Hugh Bowman has missed a number of Melbourne's feature races this spring and is hoping to make up for it in the biggest of them all.

The top Sydney-based jockey was forced to watch the Caulfield Cup from the sidelines after the horse we was booked to ride - My Ambivalent - was ruled out with a stone bruise.

He then missed the Cox Plate, where he was due to ride Criterion, and Victoria Derby day.

Bowman returns on Tuesday at Flemington to ride the Chris Waller-trained Junoob in the Melbourne Cup.

"I had a good ride in the Cox Plate and had some good rides on Saturday as well so watching them go around without me wasn't the easiestm," Bowman said.

"But at the end of the day it is what it is and I'm thankful to be back for the Melbourne Cup.

"It's always a great race to be involved in."

Junoob won the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) two starts ago before finishing seventh in the Caulfield Cup after having a tough race and being left flat footed when the field sprinted for home.

Bowman believes Junoob is a genuine top five or six chance in the Cup but would need to run the race of his life to win.

"If he could run in the placings I'd be over the moon," he said.

"He's going into the race with good consistent form."

Waller goes to the Cup with three runners - Junoob, Who Shot Thebarman and Opinion - in search of his eighth Group One win in a season that is just three months old.