Looking for this year’s The Big Dance betting odds, preview & tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
| 1. Gringotts (4) J: Nash Rawiller62kg 10x52T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 4. Vivy Air (16) J: Andrew Adkins54.5kg 22x21T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 8. Lugh (17) J: Regan Bayliss53kg x4131T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 16. Justadeel (1) J: Tyler Schiller53kg x2131T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 10. Matusalem (9) J: Zac Lloyd53kg 13x40T: Chris Waller | ||
| 11. Cristal Clear (13) J: Braith Nock53kg 11126T: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 12. Lord Of Biscay (5) J: Dylan Gibbons53kg 2x363T: Kris Lees | ||
| 3. Tavi Time (7) J: Jay Ford57kg 12x45T: Kris Lees | ||
| 6. Ruby Flyer (11) J: Jason Collett54kg 91902T: Brad Widdup | ||
| 2. Headley Grange (14) J: Adam Hyeronimus61kg 16111T: Joseph Pride | ||
| 14. Cranky Harry (10) J: Alysha Collett53kg 02614T: Matthew Dunn | ||
| 13. Time Quest (6) J: Ashley Morgan53kg 70143T: Matthew Smith | ||
| 15. Boys Night Out (18) J: Jake Bayliss53kg 111x7T: Matthew Dunn | ||
| 7. Lavish Empire (2) J: Tom Sherry54kg 00x20T: Peter Snowden | ||
| 5. Les Vampires (8) J: Winona Costin54kg 11x05T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | ||
| 19. Hot Bandit (12) J: Louise Day53kg 1x893T: Luke Pepper | ||
| 18. Aix En Provence (19) J: Dean Yendall53kg 85411T: Nacim Dilmi | ||
| 17. Super Helpful (20) J: Reece Jones53kg 89534T: B Joseph & P & M Jones | ||
| 20. Louie's Legacy (15) J: Anna Roper53kg 31764T: B Joseph & P & M Jones | ||
| 22. Ring Ahoy (3) J: Siena Grima53kg 074x4T: David Hatch |
The Big Dance is a feature race run by Racing NSW at Royal Randwick Racecourse as one of the more lucrative events during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival that officially gained Black-Type, Listed status in 2024.
Offering an impressive $2 million in prize money for its inauguration in 2022, the race has had stakes boosted to $3 million in 2023 ahead of the second edition.
The Big Dance race takes place on the first Tuesday of November, the same date as Flemington’s famous Melbourne Cup.
It was announced to run as the latest addition to the wider The Everest Carnival in Sydney along with the $2 million The Five Diamonds (1800m) which will take the Saturday after at Rosehill Gardens.
Contested over a mile, the quality handicap is open to horses aged three-years-old and above that become eligible via a run in 32 Country Cup races throughout the year.
The first and second placegetters out of The Big Dance Wild Card race held at Randwick on The Everest Day are also exempt from The Big Dance ballot.
The qualification process for the inaugural The Big Dance race in 2023 started with the Goulburn Cup on October 30, 2022.
The inaugural Big Dance winner was the Kris Lees-trained Rustic Steel ($12).
The second The Big Dancer winner was the Sara Ryan-trained Coffs Harbour Cup winner Attractable ($19).
The third The Big Dance winner was $5 shot Gringotts trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Tommy Berry.
The first 2025 The Big Dance qualifier took place on November 14, 2024, with the Snake Gully Cup.
The Big Dance 2025 – QUICK INFORMATION
- Race Day: Tuesday November 4, 2025
- Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
- Surface: Turf
- Distance: 1600m
- Weight Class: Quality Handicap
- Qualification: Three-Years-Old & Upwards
- Conditions: Eligibility restricted to runners out of elected 32 Country Cups
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Listed
- Operator: Australian Turf Club
- Purse: $3,000,000
- Inaugural Race: 2022
- 2025 The Big Dance Winner: TBD
The Big Dance 2025 Results
The official 2025 The Big Dance results will be available below once the race takes place on Tuesday November 4, 2025.
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
The Big Dance Betting 2025
There are many different ways to bet on The Big Dance, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s The Big Dance |
|---|---|
| How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s The Big Dance | |
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s The Big Dance. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s The Big Dance. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in The Big Dance, 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 Big Dance, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within The Big Dance to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within The Big Dance to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within The Big Dance 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 Big Dance, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Big Dance In 2025
- Login at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
WHICH HORSE WILL WIN The big dance in 2025?
Which horse will win the 2025 The Big Dance comes down to a number of key form factors including the barriers, form over the 1600m distance and their previous race experience in the specified Country Cup races throughout the year.
When selecting The Big Dance winner it is also important to consider:
- Sydney Stables: Horses from the premier Sydney stables dominate The Big Dance race results. Newcastle-trained Rustic Bay won the first edition in 2022. Attractable from the Wyong stables of Sara Ryan won the second edition in 2023. In 2024 trainer Ciaron Maher’s Warwick Farm stable prepared the winner Gringotts.
- Black-Type Performers: Proven Black-Type runners with previous winning form in Listed or Group status races are sure to do well in The Big Dance.
- The Big Dance Wild Card: The winner and runner-up out of The Big Dance Wild Card race held over the same track/distance on The Everest Day are key performers in the $3 million grand final.
The big dance FAVOURITES 2025
Favourites in The Big Dance betting for 2025 include the flying Joe Pride trained Alan Brown Stakes winner Headley Grange chasing a fourth win on the trot, the top weighted Ciaron Maher trained Group 1 George Ryder Stakes champ Gringotts who ran second in that same key lead-up, and Scone Cup winner Tavi Time for Kris Lees.
There was an upset in the opening edition of the multi-million dollar event with Rustic Steel winning the 2022 event at Big Dance odds of $12.
There was also an upset The Big Dance result in 2023 with Attractable jumping at $19.
Gringotts won the 2024 The Big Dance as the $5 second favourite.
The big dance 2025 FIELD
The official 2025 The Big Dance field of final acceptances is made public on the Friday prior to the event and will be published in full below.
The Big Dance 2025 final field features a capacity line-up of NSW Country gallopers including the defending Ciaron Maher trained champion Gringotts carrying the 62kg topweight.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Gringotts
J: Nash Rawiller
T: Ciaron Maher |
310x52 | G | 4 | 62kg | |
|
2. Headley Grange
J: Adam Hyeronimus
T: Joseph Pride |
116111 | G | 14 | 61kg | |
|
3. Tavi Time
J: Jay Ford
T: Kris Lees |
512x45 | G | 7 | 57kg | |
|
4. Vivy Air
J: Andrew Adkins
T: Ciaron Maher |
522x21 | M | 16 | 54.5kg | |
|
5. Les Vampires
J: Winona Costin
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
411x05 | G | 8 | 54kg | |
|
6. Ruby Flyer
J: Jason Collett
T: Brad Widdup |
091902 | G | 11 | 54kg | |
|
7. Lavish Empire
J: Tom Sherry
T: Peter Snowden |
100x20 | G | 2 | 54kg | |
|
8. Lugh
J: Regan Bayliss
T: Ciaron Maher |
1x4131 | G | 17 | 53kg | |
| 9. Flywheel (22) Scratched: | |||||
|
10. Matusalem
J: Zac Lloyd
T: Chris Waller |
813x40 | G | 9 | 53kg | |
|
11. Cristal Clear
J: Braith Nock
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
411126 | G | 13 | 53kg | |
|
12. Lord Of Biscay
J: Dylan Gibbons
T: Kris Lees |
22x363 | G | 5 | 53kg | |
|
13. Time Quest
J: Ashley Morgan
T: Matthew Smith |
x70143 | G | 6 | 53kg | |
|
14. Cranky Harry
J: Alysha Collett
T: Matthew Dunn |
502614 | G | 10 | 53kg | |
|
15. Boys Night Out
J: Jake Bayliss
T: Matthew Dunn |
2111x7 | G | 18 | 53kg | |
|
16. Justadeel
J: Tyler Schiller
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
1x2131 | G | 1 | 53kg | |
|
17. Super Helpful
J: Reece Jones
T: B Joseph & P & M Jones |
089534 | G | 20 | 53kg | |
|
18. Aix En Provence
J: Dean Yendall
T: Nacim Dilmi |
485411 | G | 19 | 53kg | |
|
19. Hot Bandit
J: Louise Day
T: Luke Pepper |
21x893 | G | 12 | 53kg | |
|
20. Louie's Legacy
J: Anna Roper
T: B Joseph & P & M Jones |
231764 | G | 15 | 53kg | |
The big dance 2025 qualifying races
To be eligible for a run in The Big Dance race field, horses must be the official winners or second placed horse in any of the below Country Cup races.
| VENUE | DATE | CLUB | RACE | DIST | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gundagai | 14-Nov-24 | Gundagai-Adelong Race Club | Snake Gully Cup | 1400m | Clever Art | Asgarda |
| Kembla Grange | 23-Nov-24 | Illawarra Turf Club | The Gong | 1600m | Gringotts | Suparazi |
| Armidale | 8-Dec-24 | Armidale Jockey Club | Armidale Cup | 1900m | Ring Ahoy | Point Counterpoint |
| Nowra | 15-Dec-24 | Shoalhaven City Turf Club | Nowra Cup | 1600m | Super Helpful | Hollywood Hero |
| Moruya | 6-Jan-25 | Moruya Jockey Club Inc | Moruya Cup | 1425m | Charlemagne | All Machiavellian |
| Ballina | 17-Jan-25 | Ballina Jockey Club | Ballina Cup | 1590m | Lord Of Biscay | Captain Fenkel |
| Sapphire Coast | 2-Feb-25 | Sapphire Coast Turf Club | Bega Cup | 1600m | Direct Fire | Louie’s Legacy |
| Albury | 17-April-25(Rescheduled Date after original meeting abandoned) | Albury Racing Club | Albury Gold Cup | 2000m | Matusalem | Beltoro |
| Muswellbrook | 28-Mar-25 | Muswellbrook Race Club | Muswellbrook Gold Cup | 1500m | Lavish Empire | Grebeni |
| Wellington | 31-Mar-25 | Wellington Race Club | Wellington Cup | 1700m | Aimpoint | Cliff House |
| Orange | 11-Apr-25 | Racing Orange Ltd | Orange Gold Cup | 2100m | Campaldino | Steel Blaze |
| Tamworth | 24-Apr-25 | Tamworth Jockey Club | Tamworth Cup | 1400m | Name Dropper | Green Shadows |
| Wagga | 2-May-25 | Murrumbidgee Turf Club | Wagga Wagga Gold Cup | 2000m | Flying Bandit | Bianco Vilano |
| Hawkesbury | 3-May-25 | Hawkesbury Race Club | Hawkesbury Cup | 1600m | Punch Lane | Osipenko |
| Gosford | 10-May-25 | Gosford Race Club | Gosford Cup | 2100m | Les Vampires | Etna Rosso |
| Scone | 16-May-25 | Scone Race Club | Scone Cup | 1600m | Tavi Time | Strait Acer |
| Gunnedah | 25-May-25 | Gunnedah Jockey Club | Gunnedah Cup | 1600m | Osman | Fiorsum Fred |
| Narrandera | 13-Jul-25 | Narrandera Race Club | Narrandera Cup | 1600m | Hot Bandit | Prince Of Helena |
| Grafton | 13-Jul-25 | Clarence River Jockey Club | South Grafton Cup | 1600m | Boys Night Out | Vivy Air |
| Coffs Harbour | 1-Aug-25 | Coffs Harbour Racing Club | Coffs Harbour Cup | 1600m | Time Quest | It’s A Knockout |
| Forbes | 3-Aug-25 | Forbes Jockey Club | Forbes Cup | 1600m | Louie’s Legacy | Aimpoint |
| Murwillumbah | 28-Aug-25
(Rescheduled date) |
Tweed River Jockey Club | Murwillumbah Cup | 1550m | Cranky Harry | Super Duck |
| Goulburn | 24-Aug-25 | Goulburn & District Racing Club | Goulburn Cup | 1400m | Ruby Flyer | The Novelist |
| Wyong | 5-Sep-25 | Wyong Race Club | Wyong Cup | 2100m | Saltcoats | Salt Lake City |
| Bathurst | 14-Sep-25 | Bathurst Turf Club | Bathurst Cup | 1800m | Aix En Provence | Rajnish |
| Newcastle | 19-Sep-25 | Newcastle Jockey Club | Cameron Hcp | 1500m | Headley Grange | Vivy Air |
| Lismore | 25-Sep-25 | Lismore Turf Club | Lismore Cup | 2100m | Flywheel | Anythink Goes |
| Dubbo | 28-Sep-25 | City of Dubbo Turf Club | Dubbo Gold Cup | 1600m | Cristal Clear | Tavros |
| Port Macquarie | 10-Oct-25 | Port Macquarie Race Club | Port Macquarie Cup | 2000m | Age Of Sail | Belvedere Boys |
| Coonamble | 12-Oct-25 | Coonamble Jockey Club | Coonamble Cup | 1600m | Justadeel | Lockdown Gamble |
| Taree | 17-Oct-25 | Manning Valley Race Club | Taree Cup | 2000m | Imperialist | Barazin |
| Randwick | 25-Oct-25 | Australian Turf Club | Big Dance Wild Card | 1600m | Vivy Air | Swiftfalcon |
The big dance 2025 Tips
Favourite: #1 Gringotts ($3 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #11 Cristal Clear – EACH WAY – ($12 / $3.70 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #16 Justadeel ($23 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our insider tips on the 2025 The Big Dance will be detailed here the week of the lucrative feature and a full The Big Dance Day betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 THE BIG DANCE DAY PREVIEW & TIPS
The Big dance 2025 RACE DAY
The fourth running of The Big Dance in 2025 is scheduled for Tuesday the 4th of November 2025.
The race takes place on the first Tuesday of November annually in Sydney to compliment that of Victoria’s iconic Melbourne Cup Day program at Flemington.
The big dance 2025 BARRIER DRAW
The official 2025 The Big Dance barrier draw takes place the week of the race and will be published in our above The Big Dance Field section.
The big dance 2025 Nominations
The Big Dance 2025 nominations will be published in full below once confirmed and automatically updated following the results of the qualifying races throughout the year before official early entries are out.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x974522x21 | VIVY AIR | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 1 | 54.5kg | 54.5kg | 103 | |
| 2 | 110x310x52 | GRINGOTTS (NZ) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 2 | 62kg | 62kg | 115 | |
| 3 | 122×116111 | HEADLEY GRANGE | G | 5 | Joseph Pride | 3 | 61kg | 61kg | 112 | |
| 4 | 31x2512x45 | TAVI TIME (NZ) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 4 | 57kg | 57kg | 104 | |
| 5 | 6x31411x05 | LES VAMPIRES | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 5 | 54kg | 54kg | 98 | |
| 6 | 9962813×40 | MATUSALEM | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 6 | 54kg | 53kg | 95 | |
| 7 | 320915×971 | IMPERIALIST (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 7 | 54kg | 53kg | 94 | |
| 8 | 51540×3710 | AGE OF SAIL (GB) | G | 7 | Kris Lees | 8 | 54kg | 53kg | 91 | |
| 9 | x97x091902 | RUBY FLYER | G | 7 | Brad Widdup | 9 | 54kg | 53kg | 90 | |
| 10 | 674×441112 | CRISTAL CLEAR | G | 4 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 10= | 54kg | 53kg | 88 | |
| 11 | x595100x20 | LAVISH EMPIRE | G | 6 | Peter Snowden | 10= | 54kg | 53kg | 88 | |
| 12 | x81122x363 | LORD OF BISCAY (IRE) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 10= | 54kg | 53kg | 88 | |
| 13 | 1030×70143 | TIME QUEST (GB) | G | 7 | Matthew Smith | 13 | 54kg | 53kg | 87 | |
| 14 | 20×6502614 | CRANKY HARRY | G | 6 | Matthew Dunn | 14 | 54kg | 53kg | 86 | |
| 15 | 1x622111x7 | BOYS NIGHT OUT | G | 5 | Matthew Dunn | 15 | 54kg | 53kg | 85 | |
| 16 | 1x321x2131 | JUSTADEEL | G | 5 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 16 | 54kg | 53kg | 81 | |
| 17 | 110x1x4131 | LUGH | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 17= | 54kg | 53kg | 80 | |
| 18 | 565×089534 | SUPER HELPFUL | G | 7 | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | 17= | 54kg | 53kg | 80 | |
| 19 | 6204441212 | FLYWHEEL | G | 5 | Robert Heathcote | 19 | 54kg | 53kg | 76 | |
| 20 | 28×1485411 | AIX EN PROVENCE | G | 5 | Nacim Dilmi | 20 | 54kg | 53kg | 75 | |
| 21 | 815121×893 | HOT BANDIT | G | 5 | Luke Pepper | 21 | 54kg | 53kg | 72 | |
| 22 | 626×231764 | LOUIE’S LEGACY | G | 7 | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | 22 | 54kg | 53kg | 68 | |
| 23 | 91009×0473 | DIRECT FIRE | G | 5 | Theresa Bateup | 23 | 54kg | 53kg | 65 | |
| 24 | 48305074×4 | RING AHOY | G | 6 | David Hatch | 24 | 54kg | 53kg | 51 | |
| 25 | 1x9275x430 | OSIPENKO (NZ) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 25 | 56.5kg | 56.5kg | 103 | |
| 26 | 112×920282 | BELVEDERE BOYS | G | 6 | Matthew Dunn | 26 | 54kg | 53kg | 94 | |
| 27 | 320320×900 | GREBENI | G | 6 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 27 | 54kg | 53kg | 92 | |
| 28 | 53x062x700 | STRAIT ACER | G | 6 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 28 | 54kg | 53kg | 90 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
The big dance 2025 WEIGHTS
The Big Dance is a quality handicap race with a maximum weight of 62kg. Weights on the final acceptors will be published in our above The Big Dance Field section.
2025 The Big Dance Topweight:
- #1 Gringotts (62kg)
The big dance 2025 ACCEPTANCES
The Big Dance final acceptances 2025 close the Friday ahead of the event and will be available in full in our above The Big Dance Field section.
The Big dance 2025 JOCKEYS
The Big Dance 2025 jockeys must be declared following acceptances and will be available in our above The Big Dance Field section.
The big dance 2025 SCRATCHINGS
The Big Dance 2025 scratchings must be declared by 7:30AM on race day morning, Tuesday the 4th of November 2025.
The big dance PRIZE MONEY 2025
The 2025 The Big Dance prize money has been boosted to $3 million with prize money paid down to 10th place.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $1,560,000 |
| 2nd | $600,000 |
| 3rd | $300,000 |
| 4th | $150,000 |
| 5th | $75,000 |
| 6th | $60,000 |
| 7th | $45,000 |
| 8th | $45,000 |
| 9th | $45,000 |
| 10th | $45,000 |
The big dance RACE NUMBER 2025
The 2025 The Big Dance race number is scheduled as Randwick Race 5 at 2:20pm (AEDT) on Tuesday the 4th of November 2025 at Randwick Racecourse with Flemington’s Melbourne Cup race jumping at 3:00pm (AEDT).
The big dance 2025 Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 The Big Dance Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 THE BIG DANCE FORM GUIDE
THE big dance LIVE 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 The Big Dance live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Streaming: Racing NSW
the big dance Winners
Winners of The Big Dance going back to the race’s inauguration in 2022 are displayed in the table below.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2024 | Gringotts | Vivy Air | Suparazi | 1:34.43 |
| 2023 | Attractable | Cepheus | Super Helpful | 1:34.49 |
| 2022 | Rustic Steel | Cisco Bay | Sibaaq | 1:33.87 |
How do I bet on the 2025 The Big Dance?
Login at neds.com.au
Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the 2025 The Big Dance?
Which horse will win the 2025 The Big Dance comes down to a number of key form factors including the barriers, form over the 1600m distance and their previous race experience in the specified Country Cup races throughout the year.
When selecting The Big Dance winner it is also important to consider:
Sydney Stables: Horses from the premier Sydney stables dominate The Big Dance race results. Newcastle-trained Rustic Bay won the first edition in 2022. Attractable from the Wyong stables of Sara Ryan won the second edition in 2023. In 2024 trainer Ciaron Maher's Warwick Farm stable prepared the winner Gringotts.
Black-Type Performers: Proven Black-Type runners with previous winning form in Listed or Group status races are sure to do well in The Big Dance.
The Big Dance Wild Card: The winner and runner-up out of The Big Dance Wild Card race held over the same track/distance on The Everest Day are key performers in the $3 million grand final.