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Melbourne Cup 2025 Betting Tips - Meydaan and Presage Nocturne Head the Charge, Waller’s Roughie Lurks

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Sun 02 Nov 2025 05:17

Alex Marsh 02 Nov 2025

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Presage Nocturne and Meydaan are top bets for the 2025 Melbourne Cup
Al Riffa presents a strong case with impressive European form
Royal Supremacy and More Felons offer value as potential surprise contenders

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Key contenders feature in our Melbourne Cup 2025 betting tips and race preview. (Getty)

The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most renowned race, offering $8 million in prize money and drawing some of the world’s best international stayers to Flemington for the famous 3200m handicap.

2025 Melbourne Cup Tips
2025 Melbourne Cup Best Bet - Presage Nocturne
2025 Melbourne Cup Next Best Bet - Meydaan
2025 Melbourne Cup Topweight - Al Riffa
2025 Melbourne Cup Value Bet - Royal Supremacy
2025 Melbourne Cup Roughie - More Felons
Melbourne Cup 2025 - Field & Odds

Generations of iconic thoroughbreds have etched their names into Cup history — from Kingston Rule, Subzero and Doriemus to Might And Power and the incomparable Makybe Diva.

As always, the 2025 edition promises to be fiercely contested, blending proven European class with emerging local hopes across a typically deep field.

Our analysis focuses on five key contenders who bring the right mix of form, profile and potential to feature prominently in this year’s great race.

2025 Melbourne Cup Tips

2025 Melbourne Cup Best Bet - Presage Nocturne

Presage Nocturne finished fourth in the Caulfield Cup on his Australian debut — an excellent effort over a trip that’s a little short of his best.

Trained by Alessandro Botti, the French galloper by Wootton Bassett has already proven durable in European Group staying races and looks well suited stepping up in trip for the Melbourne Cup.

He’s well weighted dropping 2kg from the Caulfield Cup and had carried bigger imposts in all his French wins, the latest at 3000m.

The grey handled firm ground at Caulfield and any rain around only helps, making him a highly adaptable and reliable Cup prospect.

Presage Nocturne ticks every major box — international form, stamina, class and an ideal weight profile for the two-mile classic.

2025 Melbourne Cup Next Best Bet - Meydaan

The son of Frankel was excellent without luck on Australian debut in the Caulfield Cup, when set a big task by being back, wide, and chasing throughout.

He was entitled to tire late but still found again for a midfield finish in that 2400m feature, showing determination and class under pressure.

Meydaan now gets a key jockey upgrade with James McDonald taking the reins and drops 2kg from the Caulfield Cup, both notable positives.

The 3200m trip is untested territory, but his European staying profile suggests the big Flemington track will play perfectly to his strengths.

With fitness on the rise and conditions to suit, Meydaan shapes as a leading danger to the headline chances.

2025 Melbourne Cup Topweight - Al Riffa

Al Riffa was a dominant winner of the Irish St Leger, stamping genuine Cup credentials with that performance at The Curragh.

He’d earlier captured the Curragh Cup and was subsequently purchased by Australian Bloodstock in a multimillion-dollar deal, remaining under Joseph O’Brien’s care.

O’Brien already boasts two Melbourne Cup victories and knows how to prepare a European stayer to peak on the first Tuesday in November.

Carrying 59kg is no easy task, but Al Riffa’s world-class stamina and tactical versatility justify the impost.

He brings top-tier European staying form and undeniable quality into this year’s Cup as the clear class runner of the field.

2025 Melbourne Cup Value Bet - Royal Supremacy

The five-year-old continues to look more dour with every start, an ideal trait for a genuine two-mile test at Flemington.

Robbie Dolan retains the ride after partnering him in the Caulfield Cup, where the gelding was fractious in the gates, didn’t get the clearest run, yet kept finding the line.

He carries just 51kg and benefits from Dolan’s Cup-winning experience, having guided Knight’s Choice to victory last year.

Royal Supremacy took time to adjust to Ciaron Maher’s system but has now found consistency and rhythm in his racing.

At the weights and in current form, he profiles as one of the most appealing value runners in the 2025 Melbourne Cup.

2025 Melbourne Cup Roughie - More Felons

One of the lesser-fancied Chris Waller-trained contenders, More Felons fits the mould of a typical Waller bolter capable of running into the money in these big staying handicaps.

He contested the 2023 Melbourne Cup in only his second Australian start — that came too soon in his preparation, and he was spelled immediately after to mature and acclimatise.

Showed promise on either side of that effort before a tendon injury ruled him out of the 2024 Sydney Cup, where he was set to start favourite, resulting in a lengthy layoff.

The gelding has improved with every run this campaign, with the market showing respect following his encouraging Metropolitan performance.

His St Leger run confirmed he’s now searching for further, and being proven at these journeys, More Felons appeals as a genuine knockout hope at big odds.

Melbourne Cup 2025 - Field & Odds

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
1	Al Riffa (FR)	Joseph O’Brien	Mark Zahra	19	59kg	$9
2	Buckaroo (GB)	Chris Waller	Craig Williams	12	57kg	$9
3	Arapaho (FR)	Bjorn Baker	Rachel King	15	56.5kg	$41
4	Vauban (FR)	G. Waterhouse & A. Bott	Blake Shinn	2	56.5kg	$21
5	Chevalier Rose (JPN)	Hisashi Shimizu	Damian Lane	5	55.5kg	$31
6	Presage Nocturne (IRE)	Alessandro Botti	Stéphane Pasquier	9	55.5kg	$8
7	Middle Earth (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	13	54.5kg	$34
8	Meydaan (IRE)	Simon & Ed Crisford	James McDonald	22	54kg	$13
9	Absurde (FR)	Willie Mullins	Kerrin McEvoy	4	53.5kg	$21
10	Flatten The Curve (FR)	Henk Grewe	Thore Hammer Hansen	17	53.5kg	$19
11	Land Legend (FR)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	16	53.5kg	$71
12	Smokin’ Romans (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Ben Melham	11	53.5kg	$67
13	Changingoftheguard (IRE)	Kris Lees	Tim Clark	24	53kg	$67
14	Half Yours	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Jamie Melham	8	53kg	$7
15	More Felons (IRE)	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	23	53kg	$41
16	Onesmoothoperator (USA)	Brian Ellison	Harry Coffey	6	53kg	$21
17	Furthur (IRE)	Andrew Balding	Michael Dee	7	52kg	$26
18	Parchment Party (USA)	William Mott	John Velazquez	3	52kg	$51
19	Athabascan (FR)	J. O’Shea & T. Charlton	Declan Bates	1	51.5kg	$67
20	Goodie Two Shoes (IRE)	Joseph O’Brien	Wayne Lordan	20	51.5kg	$41
21	River Of Stars (IRE)	Chris Waller	Beau Mertens	14	51.5kg	$18
22	Royal Supremacy (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Robbie Dolan	21	51kg	$31
23	Torranzino (NZ)	Paul Preusker	Celine Gaudray	18	51kg	$31
24	Valiant King (GB)	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	10	51kg	$6.50

Odds courtesy of BetNova & correct on 02/11/2025.

Verdict

Melbourne Cup

Our tips for the 2025 Melbourne Cup centre around Presage Nocturne, Meydaan, Al Riffa, Royal Supremacy and More Felons — five key runners capable of figuring prominently in what shapes as another fiercely contested Flemington classic.