Melbourne Cup 2026 Betting Tips - Is Aeliana Searching for 3200m?
The 2026 Melbourne Cup picture is coming into focus with outstanding performances from stayers during the autumn and winter lead-up. Aeliana solidified her position as the top pick after victories in the Ranvet and Tancred Stakes, while Ohope Wins impressed with an Oaks double. Simurgh emerges as a promising roughie after a successful Australian debut. Together, these three horses—Aeliana, Ohope Wins, and Simurgh—are highlighted as the early bets for the Flemington feature.
- Aeliana is the standout early pick following her autumn victories
- Ohope Wins offers value after her NZ and Australian Oaks double
- Simurgh shapes as a lively outsider with impressive early Australian wins
James McDonald celebrates aboard Aeliana after winning the 2026 Tancred Stakes. (Getty)
The road to the 2026 Melbourne Cup is beginning to take shape, with several stayers enhancing their credentials through the autumn and winter months ahead of the spring carnival.
We've identified our early best bet, value selection and roughie for the race, highlighting three horses who look capable of making an impact at Flemington in November.
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2026 Melbourne Cup Tips
2026 Melbourne Cup Best Bet - Aeliana
Aeliana had been teasing punters since her dominant 2025 Australian Derby victory, but there were still plenty of encouraging signs before a spring campaign that tapered off late.
A pair of runner-up finishes opened her 2026 account, with both defeats coming behind the outstanding Autumn Glow, while rising distances proved beneficial at her next two starts.
The mare captured the Ranvet Stakes over 2000m, defeating Sir Delius, who subsequently franked the form in the Queensland Stakes, before relishing the rise to 2400m seven days later in the Tancred Stakes.
That Tancred victory came at the expense of Dubai Honour, a tough globetrotter and four-time Group 1 winner, while Aeliana now heads the Caulfield Cup market and could be effective over further.
2026 Melbourne Cup Value Bet - Ohope Wins
Admittedly, the 2026 Australian Oaks did not appear the strongest edition of the race, but Ohope Wins was still good enough to complete the New Zealand Oaks-Australian Oaks double when taking out the April 11 feature at Randwick.
The daughter of Ocean Park was having just her second start for Chris Waller after being unsuited by the drop back in trip first-up in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
She had also completed a winning hat-trick in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman and has clearly relished racing over 2400m on spacious tracks in both of her feature-race triumphs.
While a Melbourne Cup campaign presents a significant rise in class as an early-season four-year-old, Ohope Wins has effectively only had one extended preparation and profiles as a genuine staying type for the future.
2026 Melbourne Cup Roughie - Simurgh
This four-year-old has hit the ground running in his first Australian campaign for the Hayes stable, with Simurgh quickly making an impression after arriving from overseas.
Following a strong Australian debut when runner-up in a Benchmark 70 mile at Pakenham, he stepped up to 2000m and captured a Benchmark 78 on May 9.
The gelding then handled the rise in grade to complete a winning double over the same course and distance when successful again on May 30.
He defeated some handy rivals in that latest victory, including Skippers Canyon, who was well supported heading into last year's Pakenham Cup, and while Simurgh will need to continue progressing through winter and spring, there still appears to be plenty of upside with the import.
Verdict
Our tips for the 2026 Melbourne Cup are:
Aeliana
To Win
$11.00 - 2 Units
Lightning fast betting
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Ohope Wins
Each Way
$34.00 - 1 Unit
Lightning fast betting
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Simurgh
Each Way
$51.00 - 1 Unit
Lightning fast betting
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18+. T&Cs apply
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