MELBOURNE CUP TIPS:

* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: BONDI BEACH (in honour of the iconic beach in his Sydney electorate)

* Opposition Leader Bill Shorten: BOOM TIME, a Maribyrnong local, which is Shorten's electorate.

* One Nation leader Pauline Hanson: WALL OF FIRE (also backing trifecta: Almandin, Marmelo, Wall of Fire)

* Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews: HUMIDOR

* Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk: VENTURA STORM - jockey Glen Boss is from Queensland.

* Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls: HUMIDOR

* NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian: BOOM TIME (because the NSW economy is "galloping along nicely")

* Stephen Bradbury: BOOM TIME

* Ricky Ponting: ALMANDIN