facts and historical stats.

2013 Melbourne Cup Form Facts & Historical Stats

Take Two at the ‘Loving Trophy’

History shows that the last horse to run in a Melbourne Cup and not win before returning 12 months later to succeed was Brew (10^th in 1999, 1^st in 2000). Before them the last to achieve the comeback task was Tawrrific (12^th in 1988, 1^st in 1989).

This year there are seven horses out to be the next with: Green Moon (1^st), Fiorente (2^nd), Mount Athos (5^th), Mourayan (7^th), Red Cadeaux (8^th), Duanden (14^th) and Ethiopia (24^th).

Included there are the two favourites #6 Fiorente ($7.50) and #15 Mount Athos ($10)

Past Melbourne Cup Winners

Five horses have won multiple editions of the Melbourne Cup: Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005), Think Big (1974, 1975), Rain Lover (1968, 1969), Peter Pan (1932, 1934) and Archer (1861, 1862).

In the past 30 years 15 Melbourne Cup winners returned to defend their title but the only Makybe Diva (2004 and 2005) was successful.

Peter Pan (1932, 1934) is the only dual Melbourne Cup winner to score in non-consecutive years.

There are two previous Melbourne Cup winners in the race this year: #1 Duanden (2011) and #2 Green Moon (2010).

French raider Duanden then is out join Peter Pan as the only other non-consecutive dual winner.

Raiders in the Cup

Only five Northern Hemisphere-trained have won the Melbourne Cup with: Vintage Crop (1993), Media Puzzle (2002), Delta Blues (2006), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2012).

Of those only Vintage Crop (1993) for Dermot K Weld didn’t have their final lead-up run in Australia.

This year there are nine internationally-trained visitors with: #1 Dunaden, #3 Red Cadeaux, #5 Brown Panther, #8 Dandino, #15 Mount Athos, #16 Royal Empire, #19 Simenon, #21 Verema and #24 Ruscello.

Of those the ones without a last-start Australian run are: #1 Duanden, #3 Red Cadeaux, #5 Brown Panther, #15 Mount Athos, #16 Royal Empire and #21 Verema.

Of the four past overseas-trained Melbourne Cup runners that did have a start down under, all finished top three in their lead-up run with Delta Blues (2006) finishing third in the Caulfield Cup; Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) meanwhile all won the Geelong Cup.

This year of the three internationals coming off an Aussie preparatory run, the only to finish in the money were #8 Dandino (2^nd in the Caulfield Cup) and #19 Simenon (3^rd in the Herbert Power Stakes).

How Favourites Fare

In the past 15 years only two Melbourne Cup favourites have won with Makybe Diva (2004 and 2005); she also won in 2003 but wasn’t favourite.

Since the Melbourne Cup was inaugurated in 1861 a total of 32 favourites have saluted for the punters.

Phar Lap (8-1 in 1930) was the shortest-priced favourite in history.

In the past seven years there’s been only one Melbourne Cup winner paying under $10. Two in that time were at juicy outsider odds however with Viewed ($41 in 2008) and Green Moon ($20 in 2012).

This year the favourite is the Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente.

Last Start Winners Win

11 of the past 19 Melbourne Cup winners came off a victory, including 10 of the past 15 trained in Australian or New Zealand since Vintage Crop’s 1993 international upset.

There are seven last start winners in the field this year with: Sea Moon (Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, 2400m, Caulfield, 12/10/213), Fawkner (Group 1 Caulfield Cup, 2400m, Caulfield, 19/10/2013), 17 Voleuse De Coeurs (Group 1 Irish St Leger, 2816m Curragah, Ireland, 15/09/2013), Ibicenco (Group 3 Geelong Cup, 2400m Geelong, 23/10/2013), Verema (Group 2 Prix Kergorlay, 3000m, Deauville, France, 18/08/2013), Tres Blue (Group 2 Prix de Deauville, 2500m Deauville, France, 25/08/2013) and Ruscello (Group 3 Lexus Stakes, 2500m, Flemington, 02/11/2013).

All but Verema (Alain de Royer Dupre) and Ruscello (Ed Walker) are now locally trained.

Coming Via

Check out our Last Start 2013 Melbourne Cup Form Guide for more details here but in the meantime see below.

The Caulfield Cup has been the best formline for the Melbourne Cup in recent years producing 21 Melbourne Cup winners since 1970.

Five of those have been since 2001 including Ethereal (2001) who was the last to complete the double.

The most recent Melbourne Cup winner coming off the Caulfield Cup was then Viewed (10^th in 2008), they also returned to win the following year’s Caulfield Cup (2009) before running seventh to Shocking in the Melbourne Cup when unsuccessfully defending their title.

Viewed in 2008 was also the only recent of the past 16 Melbourne Cup winners coming via the Caulfied Cup not to have run top six.

The three horses that come off a top-six finish in the Caulfield Cup this year are: Fawkner (1^st), Dandino (2^nd) and Dear Demi (3^rd).