We're down to 53.

The second declarations for the 2025 Melbourne Cup have been released by the Victorian Racing Club (VRC).

53 horses remain in the hunt for the race that stops a nation over 3200m at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.

Chris Waller still leads the way with nine runners still in the mix, including last-start Bart Cummings winner Valiant King, as well as Birdman, Buckaroo, Land Legend and River Of Stars, among others.

Favourite Sir Delius remains firmly in contention for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Four more ballot-exempt races remain - this weekend’s Caulfield Cup, the Geelong Cup, the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and the Cox Plate.

See the list of 53 gallopers below:

Third declarations close on Monday, October 27 before the final field announcement on Saturday, November 1 after the VRC Derby.