Get your umbrellas out racegoers, Tuesday’s $6.25 million Melbourne Cup will be run on a cold, grey day with a 40 per cent chance of rain.

The Bureau of Meterology says Victoria’s cold snap will continue well into this week, with southerly winds keeping the temperature to a maximum of 16C.

Despite the wintry blast the competition will be hot on track with one of the most open Melbourne Cup fields for many years.

Defending Cup winner Almandin, another Lloyd Williams-owned entry Johannes Vermeer, the Darren Weir-trained Humidor and the British galloper Marmelo are the only horses at $10 and under.

Almandin, who is looking to become the first horse since Makybe Diva to win back-to-back Cups, was holding favouritism at $8 on Sunday, out from $7 after the barrier draw

He was ahead of Humidor, who came close to beating Winx in the Cox Plate a week ago at $9, and Marmelo — who was a fast-finishing sixth in the Caulfield Cup — at $9.50.

None of the trio drew closer to the inside than barrier 13 (Humidor), however, with Almandin to race from 14 and Marmelo from 16.

Williams has already won a record five Melbourne Cups and has an interest in a quarter of the runners.

Williams’ son Nick says Almandin is in great form, relishing the prospect of the gelding becoming only the sixth horse to win the Melbourne Cup more than once.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy (L) and Lloyd Williams hold the Cup after Almandin’s 2016 win.

“If I could pick who I would love to win it would be Almandin, but that’s because we love this race,” Williams said on Sunday.

“We have a great sense of history. We’re proud Melburnians, and to have the honour of having a back-to-back winner would mean a great deal to us.

“So that’s my heart speaking as opposed to probably speaking objectively. But I couldn’t put a negative on Almandin.”

Superstar jockey Frankie Dettori desperately wants Almandin to add a Melbourne Cup to his CV.

Dettori won Europe’s biggest race the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for a record fifth time a month ago.

But the former long-time number one rider for global racing powerhouse Godolphin has yet to win a Melbourne Cup, despite 15 attempts over 24 years.

“We’re really thrilled to have him on board,” Williams said. “He’s a great friend. Apart from that, he’s the best jockey in the world so it’s not a bad start.”

Melbourne Cup market

Almandin $8 out from $7
Humidor $9
Marmelo $9.50 out from $9
Johannes Vermeer $10 in from $11
Wall of Fire $13
Thomas Hobson $18 out from $15
Rekindling $14 in from $16
Max Dynamite $15 in from $16
Red Cardinal $18 out from $16
Amelie’s Star $18 in from $19
Big Duke $21 out from $19
Others: $26 and above – Odds: tab.com.au

Hickmott the local training hope for Williams

Half the Team Williams runners in the Cup – Almandin, Bondi Beach and Gallante – are trained by Robert Hickmott in Victoria.

The three overseas-trained Williams runners will pit father against son as champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien seeks his first Cup with Johannes Vermeer while son Joseph has US Army Ranger and Rekindling.

They are among a record-equalling 11 overseas-trained horses in this year’s Cup.

Iain Jardine has the hopes of Scotland resting on him and his Ebor Handicap winner Nakeeta, the first Scottish-trained horse to run in a Melbourne Cup.

“There’s a lot of people rooting for us back home,” he said. “It’s great, absolutely fantastic.”

New Zealand’s Cup hopes were dashed Jon Snow was ruled out of the race.

Another former Kiwi-trained horse Humidor joins Big Duke and Amelie’s Star in the race for Victorian trainer Darren Weir, who won the 2015 Cup with Prince of Penzance.

New Zealand-bred gelding Cismontane is racing for trainers Gai Waterhouse, who won in 2013, and Adrian Bott.

Amelie’s Star and Single Gaze are the only two mares in the race, with the latter to be guided by the only woman rider, Kathy O’Hara.

Single Gaze’s Canberra trainer Nick Olive is not letting the hype of his first Melbourne Cup get to him.

I’m sure on Tuesday it will probably hit me, the gravity of it all, but it’s just been good fun and the horse is well.”

Internationals have settled in well

Racing Victoria’s senior international recruiting officer Leigh Jordon, said all the trainers at the quarantine were happy with how their horses had acclimatised to Australia.

“They haven’t had any travel sickness, which is crucial [in acclimatising],” he told Racing.com on Sunday.

The word from the quarantine centre at Werribee has been that Willie Mullins’ runner Max Dynamite — who came second to Prince of Penzance two years ago — has been training the house down ahead of the Cup.

The Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite has impressed observers in trackwork at Werribee. Photo: AAP

When pressed, Jordon said that the Hughie Morrison-trained Marmelo and Max Dynamite had looked the best of the international contingent.

“[Max Dynamite] has been working very well,” Jordon said. “It’s probably one of the best Cups (fields) you’ll see.”

German trainer Andreas Wohler, who won the race with Protectionist back in 2014, was downbeat about Red Cardinal’s chances after the six-year-old gelding drew the outside barrier 24.

“It’s not the draw you would have wanted for him,” he said of his horse that was an early favourite for this year’s Cup before running fifth to Marmelo in the Prix Kergorlay in France — a race that has been won by Americain (2010) and Protectionist (2014) before winning at Flemington.

“But one has won from that draw, and we’ve got the right jockey for that.”

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy rode Brew to victory from the outside (barrier 22 with 22 starters) in 2000, and he will be aboard Red Cardinal on Tuesday.

“I think he runs well out of a break … but I think he’ll have to pass two bad things [to win the Cup] — not having a prep run, the last one [to do it] was [Vintage Crop] in 1993, and the outside barrier,” Wohler said.

Gates open at Flemington from 8.30am, first race is at 11am and last race is at 5.20pm.

-with ABC, AAP