Long-time Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune has been a huge drifter in betting for Australia’s biggest race at Sportingbet doubling his price in the last 3 weeks.

Puissance De Lune had been the shortest early Melbourne Cup favourite on record at $5 less than a month ago, but since then he has been friendless in betting with his price ballooning out to $10.

“The turnaround from punters has been remarkable, he was the hottest horse in Melbourne Cup betting for 9 months and now we can’t write a bet on him,” Sportingbet’s Michael Felgate said.

“It’s been surprising to us as he hasn’t been running badly but the punters have well and truly jumped off.”

Fiorente is the current Melbourne Cup favourite at $6 but could be replaced by Hawkspur ($7.50) if he wins Saturday’s Caulfield Cup.

The best backed Melbourne Cup hopeful in the past 24 hours has been the Gai Waterhouse import Tres Blue who has firmed from $26 into $19 following a string of four-figure each way bets.

“Tres Blue arrives in Australia on Saturday and is highly rated. Gai went close with Fiorente running second in the Cup last year following the same plan so I expect Tres Blue will have more support if he settles in well,” Felgate said.

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2013 MELBOURNE CUP 3200m November 5 Sportingbet Market

Fiorente $6

Hawkspur $7.50

Puissance De Lune $10

Mount Athos $11

Voleuse De Coeurs $13

Verema $14

Simenon $17

Sea Moon $18

Masked Marvel $19

Tres Blue $19

Dandino $23

Seville $26

Royal Descent $26

Julienas $26

Trevieres $31

Royal Empire $31

Green Moon $31

Brown Panther $41

Dunaden $41

Jet Away $41

Foreteller $41

OTHERS $51+