Several readers have sent in tips for the race that stops the nation.

But first a word about their sponsors. Simon the Pieman notes that the Emirates Melbourne Cup “used to be The Fosters Melbourne Cup or the Toohey’s New Melbourne Cup. I don’t know any other sponsors that sponsored the Cup.” Can anyone help him out?

In any event, Simon’s advice on the form is much more confident.

My selections for the big race are:
15. Maluckday – I’ve been following this horse’s form for two years. He almost died last year.
8. Mount Athos – It’s a Greek name! [Simon is half-Greek!]
17. My Quest of Peace – Ran well last start.
10. Ethophia – Lightly raced 4 year old has won over 2500 distance.
14. Green Moon – I have been folowing this horse since last year. Brett Prebble is the jockey. He was one of best in Australia before heading to Hong Kong.
Don’t rule out Bart Cummings horse 9 and 21.
My Box trifectas numbers are 2, 6, 12, 8, 9, 17.

Now the fact is that the Melbourne Cup attracts a world-class field, and being longer than the average sprint, it’s typically an “anyone can win” proposition. So you might think Simon is playing it conservative, offering no less than seven tips. I think that, anyway!

By special request, occasional guest blogger Joel Peart was also approached:

1. Dunaden. 2. Mount Athos. 3. Red Cadeaux.

As for me, I haven’t studied the form enough (yet) to contradict Simon and Joel. But regarding that other race, which co-incides with the Melbourne Cup only in Olympic years, I’m tipping a Romney win.

The national polls show Romney eking out a narrow victory while the state polls show Obama winning easily. Both sets of polls can’t be right. One set must be wrong. I suspect both sets are wrong, and Romney will win comfortably.

I’d like to think my tip boils down to the trends political scientists have pointed to for months. Republican turnout will be high and Democratic turnout will be low because the economic environment is hostile to incumbents everywhere. But truth be told, my tip of a clear Romney win is probably helped by a bit of wishful thinking!

All will be revealed, by 3:30 today or tomorrow, depending on which race you’re looking at.

UPDATE

At 3:30pm Wednesday, with Ohio called for Obama, it looks like I got a real losing streak. I picked the wrong horses all round, and that includes the $100 million lotto Tuesday night! (This is why I limit my gambling to once a year!)