Steady rain in the build-up to the Melbourne Cup is expected to play into the hands of top contenders Half Yours and Al Riffa at Flemington.

Track manager Liam O’Keeffe has predicted horses could be racing on a soft surface by Cup time, with conditions in the morning to determine whether the course is upgraded.

A rain band, stretching from Tasmania to the tip of the Northern Territory, was set to sweep east across six Australian jurisdictions from Monday into Tuesday, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

“With this band of rain, fuelled by that tropical moisture moving eastwards, it could bring a risk of storms to many areas,” senior meteorologist Angus Hines said.

Thunderstorms have been forecast from the tropical north to southern Australia, with inland parts of southern and central Queen

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