The race that stops the nation is upon us and while jockeys are preparing their horses for the Melbourne Cup, local punters are locking in their bets.

A number of people were at the Grants Betting in Suva yesterday to place their bets on their favorites including former Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.

Manager, Rahul Sundar says this is a tradition and they expect more people to turn up.

“So we have better numbers for punters and we are looking at a better outcome compared to previous years. We are expecting more crowds this year. The favorite for this year is Deauville Legend and we can also expect Lunar Flare to do an amazing job this year. ”

23 horses will compete this afternoon with two female jockeys in the mix.

You can watch the Melbourne Cup LIVE on FBC Sports and FBC TV channels at 4:00 pm.