Melbourne Cup Tips – Who does history point towards winning the Melbourne Cup?

Australia's most famous horse race, the Melbourne Cup (3200m), is set to run and won on run on Tuesday November 6 and the $7.75 million race shapes as another classic.

Melbourne Cup 2026. The race that stops a nation runs on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 3:00pm AEDT over 3200m at Flemington — the 166th running of Australia’s most famous race. This is our complete Melbourne Cup guide: the 2026 date and start times, the field and how it’s drawn, tips and best bets, live odds, the form guide, how to watch, past winners and FAQs — updated right through the spring with the latest field, odds and our best bets.

Melbourne Cup 2026: Key Details

Detail	Value
Race	Lexus Melbourne Cup (Group 1)
Date	Tuesday 3 November 2026
Start time	3:00pm AEDT
Venue	Flemington, Melbourne
Distance	3200m (two miles)
Conditions	Open handicap, 3yo & up
Field size	24 runners (no emergencies)
Prize money	~$10 million
Broadcast	Network Nine & 9Now (free), Sky Racing, Racing.com

 

When is the Melbourne Cup & What Time Does It Start?

The Melbourne Cup is always run on the first Tuesday in November — in 2026 that’s Tuesday 3 November, with the Cup itself jumping at approximately 3:00pm AEDT as Race 7 on the Flemington card. Because daylight saving is in effect in the eastern states, local start times vary by state:

State	Local start time
VIC / NSW / ACT / TAS	3:00pm AEDT
Queensland	2:00pm AEST
South Australia	2:30pm ACDT
Northern Territory	1:30pm ACST
Western Australia	12:00pm AWST

 

Melbourne Cup 2026 Field & Horses

The Melbourne Cup field is capped at 24 runners with no emergencies. Getting a start is a campaign in itself: horses earn a run through ballot-exempt wins in key lead-ups and qualifying races, with the remainder of the field decided by the handicapper’s ratings and the order of entry. Nominations open months out, weights are released in September, and the final field and barrier draw are confirmed on the Saturday before the race (Derby Day). International raiders make up a large share of the modern field. Check back here for the confirmed 2026 field, barriers and our runner-by-runner guide once the order of entry is locked in.

Melbourne Cup Tips, Best Bets & Predictions

Our tipsters post their Melbourne Cup best bets, value plays and trifecta/first-four suggestions in the days before the race, once the field, barriers and track conditions are set. The staying test over 3200m rewards proven two-mile form, a strong recent Cups campaign (the Caulfield Cup, Geelong Cup, Bart Cummings and the Lexus Hotham are key lead-ups), a manageable weight and a fair barrier. Internationals proven at staying trips abroad are always a factor. Bookmark this page and check back race week for our final selections.

How to Bet on the Melbourne Cup

The Cup is the biggest betting race of the year. Win and each-way are the staples, but with a 24-horse field the exotics are where the day is made — the quinella, trifecta and first four all pay big, and the quaddie on the Flemington card is a popular play. All-in futures trade from months out as the lead-ups unfold, so backing a runner before the final field firms is the value angle. Plenty of punters also run an office Melbourne Cup sweep — draw your runner from the 24 and follow it home. For live Melbourne Cup odds and the best price on every runner, compare the leading Australian bookmakers in our toplist below.

Melbourne Cup Odds & Favourites

Melbourne Cup markets open in the winter and move all spring as horses qualify and the weights land. A word of caution on the favourite: the Cup is famous for upsets — Knight’s Choice saluted at $91 in 2024 — so favourites are far from a lock in a deep, evenly-weighted staying handicap. That’s why each-way and the exotics carry such appeal. We track the market through the carnival; for the latest fixed-odds and futures prices, see the bookmaker comparison below.

Melbourne Cup Form Guide

The form lines that matter run through the spring staying races. The Caulfield Cup (2400m) is the classic Melbourne Cup pointer — Without A Fight completed the Caulfield Cup–Melbourne Cup double in 2023 — while the Cox Plate, Geelong Cup, Bart Cummings, Lexus Hotham Stakes and the Mackinnon-week lead-ups all feed the field. Overseas, form out of Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the major European staying races is a strong guide to the international raiders. Weight, barrier and a genuine two-mile pedigree round out the picture.

Melbourne Cup Recent Winners & 2025 Result

The 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup was won by Half Yours, ridden by Jamie Melham — the second female jockey to win the Cup — for the Tony & Calvin McEvoy stable, scoring by three lengths. Recent winners:

Year	Winner	Jockey / Note
2025	Half Yours	Jamie Melham (2nd female jockey to win)
2024	Knight’s Choice	$91 boilover
2023	Without A Fight	Mark Zahra — Caulfield–Melbourne Cup double
2022	Gold Trip	Carried 57.5kg topweight
2021	Verry Elleegant	Beat Incentivise

 

For the complete roll of honour from 1861, the placegetters and famous champions like Phar Lap and three-time winner Makybe Diva, see our Melbourne Cup past winners list.

History & Background

First run in 1861, the Melbourne Cup is a 3200m handicap that has grown into “the race that stops a nation”. Phar Lap (1930), Rain Lover, Think Big and the incomparable Makybe Diva — the only three-time winner (2003–05) — are woven into its legend, and since the 1990s it has become a genuinely international contest. Run on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington as the centrepiece of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, it remains the pinnacle of Australian staying racing.

How to Watch the Melbourne Cup (Live Stream & TV)

The 2026 Melbourne Cup is broadcast free-to-air on Network Nine and streamed live on 9Now, with full race-day coverage on Sky Racing and Racing.com. You can also live stream the race with most licensed Australian bookmakers — fund an account and the vision is available in-app. Replays are posted by the VRC and on Racing.com shortly after the race.

Melbourne Cup Day & Public Holiday

Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday across Victoria (and a part-day or regional holiday in some other areas), held on the first Tuesday of November — Tuesday 3 November in 2026. Beyond the racing it’s a national social occasion, headlined by Fashions on the Field and the wider Melbourne Cup Carnival, which also features Victoria Derby Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day.

Best Bookmakers for the Melbourne Cup

For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers — best odds, futures markets and live streaming — see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.

Melbourne Cup FAQs

When is the Melbourne Cup 2026?

Tuesday 3 November 2026 — always the first Tuesday in November — at Flemington.

What time does the Melbourne Cup start?

Approximately 3:00pm AEDT (2:00pm in QLD, 2:30pm in SA, 12:00pm in WA).

Who won the 2025 Melbourne Cup?

Half Yours, ridden by Jamie Melham — the second female jockey to win the Cup — for trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy, by three lengths.

How many horses run in the Melbourne Cup?

A maximum of 24 runners, with no emergencies.

How much is the Melbourne Cup worth?

Around $10 million in total prize money, making it one of the world’s richest staying handicaps.

Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday?

Yes — it is a public holiday across Victoria, held on the first Tuesday of November.

How can I watch the Melbourne Cup?

Free-to-air on Network Nine and 9Now, plus Sky Racing, Racing.com and most bookmaker live streams.