Melbourne Cup Tips & Betting Advice 2026
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The Melbourne Cup is the world's best staying race and a highlight on the Australian sports calendar with the 2025 edition on Tuesday, November 4th.
The team at Bets.com.au has you covered for Melbourne Cup tips, big race preview and predictions and a comprehensive guide to the race that stops a nation.
Run over the 3200m trip, the greatest staying horses from around the globe descend on Flemington on the first Tuesday in November in search of racing immortality.
Bets.com.au provides punters with Melbourne Cup betting tips and previews, along with a complete guide to the Group 1 Race The Stops the Nation.
Melbourne Cup Information
- DateTue 03 Nov, 2026
- Race Time04:00
- RacecourseFlemington
- Race Distance3200 metres
- ConditionsOpen Handicap
- StatusGroup 1
- Prize Money$8,000,000
Melbourne Cup Betting Odds
The latest and up-to-date 2025 Melbourne Cup betting odds can be found here.
Melbourne Cup Tips & Predictions
Our experts provide their Melbourne Cup betting tips in the lead up to the great race.
You can read our Melbourne Cup tips and predictions for the Race The Stops A Nation, as well as a runner-by-runner guide to the race.
Internationals have a great recent record in this race, including imports that are now trained in Australia such as the 2022 winner Gold Trip and Without A Fight, who saluted in 2023.
Melbourne Cup Bookmakers & Promotions
The Melbourne Cup is the most popular betting race in Australia and one of the world's most famous sporting events.
Australian betting sites have special offers for customers - both new and existing - on the Melbourne Cup including special odds promotions that can be used on all of the Flemington races on Cup Day.
A round-up of the Melbourne Cup special betting markets is available via the link along with the best promotions and odds.
If you are looking to sign up with a bookmaker ahead of the Melbourne Cup, check out our top five below and read our bookmaker reviews.
Melbourne Cup 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Riffa (FR) | Joseph O’Brien | Mark Zahra | 19 | 59kg |
| 2 | Buckaroo (GB) | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 12 | 57kg |
| 3 | Arapaho (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Rachel King | 15 | 56.5kg |
| 4 | Vauban (FR) | G. Waterhouse & A. Bott | Blake Shinn | 2 | 56.5kg |
| 5 | Chevalier Rose (JPN) | Hisashi Shimizu | Damian Lane | 5 | 55.5kg |
| 6 | Presage Nocturne (IRE) | Alessandro Botti | Stéphane Pasquier | 9 | 55.5kg |
| 7 | Middle Earth (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 13 | 54.5kg |
| 8 | Meydaan (IRE) | Simon & Ed Crisford | James McDonald | 22 | 54kg |
| 9 | Absurde (FR) | Willie Mullins | Kerrin McEvoy | 4 | 53.5kg |
| 10 | Flatten The Curve (FR) | Henk Grewe | Thore Hammer Hansen | 17 | 53.5kg |
| 11 | Land Legend (FR) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 16 | 53.5kg |
| 12 | Smokin’ Romans (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 11 | 53.5kg |
| 13 | Changingoftheguard (IRE) | Kris Lees | Tim Clark | 24 | 53kg |
| 14 | Half Yours | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Jamie Melham | 8 | 53kg |
| 15 | More Felons (IRE) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 23 | 53kg |
| 16 | Onesmoothoperator (USA) | Brian Ellison | Harry Coffey | 6 | 53kg |
| 17 | Furthur (IRE) | Andrew Balding | Michael Dee | 7 | 52kg |
| 18 | Parchment Party (USA) | William Mott | John Velazquez | 3 | 52kg |
| 19 | Athabascan (FR) | J. O’Shea & T. Charlton | Declan Bates | 1 | 51.5kg |
| 20 | Goodie Two Shoes (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien | Wayne Lordan | 20 | 51.5kg |
| 21 | River Of Stars (IRE) | Chris Waller | Beau Mertens | 14 | 51.5kg |
| 22 | Royal Supremacy (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Robbie Dolan | 21 | 51kg |
| 23 | Torranzino (NZ) | Paul Preusker | Celine Gaudray | 18 | 51kg |
| 24 | Valiant King (GB) | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 10 | 51kg |
Melbourne Cup Form Guide & Betting Pointers
The Melbourne Cup is one of the hardest races in the world to find a winner in, but that’s not to say it cannot be done.
There are a number of races from Australia and abroad that lead into this race like the Irish St Leger, the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup which can be great indicators of future performance in the race that stops a nation.
Another event that is a great key indicator is the race itself.
Many horses tend to compete in the event more than once with Makybe Diva, Max Dynamite, Prince Of Arran and Red Cadeaux just three gallopers that have delivered strong performances across multiple cups.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Betting Insights, Stats & Trends
- 2024 Winner: Knight’s Choice, a Queensland-trained 5‑year‑old gelding, delivered a stunning upset at $90 fixed price (approx. $81 on the tote)—the longest odds winner since modern era highs. Robbie Dolan rode brilliantly, guiding Knight’s Choice from near the back (barrier 6) to win by a nose over Warp Speed, with Okita Soushi in third
- Favourites win only 21% of Cups—only one favourite has won since 2013 (Fiorente in 2013)
- Strongest record lies with 4 and 5 year-olds, who account for 90 of 164 winners (55%)
- Most successful barriers in history: Barrier 5 leads with 9 winners, followed by 10 and 14 with 7 each, and 11 with 6. Barrier 6 and 7 also produce multiple winners, while Barrier 18 has yet to yield a winner
- Top picks often come via strong performances in Caulfield Cup or Turnbull Stakes—12 horses have won the Cups double (e.g. Without A Fight in 2023)
- Knight’s Choice was relatively lightly raced, but strong recent pattern holds with Cup winners having campaign fitness and form (e.g. Gold Trip, Verry Elleegant)
- Race increasingly global: Warp Speed (Japan) placed second in 2024; other recent placed horses include internationals
Melbourne Cup Live Stream
Want to watch a live stream of the Melbourne Cup from Flemington? A number of bookmakers including Dabble, Ladbrokes and bet365 stream Australian horse racing live online and you can watch on your PC, Tablet or Smartphone.
Check out our live streaming guide to find where you can watch the Melbourne Cup.
Melbourne Cup Start Time
The Melbourne Cup start time is always at 3.00pm AEST on the first Tuesday of November. The Melbourne Cup is almost always the seventh event on the Flemington card.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Schedule
The Melbourne Cup Day Schedule is below.
| Race | Race Name |
|---|---|
| Race 1 | Maribyrnong Plate |
| Race 2 | MA Services Grand Handicap |
| Race 3 | TAB Trophy |
| Race 4 | The Schweppervescence Plate |
| Race 5 | Australian Heritage Cup |
| Race 6 | Kirin Ichiban Plate |
| Race 7 | Lexus Melbourne Cup |
| Race 8 | Lexus Amanda Elliot |
| Race 9 | The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes |
| Race 10 | Channel 9 Trophy |
Melbourne Cup History
The Melbourne Cup is one of the world’s most famous races.
First run 1861, the past winners become part of racing folklore the very second after passing the post in front.
The race started very differently to how it is today.
17 horses contested the first Melbourne Cup under a winner take all system. Archer was the first Melbourne Cup winner. The race routinely grinds Australia to a halt with the hardcore punters and the casuals uniting for one day a year to have a flutter on the race that stops a nation.
Makybe Diva is arguably one of the most famous Melbourne Cup competitors after taking the race out on three consecutive ocassions, but the most notable name to win the race is without question Phar Lap, who won the 1930 Melbourne Cup.
These days the race is arguably the world’s most coveted race. Horses target this race from right around the globe and it can take years to get a horse ready for the race that stops a nation.
Melbourne Cup Past Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Half Yours |
| 2024 | Knight's Choice |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | Gold Trip |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | Rekindling |
| 2016 | Almandin |
| 2015 | |
| 2014 | Protectionist |
| 2013 | Fiorente |
| 2012 | Green Moon |
| 2011 | Dunaden |
| 2010 | Americain |
| 2009 | Shocking |
| 2008 | Viewed |
| 2007 | Efficient |
| 2006 | Delta Blues |
| 2005 | Makybe Diva |
| 2004 | Makybe Diva |
| 2003 | Makybe Diva |
| 2002 | Media Puzzle |
| 2001 | Ethereal |
| 2000 | Brew |
Melbourne Cup Tickets
Punters wanting to secure their Melbourne Cup tickets ahead of the first Tuesday in November can do so by visiting the official Melbourne Cup website.
Up to 100,000 patrons can attend the Melbourne Cup when there are no crowd restrictions, which means punters will rarely miss out on securing their Melbourne Cup tickets.
Melbourne Cup News
To get all the Melbourne Cup social news you should visit the Flemington social media channels.
Flemington's Twitter account can be found at @FlemingtonVRC while their Facebook page is at FlemingtonVRC.
The official site can be found at Flemington.com.au.
Melbourne Cup 2025 - Replay & Result
1st - Half Yours.
2nd - Goodie Two Shoes.
3rd - Middle Earth.
Melbourne Cup FAQ
Who won the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
Half Yours won the 2025 Melbourne Cup.
How long is the Melbourne Cup?
The staying contest is run over 3200m.
Where is the Melbourne Cup held?
The Melbourne Cup is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.
What time does the Melbourne Cup run?
The Melbourne Cup is held at 3pm every year as the feature race of Tuesday racing at the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
What’s the prize money for the Melbourne Cup?
$10 million is the total prize pool for the Melbourne Cup.
