Americain odds on to win Melbourne Cup again

French stayer Americain is the firm favourite to win Tuesday's Melbourne Cup aiming to become only the fifth horse in history to take Australia's greatest race in consecutive years. Americain stormed home with a superb finish to win the 2010 Melbourne Cup and although he will be carrying a 58kg handicap on Tuesday -- up more than three kilos from last year -- the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained horse remains the one to beat. The Melbourne Cup is known in Australia as "The Race That Stops a Nation" as people all over the country pause to catch the field of 24 thoroughbreds race 3200 metres around the Flemington track. The state of Victoria declares each Melbourne Cup day a public holiday and more than 100,000 people brave the city's notoriously fickle weather to flock to the course. Many of those travel across the country and will relieved by Qantas's decision Monday to resume flying after prolonged industrial action led to a cancellation of all flights on Saturday. There seems no stopping Americain after he impressively won the Moonee Valley Cup on October 22, one of the key form guides ahead of the Melbourne Cup, in which he will be ridden by the same jockey as last year, Gerald Mosse. "I'm confident," de Royer Dupre said Monday before conceding the extra weight was making him nervous. "It's only the weight, three kilos more is difficult. He looks very well and very fresh, but wait and see. "Now it's the job of the jockey, my job is finished." Legendary Australian trainer Bart Cummings, who has won 12 Melbourne Cups, conceded his two chances, Precedence and Illo, would be chasing Americain. "He's (Americain) well weighted and he's a big strong thing, 16 hands," Cummings said. "The weight won't stop him, so he's the one to beat, I'd say." European-trained horses are dominating the betting for the cup and there has been much talk of a French quinella -- first two finishers -- with Americain and Dunaden, despite the latter losing jockey Craig Williams to suspension. The Mikel Delzangles-trained Dunaden will now be ridden by Christophe Lemaire. Australians have been bemoaning the lack of quality local horses in the field, which is dominated once again by foreign raiders. However, Brisbane Cup winner Tullamore could well upstage the overseas horses following some recent good form. Trained by the colourful Gai Waterhouse and ridden by Chris Munce, Tullamore was third in the traditional lead-in race, the Caufield Cup, and finished second to Americain in the Moonee Valley Cup. Tullamore is carrying 52kg, a full six kilograms lighter than Americain. Other chances include Niwot, Fox Hunt and At First Sight. A cloudy day of 20 degrees is forecast, with isolated showers mainly in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, meaning Flemington should remain mostly dry.