Kate Waterhouse oozes sophistication in a red Versace gown as she leads the glamorous arrivals at the 2024 Melbourne Cup

Kate Waterhouse put on a high-glamour display as she led the celebrity arrivals at the hotly-anticipated Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday.

The model, 40, made sure to capture attention as she stormed the top event on the Australian celebrity social calendar in a vibrant rouge designer ensemble.

She showed off her toned legs in a sophisticated midi dress from Versace featuring the brand’s signature gold clasps on the straps.

Kate gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of pointed rouge stilettos and toted her essentials in a red clutch bag.

The journalist oozed sophistication as she shielded her eyes with white cat-eye shades from G.O.D eyewear and swept her golden locks beneath a red hair scarf.

Kate has long held a passion for horse racing as she is the daughter of horse trainer Gai Waterhouse and bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse.

She was joined at the festivities by famed Aussie swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who looked equally glamorous in a stunning red strapless mini dress.

The eye-catching gown featured a dramatic off-the-shoulder floral neckline and Ariarne added to her frame with a pair of beige heeled sandals.

Kate Waterhouse put on a high-glamour display as she led the celebrity arrivals at the hotly-anticipated Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday

The model, 40, made sure to capture attention as she stormed the top event on the Australian celebrity social calendar in a vibrant rouge designer ensemble

The model, 40, made sure to capture attention as she stormed the top event on the Australian celebrity social calendar in a vibrant rouge designer ensemble

The Olympic champion, 24, kept her essentials in a metallic silver clutch bag and accentuated her stunning features with a bronzed make-up palette.

Huge crowds have descended on Flemington Racecourse ahead of the 164th staging of the Melbourne Cup at 3pm on Tuesday.

Thousands of Aussies are gearing up to place their bets on the hotly-anticipated race, with racing fans around the world turning their attention to Melbourne.

The event is being broadcast live on Channel Nine and Sarah Abo and Alex Cullen were spotted backstage preparing for filming ahead of the big event.

Today show host Sarah, 38, looked effortlessly stylish in a baby blue jacket, which she coordinated with a matching bow in her brunette tresses.

She was seen trying to fix the giant accessory into her tresses, before later stripping down to a sophisticated all-white suit for the broadcast.

Sarah was joined by her co-host Alex, 43, who looked dapper in a navy suit as he got ready for their busy day of broadcasting duties. 

She showed off her toned legs in a sophisticated midi dress from Versace featuring the brand's signature gold clasps on the straps

She showed off her toned legs in a sophisticated midi dress from Versace featuring the brand’s signature gold clasps on the straps

She was joined at the festivities by famed Aussie swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who looked equally glamorous in a stunning red strapless mini dress

She was joined at the festivities by famed Aussie swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who looked equally glamorous in a stunning red strapless mini dress

The eye-catching gown featured a dramatic off-the-shoulder floral neckline and Ariarne added to her frame with a pair of beige heeled sandals

The eye-catching gown featured a dramatic off-the-shoulder floral neckline and Ariarne added to her frame with a pair of beige heeled sandals

The stayers event is one of the biggest in the world and has produced a long list of champions over the years, including the likes of Phar Lap, Kingston Town and the invincible feats of Makybe Diva.

This year, 24 more Australian and international horses and their jockeys will be looking to etch their names into the history books while punters will be hoping to pick the winner – or land the ultimate trifecta.

Several horses have been already withdrawn from the 2024 Cup due to veterinary concerns, including Jan Brueghel, Brayden Star, Muramasa and Via Sistina.

Veteran bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse has highlighted Circle of Fire as a Melbourne Cup ‘bolter’ worth attention, particularly for those looking beyond the top favourites. 

The Melbourne Cup is being broadcast live on Channel Nine and Sarah Abo and Alex Cullen were spotted backstage preparing for filming ahead of the big event

The Melbourne Cup is being broadcast live on Channel Nine and Sarah Abo and Alex Cullen were spotted backstage preparing for filming ahead of the big event

Today show host Sarah, 38, looked effortlessly stylish in a baby blue jacket, which she coordinated with a matching bow in her brunette tresses

Today show host Sarah, 38, looked effortlessly stylish in a baby blue jacket, which she coordinated with a matching bow in her brunette tresses

She was seen trying to fix the giant accessory into her tresses as her co-host Alex watched on as she appeared to be deciding about the accessory

She was seen trying to fix the giant accessory into her tresses as her co-host Alex watched on as she appeared to be deciding about the accessory 

Sarah was joined by her co-host Alex, 43, who looked dapper in a navy suit as he got ready for their busy day of broadcasting duties

Sarah was joined by her co-host Alex, 43, who looked dapper in a navy suit as he got ready for their busy day of broadcasting duties

The presenters appeared to be in jovial spirits ahead of the busy day as they laughed and joked together backstage

The presenters appeared to be in jovial spirits ahead of the busy day as they laughed and joked together backstage

Huge crowds have descended on Flemington Racecourse ahead of the 164th staging of the Melbourne Cup at 3pm on Tuesday

Huge crowds have descended on Flemington Racecourse ahead of the 164th staging of the Melbourne Cup at 3pm on Tuesday

MELBOURNE CUP 2024 FIELD
Horse Trainer(s) Jockey Barrier Weight Odds
Vauban (FR) Willie Mullins  William Buick  11  55.5kg  $4.50
Buckaroo (UK)  Chris Waller  Joao Moreira  21  54.5kg  $5 
Circle of Fire (UK)  Ciaron Maher & David Eustace  Mark Zahra  24  54.5kg  $15 
Warp Speed (JPN)  Noboru Takagi  Akira Sugawara  54.5kg  $12 
Kovalica (NZ)  Chris Waller  Damian Lane  17  53.5kg  $10 
Sharp ‘n’ Smart (NZ)  Graeme & Deborah Rogerson  Michael Dee  15  53.5kg  $20 
Just Fine (IRE)  Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott  Jye Mcneil  13  53kg  $25 
Land Legend (FR)  Chris Waller  Zac Purton  18  53kg  $30 
Absurde (FR)  Willie Mullins  Kerrin Mcevoy  52.5kg  $18 
Athabascan (FR)  John O’shea & Tom Charlton  Zac Lloyd  52kg  $35 
Knight’s Choice (AUS)  John Symons & Sheila Laxon  Robbie Dolan  51.5kg  $50 
Okita Soushi (IRE)  Ciaron Maher & David Eustace  Jamie Kah  10  51kg  $8 
Onesmoothoperator (USA)  Brian Ellison  Craig Williams  12  51kg  $12 
Zardozi (AUS) James Cummings  Andrea Atzeni  51kg  $22 
Sea King (UK) Harry Eustace  Hollie Doyle  50.5kg  $15 
Valiant King (UK)  Chris Waller  Craig Newitt  22  50.5kg  $40 
Fancy Man (IRE)  Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald  Ron Stewart  19  50kg  $60 
Interpretation (IRE)  Ciaron Maher & David Eustace  Teo Nugent  14  50kg  $25 
Manzoice (AUS)  Chris Waller  Declan Bates  50kg  $50 
Mostly Cloudy (IRE)  Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young  Karis Teetan  16  50kg  $70 
Positivity (NZ)  Andrew Forsman  Winona Costin  20  50kg  $80 
Saint George (UK)  Ciaron Maher & David Eustace  Tyler Schiller  50kg  $100 
The Map (AUS)  Dan Clarken & Oopy Macgillivray  Rachel King  23  50kg  $150 
Trust in You (NZ)  Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley  Mark Du Plessis  50kg  $200 

Circle of Fire, priced around $34, is an intriguing choice with the capability to handle the Cup’s demanding 3200m distance. Waterhouse believes that, despite its longer odds, the horse could outperform some of the more fancied competitors.

Circle of Fire will jump from the challenging barrier 24, the widest position, which presents obstacles for early positioning. 

However, the horse’s proven stamina and form as a Group 1 two-miler make it a viable contender in the long stretch. 

French stayer Vauban ($4.50) is currently the pre-race favourite, slightly ahead of the Chris Waller trained Buckaroo ($5). 

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