Melbourne Cup Beginners Guide
The first Tuesday in November may represent just another day on the British sporting calendar. However, things are a little different down under, with this date in the diary signalling one of the standout moments of the Australian sporting year. In terms of the Aussie horse racing scene, it simply doesn’t get any bigger than this, with the historic Melbourne Cup effectively being the Australian equivalent of the Aintree Grand National in terms of widespread public interest, prestige, and huge betting turnover.
Widely referred to as “The Race That Stops A Nation”, those in the Melbourne locale, much of the wider Victoria region, and all public servants are granted an official Public Holiday to take in the race, which serves as the headline act at the week-long Melbourne Spring Carnival. Elsewhere in the nation, a widespread epidemic of sick days suggests many Australians take an unofficial public holiday of their own.
What is the Melbourne Cup?
First run back in 1861, this 2m flat handicap is the jewel in the crown of the beautiful Flemington racecourse and the event that all Australian trainers – and those from much further afield – want to win. A big part of that appeal is the astronomical A$8 million in prize money on offer - A$4.4 million of which goes to the winner. That total prize pool translates to around £4.8 million, making the Melbourne Cup the richest handicap contest on the planet and amongst the most valuable turf races of any description.
Who Runs in the Race?
The event is open to runners age three and older, be they colts, fillies, mares, or geldings. With a maximum field of 24, those runners with the highest rating will make the final cut, in addition to the winners of 13 guaranteed “win and your in” qualifying contests, which include the Doncaster Cup and Irish St. Leger.
The weights carried on the day are determined by the handicapper of the Victoria Racing Club using Quality Handicap criteria; the more talented the horse, the more weight they carry. Official ratings are part of the process, but other factors are considered, including age and previous performance in similar events. Overall, the process is very similar to that employed when assigning weights ahead of the Grand National.
In comparison to a standard handicap, the most talented runners tend to be less stringently penalised under Quality Handicap conditions, with the aim of attracting a higher class of horse. Expect to see a host of Group 1 winners amongst the field, including contenders previously sighted in the British and Irish Classics.
An International Affair
The Aussies are never easy to beat on their own turf and boast the best overall record in their flagship event. Nevertheless, there is almost always a strong international flavour to the race, and the raiders have been known to upset the locals and plunder the prize.
Dermot Weld was the first Northern Hemisphere-based trainer to win when sending out Vintage Crop in 1993. Dermot has since been joined by fellow Irishman Joseph O’Brien, who won in 2017 and 2020. British, French, German, and Japanese runners also feature on the 21st Century roll of honour.
One of the Most Watched and Bet-on Races in the World
Over 250,000 racegoers flock to Flemington racecourse over the course of the Spring Carnival, with Melbourne Cup Day regularly seeing a crowd north of 100,000. Added to that number are over 2.5 million TV viewers in Australia, in addition to millions more around the world.
That interest extends into the betting turnover, with Aussie punters placing 200-250 million Australian dollars worth of bets on the big race each year – not quite so much as the £300 million attracted by the Aintree Grand National, but then Britain’s population is more than double that of Australia.
Aussie Bet Types
The menu of betting choices available to Australian punters is much like our own, with the following wager types attracting much of the cash:
- Win - A straight bet on the horse to win
- Each Way - Two equally staked bets. One on the horse to win, and another to finish in the placed positions
- Place - A single bet on the horse to finish in the placed positions
For the more adventurous, what are known as Exotic Bets are also available:
- Exacta - Pick the first and second-placed finishers in the correct order. The equivalent of a straight forecast bet
- Quinella - Pick two horses which must finish first and second in any order. The equivalent of the UK Reverse Forecast bet
- Trifecta - Pick the first, second, and third in the correct order. The equivalent of a straight tricast bet
- Boxed Quinella/Trifecta - This involves selecting three or more runners and covering all possible permutations of forecasts and tricasts. The equivalent of a combination forecast or tricast
- First Four - As the name suggests, this requires you to predict the first four finishers in the correct order. Tough to do, but the bet almost guarantees a decent payday if you are correct
Betting on the Melbourne Cup in the UK
Much like the Breeders Cup, Dubai World Cup, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Melbourne Cup is a major international event. As such, the race benefits from extensive coverage at the best new betting sites and established British-based bookmakers. Simply navigate to the horse racing section of your favourite site, head to the daily races list on the day of the event, or the International Racing or Ante Post sections in advance, and place your bets. The last items on the list are to ensure you are fully stocked with coffee and set that alarm clock for the 4 a.m. start time.
More Betting Guides:
Top 20 Betting Offers
18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app and bet £10 on any sports market (odds of 2.00+) within 7 days of registration. Get 3x£10 Free Bets on selected sports markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly | |||||
New Customers Only. Sign up with bonus code: EB20. Bet £20 and get £20 in Free Bets. Paid as £5 Free Bet on Soccer, £5 Free Bet on Horse Racing, £5 Free Bet on Multiples and a £5 Free Bet on any Market. Terms apply 18+ gambleaware.org. | |||||
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. | |||||
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on football (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. Get 4x£5 Free Bets for set markets and a £10 Slot Bonus for Big Bass Splash, 30x wagering, to withdraw max £250. Rewards expire in 20 days. Full T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly | |||||
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. | |||||
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+ www.gambleaware.org. | |||||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. | |||||
New customers place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free bets. 18+ begambleaware | |||||
18+. New Customers Only. Max 1 x £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Token Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. | |||||
New Customers Only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more. Bets must be placed within 24 hours of registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. UK residents. Full terms apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+ | |||||
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! | |||||
Full T&Cs apply. New UK customers only. The qualifying bet should be either a Single or Acca (2+ selections) bet, start at £20, have 1.9 or greater odds and must be settled within 7 days of opt-in. 3 Free bets include: 1 x £20 Free bet Racing (Horse Racing or Greyhound Racing); 1 x £20 Free Bet Live Football; 1 x £20 Free Bet Live. Max payout – £500. 7-day expiry. To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app (Open banking). 18+. BeGambleAware.com | |||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD | |||||
18+. New Customers Only. Min deposit £20. Maximum one £10 Free Bet & two £5 Bet Builder Free Bets. Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of Evens (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus tokens: Token 1 Min odds Req: 4/5 (1.80). Token 2 & 3 are valid for Bet Builder products only and are subject to min odds of 2/1 (3.00). T&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. | |||||
Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football, Racing, Tennis, Cricket or Basketball multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 100 Free Spins on More Unusual Suspects (£0.10 per spin) credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. No wagering requirements on free spin winnings. Offer valid 7 days from account opening. 18+ GambleAware.org. Full Terms apply | |||||
New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £40, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Progress Play network Full Terms Apply. | |||||
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
New UK Customers. Register using code BETGETSPORTS. Must bet £10 in total on 4+ legs, min odds 4.0. £20 awarded as 4 X £5 free bets once settled, AND 50 Free Spins to use on Big Bass Splash (valued at 10p per spin). Free bet T&Cs Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org |
