Looking for the best Melbourne Cup betting guide, tips on how to bet on the 2025 Melbourne Cup, Melbourne Cup field updates and more? The expert tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know on the race.
| 14. Half Yours (8) J: Jamie Melham 53kg 15141T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | ||
| 20. Goodie Two Shoes (20) J: W M Lordan 51.5kg 1113xT: Joseph O'Brien | ||
| 7. Middle Earth (13) J: Ethan Brown 54.5kg 50903T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 21. River Of Stars (14) J: Beau Mertens 51.5kg x7802T: Chris Waller | ||
| 23. Torranzino (18) J: Celine Gaudray 51kg 80821T: Paul Preusker | ||
| 4. Vauban (2) J: Blake Shinn 56.5kg x3650T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | ||
| 1. Al Riffa (19) J: Mark Zahra 59kg x4211T: Joseph O'Brien | ||
| 9. Absurde (4) J: Kerrin McEvoy 53.5kg 2x3x7T: Willie Mullins | ||
| 13. Changingoftheguard (24) J: Tim Clark 53kg 82106T: Kris Lees | ||
| 8. Meydaan (22) J: James McDonald 54kg 05239T: Simon & Ed Crisford | ||
| 17. Furthur (7) J: Michael Dee 52kg 52516T: Andrew Balding | ||
| 3. Arapaho (15) J: Rachel King 56.5kg 36408T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 10. Flatten The Curve (17) J: Thore Hammer-Hansen 53.5kg 1411xT: Henk Grewe | ||
| 12. Smokin' Romans (11) J: Ben Melham 53.5kg 72948T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 22. Royal Supremacy (21) J: Robbie Dolan 51kg 11215T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 24. Valiant King (10) J: Jye McNeil 51kg 3x013T: Chris Waller | ||
| 15. More Felons (23) J: Tommy Berry 53kg x0944T: Chris Waller | ||
| 6. Presage Nocturne (9) J: Stephane Pasquier 55.5kg 13x34T: Alessandro Botti | ||
| 18. Parchment Party (3) J: John R Velazquez 52kg 2311xT: William I Mott | ||
| 19. Athabascan (1) J: Declan Bates 51.5kg x0002T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | ||
| 11. Land Legend (16) J: Joao Moreira 53.5kg 39500T: Chris Waller | ||
| 5. Chevalier Rose (5) J: Damian Lane 55.5kg 70x0xT: Hisashi Shimizu | ||
| 2. Buckaroo (12) J: Craig Williams 57kg x3232T: Chris Waller |
Contested over the traditional two-mile Cup distance of 3200m, the Melbourne Cup is run and won on the first Tuesday of November annually at Flemington Racecourse. As of 2022, Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse hosts the Listed $3 million The Big Dance (1600m) on Melbourne Cup Day each year.
The world’s richest handicap race, first run in 1861 with Archer taking out the opening two editions of the event, now offers $10 million in prize money and trophies and is the jewel race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
The Melbourne Cup runs as Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (local time) and has been won by many greats of the turf, including a host of international raiders the first of the Northern-hemisphere champions being Vintage Crop (1993).
There has only been one triple Melbourne Cup winner with the mighty mare Makybe Diva securing her hat-trick from 2003-05.
Verry Elleegant made history winning the 2021 Melbourne Cup as a 57kg weighted mare dominating by four lengths as the first winner from barrier 18.
In 2022 Gold Trip (57.5kg) became the latest Melbourne Cup top-weight to win with his upset success at $21.
In 2023 Without A Fight made history as the 12th horse to complete the Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double and the first since Ethereal (2001).
In 2024 Knight’s Choice won the Melbourne Cup as a $91 outsider with Robbie Dolan riding the champion in his first ever ride in the event for Sunshine Coast-based trainers John Symons & Shelia Laxon. Laxon famously won the event back in 2001 with New Zealand mare Ethereal when becoming the first Melbourne Cup winning female trainer.
Find out more about the iconic Melbourne Cup winners throughout history here.
Melbourne Cup 2025 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Tuesday November 4, 2025
- Race Starts: 3 PM (AEST)
- Track Location: Flemington Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Left-handed
- Race Distance: 3,200 metres
- Weight Conditions: Handicap
- Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 1
- Operator: Victoria Racing Club
- Prize Purse: $10 million
- Inaugural Race: 1861
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Winner: TBD
Melbourne cup 2025 Results
The official 2025 Melbourne Cup results will be available below once the race takes place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 3:00pm (local Melbourne time).
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
Melbourne Cup Betting 2025
There are many different ways to bet on the Melbourne Cup, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Melbourne Cup |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Melbourne Cup. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Melbourne Cup. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Melbourne Cup, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend. |
| Quinella Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Melbourne Cup, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Melbourne Cup to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Melbourne Cup to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Melbourne Cup to win the First 4. |
| Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) | You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from the Melbourne Cup, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Melbourne Cup in 2025
- Log in at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Melbourne Cup Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week prior to the race following the final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup on Derby Day. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 Melbourne Cup Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2025 MELBOURNE CUP FORM GUIDE
Melbourne Cup 2025 Tips
Our insider Melbourne Cup 2025 betting tips will be provided right here the week of the race and a full Melbourne Cup tipping preview available on the Neds Blog.
To Win: No. 6 Presage Nocturne ($8 at time of publish) – BET NOW
To Challenge: No. 14 Half Yours ($6.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW
To Feature: No. 1 Al Riffa ($8 at time of publish) – BET NOW
To Improve: No. 4 Vauban ($21 at time of publish) – BET NOW
To Surprise: No. 21 River Of Stars ($15 at time of publish) – BET NOW
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 MELBOURNE CUP PREVIEW & TIPS
Melbourne Cup 2025 Acceptance Dates
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Nominations: Closed on Tuesday September 2, 2025 @ 12:00pm (Melbourne time) – 120 nominations including 19 internationals.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Late Entries: Close on Tuesday September 9, 2025 @ 12:00pm (Melbourne time).
- 2025 Melbourne Cup First Declarations: Closed on Tuesday September 30, 2025 @ 12:00pm (Melbourne time) – 66 hopefuls remaining.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Handicaps: Weights were declared Tuesday September 16, 2025 – Via Sistina & Al Riffa equal 59kg topweights.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Second Declarations: Closed on Tuesday October 14, 2025 @ 12:00pm – 53 original second acceptances taken but two subsequent withdrawals have left 51 in the mix.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Third Declarations: Closed on Monday October 27, 2025 – 40 third acceptances taken including 11 internationals.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Final Field: Announced on Saturday November 1, 2025, at 4:30pm (Melbourne time) on Victoria Derby Day.
- 2025 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw: Takes place on Saturday November 1, 2025, at 6:30pm (Melbourne time) following the Derby Day racing.
Melbourne Cup Field 2025
The official Melbourne Cup 2025 field of final acceptances is announced by the VRC on the Saturday prior to the race following the action of Victoria Derby Day, Saturday November 1, 2025, live from Flemington Racecourse and will be published in full below.
The Melbourne Cup has a field limit of 24 starters and there are no emergency runners.
The official Lexus Melbourne Cup 2025 final field and barriers are now out with Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours the narrow favourite drawn well in barrier 8.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Al Riffa
J: Mark Zahra
T: Joseph O'Brien |
3x4211 | H | 19 | 59kg | |
|
2. Buckaroo
J: Craig Williams
T: Chris Waller |
0x3232 | G | 12 | 57kg | |
|
3. Arapaho
J: Rachel King
T: Bjorn Baker |
x36408 | G | 15 | 56.5kg | |
|
4. Vauban
J: Blake Shinn
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
0x3650 | G | 2 | 56.5kg | |
|
5. Chevalier Rose
J: Damian Lane
T: Hisashi Shimizu |
070x0x | H | 5 | 55.5kg | |
|
6. Presage Nocturne
J: Stephane Pasquier
T: Alessandro Botti |
x13x34 | H | 9 | 55.5kg | |
|
7. Middle Earth
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
x50903 | G | 13 | 54.5kg | |
|
8. Meydaan
J: James McDonald
T: Simon & Ed Crisford |
205239 | G | 22 | 54kg | |
|
9. Absurde
J: Kerrin McEvoy
T: Willie Mullins |
32x3x7 | G | 4 | 53.5kg | |
|
10. Flatten The Curve
J: Thore Hammer-Hansen
T: Henk Grewe |
11411x | G | 17 | 53.5kg | |
|
11. Land Legend
J: Joao Moreira
T: Chris Waller |
x39500 | G | 16 | 53.5kg | |
|
12. Smokin' Romans
J: Ben Melham
T: Ciaron Maher |
x72948 | G | 11 | 53.5kg | |
|
13. Changingoftheguard
J: Tim Clark
T: Kris Lees |
x82106 | G | 24 | 53kg | |
|
14. Half Yours
J: Jamie Melham
T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
215141 | G | 8 | 53kg | |
|
15. More Felons
J: Tommy Berry
T: Chris Waller |
2x0944 | G | 23 | 53kg | |
|
16. Onesmoothoperator
J: Harry Coffey
T: Brian Ellison |
5x8401 | G | 6 | 53kg | |
|
17. Furthur
J: Michael Dee
T: Andrew Balding |
152516 | C | 7 | 52kg | |
|
18. Parchment Party
J: John R Velazquez
T: William I Mott |
92311x | H | 3 | 52kg | |
|
19. Athabascan
J: Declan Bates
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
9x0002 | G | 1 | 51.5kg | |
|
20. Goodie Two Shoes
J: W M Lordan
T: Joseph O'Brien |
31113x | M | 20 | 51.5kg |
2025 melbourne cup news & Field Updates
Stay tuned for the breaking news on the horses and jockeys that are in and out of the Melbourne Cup 2025 field this spring.
melbourne cup JOCKEYS 2025
Robbie Dolan is the latest Melbourne Cup winning jockey aboard Knight’s Choice in 2025.
Mark Zahra won in 2023 with Without A Fight and Gold Trip in 2022. He became the first since four-time winner Harry White for his last two victories in 1978 and 1979 to go back-to-back in the race on different horses.
The official 2025 Melbourne Cup jockeys must be declared by 4:30pm (Melbourne time) on Saturday the 1st of November 2025 and will be updated in our above Melbourne Cup Field section.
Stay up to date below to see what jockeys have confirmed rides in the Melbourne Cup 2025 field.
Confirmed 2025 Melbourne Cup Jockeys
- Mark Zahra – Al Riffa (Joseph O’Brien)
- Damian Lane – Chevalier Rose (Hisashi Shimizu)
- John Velazquez – Parchment Party (William Mott)
- Celine Gaudray – Torranzino (Paul Preusker)
- James McDonald – Meydaan (Simon & Ed Crisford)
- Rachel King – Arapaho (Bjorn Baker)
- Kerrin McEvoy – Absurde (Willie Mullins)
- Thore Hammer-Hansen – Flatten The Curve (Henk Grewe)
- Jamie Melham – Half Yours (Tony & Calvin McEvoy
- Stephane Pasquier – Presage Nocturne (Alessandro Botti)
- Blake Shinn – Vauban (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)
- Ethan Brown – Middle Earth (Ciaron Maher)
- Tim Clark – Changingoftheguard (Kris Lees)
- Tommy Berry – More Felons (Chris Waller)
- Michale Dee – Furthur (Andrew Balding)
- Harry Coffey – Onesmoothoperator (Brian Ellison)
- Declan Bates – Athabascan (John O’Shea & Tom Charlton)
- Wayne Lordan – Goodie Two Shoes (Joseph O’Brien)
- Beau Mertens – River Of Stars (Chris Waller)
- Robbie Dolan – Royal Supremacy (Ciaron Maher)
- Jye McNeil – Valiant King (Chris Waller)
- Craig Williams – Buckaroo (Chris Waller)
- Ben Melham – Smokin’ Romans (Ciaron Maher)
- Joao Moreira – Land Legend (Chris Waller)
Which Horse Will Win The Melbourne Cup in 2025
The best way to pick which horse will win the Melbourne Cup in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring racing form, assess the Melbourne Cup barriers, consider the Melbourne Cup weights, and look for the proven stayers in the field.
Additional factors to consider when selecting the Melbourne Cup winner include:
- Favourites – The favourites in Melbourne Cup betting have a poor record overall in the event.
- Barrier Hoodoo – Verry Elleegant (2021) became history’s first Melbourne Cup winner from barrier 18, while barrier 11 is considered the luckiest Melbourne Cup gate.
- Internationals Rule – Since the race opened up to contenders outside of Australia and New Zealand, the internationals from the Northern Hemisphere have dominated the Melbourne Cup results including in 2020 when three ran the trifecta: Twilight Payment (1st), Tiger Moth (2nd) and Prince Of Arran (3rd).
- Six Is It – Six-year-olds have the best recent record in the Melbourne Cup with Zed mare Verry Elleegant (2021) followed by the imported Gold Trip (2022) the last six-year-old Melbourne Cup winners.
Melbourne Cup Last Place
If you want to place bet on which horse will place last in this year’s Melbourne Cup results, then the table below will be of interest to you, displaying who took last place in the past ten years. Often Melbourne Cup sweeps pay out for the last placegetter, so keeping on the unlucky horse at the tail end of the field is popular.
| Melbourne Cup Race Year | Last Finishing Horse | Trainer/s | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Just Fine | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jye McNeil |
| 2023* | Magical Lagoon | Chris Waller | Mark Du Plessis |
| 2022* | Camorra | Ben & JD Hayes | Craig Newitt |
| 2021 | Ocean Billy | Chris Waller | Damien Thornton |
| 2020* | Avilius | James Cummings | John Allen |
| 2019 | Rostropovich | David Hayes | Dwayne Dunn |
| 2018* | Red Cardinal | Darren Weir | Damien Oliver |
| 2017 | Gallante | Robert Hickmott | Michael Dee |
| 2016 | Rose Of Virginia | Lee & Shannon Hope | Ben E Thompson |
| 2015 | Snow Sky | Ed Dunlop | Gérald Mossé |
| 2014 | Admire Rakti | Tomoyuki Umeda | Zac Purton |
| 2013 | Verema | Alain de Royer-Dupré | Christophe Lemaire |
| 2012 | Ethiopia | Pat Carey | Rhys McLeod |
| 2011 | Modun | Saeed Bin Suroor | Kieran McEvoy |
| 2010 | Zavite | Anthony Cummings | Michael Walker |
| 2009 | Warringah | Chris Waller | Damien Oliver |
| 2008 | Honolulu | Aidan O’Brien | Colm O’Donoghue |
*Notes:
- 2023 Right You Are failed to finish the Melbourne Cup, subsequently found to be lame in the behind after suffering heat stress but cleared of any serious injury.
- 2022 Interpretation failed to finish the Melbourne Cup, but was subsequently cleared of any injury with his failure put down to a wind issue.
- 2020 Anthony Van Dyck was pulled-up 350m out from the line and subsequently euthanised due to fracturing his fetlock.
- 2018 The Cliffsofmoher failed to finish after fracturing a shoulder and sadly having to be subsequently euthanised post-race.
Melbourne Cup Favourites 2025
Early favourites in Melbourne Cup 2025 betting include Joseph O’Brien’s recent four-length Irish St Leger winner by four lengths Al Riffa who is set to carry the top-weight, Half Yours who will first start favourite in the Caulfield Cup on October 18, and the Chris Waller trained Buckaroo who ran a brave second in the 2025 Cox Plate results.
Fiorente ($7 in 2013) was the last Melbourne Cup favourite to win.
The 2021 Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise ($2.90) finished second to Verry Elleegant ($18).
In 2022 the Melbourne Cup favourite was the James Ferguson-trained Deauville Legend ($4.40) who was in a gun position fourth at the top of the straight before being running down by the Aussies to finish fourth.
The 2023 Melbourne Cup favourite was the Willie Mullins-trained Irish raider Vauban ($5.50) who ran a disappointing 14th over 13 lengths beaten.
In 2024 the Melbourne Cup favourite Buckaroo ($6) finished ninth with the race won by $91 outside Knight’s Choice!
Melbourne Cup Race Day 2025
Race day takes place on Tuesday the 4th of November 2025. Melbourne Cup Day 2025 is the second of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival.
It follows on from Victoria Derby Day and runs on the first Tuesday of November annually.
After Cup Day the Carnival continues with VRC Oaks Day on the Thursday and comes to a close with Champions Stakes Day on the Saturday.
The key support races on the 2025 Melbourne Cup Day Race Card are the:
- Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m), and the
- Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m).
Melbourne Cup Race Time 2025
The Melbourne Cup race is scheduled to start at 3 PM Australian Eastern Daylight time. Melbourne Cup start times for various states appear in the table below.
| State | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Western Australia | 12:00 PM |
| Queensland | 2:00 PM |
| Australian Capital Territory | 3:00 PM |
| Tasmania | 3:00 PM |
| Victoria | 3:00 PM |
| New South Wales | 3:00 PM |
| Northern Territory | 1.30 pm |
| South Australia | 2.30 pm |
Melbourne Cup 2025 Barrier Draw
The official 2025 Melbourne Cup barrier draw will be released to the public on Saturday November 1, 2025, at 6:30 pm following the VRC Derby Day racing action at Flemington Racecourse and published in full in our above Melbourne Cup Field section.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Nominations
The 2025 Melbourne Cup nominations close on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 12:00pm (Melbourne time).
The 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup nominations feature last year’s champion Knight’s Choice who won at 90/1 in 2024 along with Ciaron Maher’s third placegetter Okita Soushi, while master trainer Chris Waller has 27 nominees including Via Sistina.
2025 Melbourne Cup Nominations: Quick Glance
- 120 total nominations taken
- Down from 123 in 2024
- 19 international nominees
- Joesph O’Brien’s Irish raider Al Riffa current favourite at $9
- Defending champion Knight’s Choice at a current all-in price of $51 to go back-to-back
- Last year’s third placegetter Okita Soushi one of 13 for trainer Ciaron Maher
- 27 for Chris Waller chasing his second trophy including unlikely final acceptor Via Sistina
You can view the full list of nominations on our Melbourne Cup Nominations page.
Melbourne Cup 2025 first acceptances
The Melbourne Cup 2025 first acceptances attracted 66 stayers led by recent Turnbull Stakes – Underwood Stakes double champion Sir Delius.
2025 Melbourne Cup First Acceptances: Quick Glance
- 66 total first acceptances taken
- Down from 72 in 2024
- 11 international nominees (up from 6 at the same stage last year)
- Horses from Ireland, America, Japan, Germany and the UK all remain in Melbourne Cup contention
- Sir Delius for Waterhouse & Bott $4 top fancy
- Joesph O’Brien’s Irish raider Al Riffa second favourite at $6
- Al Riffa and unlikely final acceptor Via Sistina 59kg top-weights
- Defending champion Knight’s Choice withdrawn
- Last year’s third placegetter Okita Soushi also ruled out
- 14 for Chris Waller chasing his second trophy (down from 27 at nomination stage)
- Parchment Party, Revelare and Deakin ballot exempt horses paid up for at first acceptance stage
You can view the full list of first declarations on our Melbourne Cup Nominations page.
Melbourne Cup 2025 second acceptances
The big news following the Melbourne Cup second declarations was the withdrawal of race favourite Sir Delius on vets’ orders.
2025 Melbourne Cup Second Acceptances: Quick Glance
- 53 second acceptances taken but 2 subsequent withdrawals leave 51 remaining runners
- Via Sistina (targeting Cox Plate) and Aeliana notable withdrawals for Waller
- 8 remain for Chris Waller led by The Bart Cummings winner Valiant King
- Sir Delius subsequently withdrawn on vets’ orders from the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate
- 11 internationals still in the mix
- Joseph O’Brien’s Irish raider and topweight Al Riffa new $5 favourite
Remaining Ballot Exempt Horses
- Valiant King – Group 3 The Bart Cummings winner
- Deakin – Listed Roy Higgins Quality winner
- Revelare – Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes winner
- Parchment Party – Group 3 Belmont Gold Cup winner
You can view the full list of second declarations on our Melbourne Cup Nominations page.
Melbourne Cup 2025 third acceptances
The Lexus Melbourne Cup 2025 third acceptances have left 40 remaining hopefuls including the Joesph O’Brien trained favourite and 59kg topweight Al Riffa to be ridden by Mark Zahra and Chris Waller’s Cox Plate runner-up Buckaroo who will be partnered by Craig Williams.
2025 Melbourne Cup Third Acceptances: Quick Glance
- 40 third acceptors
- 11 remaining international raiders led by 59kg top weight Al Riffa
- Al Riffa leads the latest all-in Melbourne Cup betting markets at $6
- Five ballot exempt contenders remain with Half Yours, Onesmoothoperator, Parchment Party, Torranzino and Valiant King
- 8 chances for trainer Chris Waller led by Caulfield Cup third placed Valiant King and Cox Plate runner-up Buckaroo
Remaining Ballot Exempt Horses
- Valiant King – Group 3 The Bart Cummings winner
- Parchment Party – Group 3 Belmont Gold Cup winner
- Half Yours – Group 1 Caulfield Cup winner
- Onesmoothoperator – Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner
- Torranzino – 3 Geelong Cup winner
View the full list of third declarations on our Melbourne Cup Nominations page.
Melbourne Cup Weights 2025
Handicap conditions apply to this race. The early 2025 Melbourne Cup weights on the nominated horses are announced in September and will be detailed here.
Gold Trip (57.5kg in 2022) was the last Melbourne Cup top-weight to salute.
Gold Trip carried the 58.5kg top weight in 2023 running 17th in his failed title defence.
2025 Melbourne Cup Topweight
- Al Riffa (59kg)
The 2025 Melbourne Cup weights (handicaps) were declared on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
The 2025 Melbourne Cup weights have been released with Joseph O’Brien’s Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa and the Chris Waller trained 2024 Cox Plate winning mare Via Sistina the equal 59kg topweights.
You can view the official 2025 Melbourne Cup weights on our Melbourne Cup Nominations page.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Scratchings
2025 Melbourne Cup scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Tuesday the 4th of November 2025.
Melbourne Cup Prize Money 2025
The 2025 Melbourne Cup prize purse is worth $10 million in prize money, now distributed from places first through to 24th place including $4.5 million going to the Melbourne Cup winner in 2025.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $4,500,000 + trophies |
| 2nd | $1,100,000 |
| 3rd | $560,000 |
| 4th | $360,000 |
| 5th | $240,000 |
| 6th | $160,000 |
| 7th | $160,000 |
| 8th | $160,000 |
| 9th | $160,000 |
| 10th | $160,000 |
| 11th | $160,000 |
| 12th | $160,000 |
| 13th | $100,000 |
| 14th | $100,000 |
| 15th | $100,000 |
| 16th | $100,000 |
| 17th | $100,000 |
| 18th | $100,000 |
| 19th | $100,000 |
| 20th | $100,000 |
| 21st | $100,000 |
| 22nd | $100,000 |
| 23rd | $100,000 |
| 24th | $100,000 |
Melbourne Cup Race Number 2025
The 2025 Melbourne Cup runs as Flemington Race 7 on Tuesday the 4th of November 2025 as part of Lexus Melbourne Cup Day 2025, the second race day event of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. There are ten races in total that day at Flemington Racecourse.
Melbourne Cup Live 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 Melbourne Cup live, across the following mediums.
Telecast: Channel 9
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing.com
Mobile: Neds App
Melbourne Cup Sweep
All around the country, workplaces participate in putting together a Melbourne Cup sweep, allotting a horse (usually at random) to each person that decides to join the sweep. Please note that sweeps are a casual gambling environment organised among peers. You can learn more about sweeps here.
Melbourne Cup Tickets 2025
Tickets for the Melbourne Cup Carnival are available through Ticketek.
Melbourne Cup Carnival 2025
The 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival is from Saturday the 1st of November 2025 until Saturday the 8th of November 2025.
The first race day is the Victoria Derby Day on Saturday the 1st of November, followed by the Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday the 4th of November. The next race meet is Kennedy Oaks Day on the Thursday the 6th of November, followed by the final race meet for the carnival, VRC Champions Stakes Day held on Saturday the 8th of November 2024.
Australian Horses In The Melbourne Cup
Australian horses dominated the Melbourne Cup 2021 field with COVID-19 restrictions and the early withdrawal of a number of internationals.
Vow And Declare in 2019 beat out a host of international fancies to salute as an Australian born and bred stayer.
New Zealand-bred Verry Elleegant (1st) prepared in Sydney by Chris Waller defeated the Queensland-bred Incentivise (2nd) who is trained in Victoria by Peter Moody defeated the UK raider Spanish Mission (3rd) in the 2021 Melbourne Cup results.
French-bred expat Gold Trip won the 2022 Melbourne Cup prepared in Australia by Ciaron Maher & David Eustace. The first three over the line in the Melbourne Cup 2022 results were Australian trained with Deauville Legend (4th) the best of the internationals.
In 2023 the Melbourne Cup winner was the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Without A Fight who is prepared in Australia but was an international import last year.
In 2024 Knight’s Choice scored an upset win at 90/1 to become the latest Australian bred and trained Melbourne Cup winner!
In 2025 the Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours is the only Australian bred stayer in the 2025 Melbourne Cup field.
International Horses In The Melbourne Cup
International horses dominate the Melbourne Cup field each year. From 2010 – 2024 six internationally-trained raiders prepared from outside of Australian / New Zealand saluted in the Melbourne Cup most recently Cross Counter (2018) for Godolphin followed in 2020 by Twilight Payment (Joseph O’Brien) who beat fellow internationals Tiger Moth (2nd) and Prince Of Arran (3rd).
There were just two internationally trained horses in the 2021 Melbourne Cup field from outside of Australia and New Zealand: Twilight Payment (Joseph O’Brien) and Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding). They finished 11th and 3rd respectively.
The 2022 Melbourne Cup field featured two official internationally trained raiders with Deauville Legend (James Ferguson) running fourth as the beaten favourite and Without A Fight (Simon & Ed Crisford) a disappointing 13th.
The 2023 Melbourne Cup final field featured four international horses from outside of Australia or New Zealand with No. 4 Breakup (Japan), No. 5 Vauban (Ireland), No. 7 Absurde (Ireland), and No. 13 Okita Soushi (Ireland).
The 2024 Melbourne Cup final field featured five international horses from outside of Australia or New Zealand with No. 1 Vauban, No. 4 Warp Speed, No. 9 Absurde, No. 13 Onesmoothoperator, and No. 15 Sea King. The best finish was by Absurde (5th).
In 2025 the Melbourne Cup field features 10 international horses including the 59kg topweight Al Riffa for two-time winning trainer Joseph O’Brien as well as the first ever American trained Melbourne Cup winner – Parchment Party.
Grey Horse In The Melbourne Cup
Grey horses which have seen success in the Melbourne Cup include Subzero (first place in 1992), Gunsynd (third place in 1972) Manighar (fifth place in 2010). A total of six grey horses have won the Melbourne Cup throughout history.
In 2025 the Melbourne Cup field features three grey horses – No. 6 Presage Nocturne, No. 17 Furthur and No. 24 Valiant King.
Melbourne Cup Winners
Winners of the Melbourne Cup going back to 1999 displayed in the table below. If you would like to view the full list of Melbourne Cup winners, going all the way back to 1861, please visit our Melbourne Cup Winners page.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2024 | Knight’s Choice | John Symons & Shelia Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 3:19.53 |
| 2023 | Without A Fight | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Mark Zahra | 3:18.37 |
| 2022 | Gold Trip | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Mark Zahra | 3:24.04 |
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3:17.43 |
| 2020 | Twilight Payment | Joseph O’Brien | Jye McNeil | 3:17.34 |
| 2019 | Vow And Declare | Danny O’Brien | Craig Williams | 3:24.76 |
| 2018 | Cross Counter | Charlie Appleby | Kerrin McEvoy | 3:21.17 |
| 2017 | Rekindling | Joseph O’Brien | Corey Brown | 3:21.19 |
| 2016 | Almandin | Robert Hickmott | Kerrin McEvoy | 3:20.58 |
| 2015 | Prince Of Penzance | Darren Weir | Michelle Payne | 3:23.15 |
| 2014 | Protectionist | Andreas Wohler | Ryan Moore | 3:17.71 |
| 2013 | Fiorente | Gai Waterhouse | Damien Oliver | 3:20.30 |
| 2012 | Green Moon | Robert Hickmott | Brett Prebble | 3:20.45 |
| 2011 | Dunaden | Mikel Delzangles | Christophe Lemaire | 3:20.84 |
| 2010 | Americain | Alain de Royer Dupre | Gerald Mosse | 3:26.87 |
| 2009 | Shocking | Mark Kavanagh | Corey Brown | 3:23.87 |
| 2008 | Viewed | Bart Cummings | Blake Shinn | 3:20.40 |
| 2007 | Efficient | Graeme Rogerson | Michael Rodd | 3:23.34 |
| 2006 | Delta Blues | Katsuhiko Sumii | Yasunari Iwata | 3:21.42 |
| 2005 | Makybe Diva | Lee Freedman | Glen Boss | 3:19.79 |
| 2004 | Makybe Diva | Lee Freedman | Glen Boss | 3:28.55 |
| 2003 | Makybe Diva | David Hall | Glen Boss | 3:19.90 |
| 2002 | Media Puzzle | Dermot K Weld | Damien Oliver | 3:16.97 |
| 2001 | Ethereal | Sheila Laxon | Scott Seamer | 3:21.08 |
| 2000 | Brew | Michael Moroney | Kerrin McEvoy | 3:18.68 |
| 1999 | Rogan Josh | Bart Cummings | John Marshall | 3:19.64 |
How do I bet on the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
Log in at neds.com.au
Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Melbourne Cup Betting).
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Melbourne Cup in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring racing form, assess the Melbourne Cup barriers, consider the Melbourne Cup weights, and look for the proven stayers in the field.
Additional factors to consider when selecting the Melbourne Cup winner include:
Favourites - The favourites in Melbourne Cup betting have a poor record overall in the event.
Barrier Hoodoo - Verry Elleegant (2021) became history's first Melbourne Cup winner from barrier 18, while barrier 11 is considered the luckiest Melbourne Cup gate.
Internationals Rule - Since the race opened up to contenders outside of Australia and New Zealand, the internationals from the Northern Hemisphere have dominated the Melbourne Cup results including in 2020 when three ran the trifecta: Twilight Payment (1st), Tiger Moth (2nd) and Prince Of Arran (3rd).
Six Is It - Six-year-olds have the best recent record in the Melbourne Cup with Zed mare Verry Elleegant (2021) followed by the imported Gold Trip (2022) the last six-year-old Melbourne Cup winners.