Melbourne Cup live updates: Favourite crunched as billionaire stands to win $9.6m

Francesca Cumani has Point Of Law as her pick of the yard.

“I thought wow, he looks sensational,” she says on Nine.

Point Of Law is $8.50 with TAB and the favourite Hopewell Rock is drifting.

So You Are ($9) has late money coming for it – can he make it five wins in a row?

Stay tuned for the race! Five minutes away.

Hopewell Rock has just drifted slightly and is the $7 favourite as it stands.

He looks good in the yard.

The race is less than 10 minutes away.

The Eliminator brings the field down to just SEVEN live chances.

Form expert David Gatley rules out Zahrann and Kizlyar, and wants to put Shockletz in the mix.

Who are you on?

The Lexus Melbourne Cup is one of sport's great equalisers - you may think you've got a pretty good handle on horse racing, but very rarely does 'the race that stops the nation' go to script.

Nine.com.au has asked Nine’s TV personalities - from horse racing experts to novices and everything in between to give us their four top chances to win the Melbourne Cup.

SEE OUR EXPERT TIPS HERE.

A couple of the most astute minds in horse racing sat down and did the Melbourne Cup form, so you don’t have to!

Before the race jumps at 3pm, catch up here.

FRANCESCA CUMANI FORM GUIDE

SIMON O’DONNELL FORM GUIDE

Ties undone, fascinators tilted, and Flemington just got hijacked by Stoke-on-Trent’s cheekiest export – Robbie Williams.

The pop legend greeted Melbourne in a flamboyant bedazzled suit jacket before belting out Feel and Rock DJ.

Robbie didn’t just take the stage – he strutted across it like he owned every thoroughbred in Victoria.

Half the marquee came for a flutter on the horses, but everyone stayed to scream every single word of Angels into their champagne flutes.

Pure, unfiltered swagger that made the race that stops a nation look like a polite warm up act to Robbie Williams.

Odds courtesy of TAB as it stands – Hopewell Rock has been the big mover today!

The plunge started when Irish billionaire JP McManus put $1m on it last night, he stands to collect $9.6m if it wins.

$6.50 Hopewell Rock

$8.50 Point Of Law

$9 Trustyourinstinct, So You Are

$11 Shockletz

$13 Juja Kibo

$16 Soul Of Spain

$17 Middle Earth

$23 Sons And Lovers, Goodie Two Shoes

$26 Enfjaar, James J Braddock, Mr Monaco, Zakouma

$41 Knight’s Choice, Vauban, Wine Dark Sea, Zahrann

$51 Royal Supremacy, Onesmoothoperator, Kizlyar, Strictly Business

It's absolute pandemonium in the mounting yard area right now.

The connections of Sabaj erupt as the favourite hits the front in the final furlong and holds on for a brilliant win.

They'll be partying hard tonight!

WINNER: Sabaj ($2.50)

2nd: Darkbonee

3rd: Magnaspin