Australian Cup Tips, Best Bets, Odds, Field & More 2026

Ready to learn all about one of the biggest Group One races in Australia, the Australian Cup? Well, you have come to the right place as we go through every key aspect of this $2 million race that always draws in some of the best racehorses to Flemington Racecourse each year. 

Best Australian Cup Betting Sites

Before we get into the thick of it, you can check out some quick facts about the Australian Cup right here:

The Australian Cup is one of the most prestigious races on the Australian calendar and is contested over a distance of 2,000m at Flemington Racecourse. As one of the oldest races in Australia, the Australian Cup has a rich and interesting history. The race was first contested all the way back in 1863 and was won by Barwon.

The race was also run under handicap conditions until 1979; from then on, it has been run under weight-for-age conditions. In terms of the length of the Australian Cup, it was originally run over 2 ¼ miles, but this changed in the 1940s. In 1943, the distance of the race was reduced slightly.

In 1964, the Australian Cup saw a sizable reduction in distance to the length we know it today. This change was made to allow for more race options for middle-distance runners. The Australian Cup is a standalone event at Flemington Racecourse on race day, and it is the last key race of Melbourne’s Autumn Racing Carnival. 

While the Australian Cup has always taken place at Flemington Racecourse, it was moved to Caulfield Racecourse for just one year in 2007. Over the years, we have seen some of the biggest names in the industry win the Australian Cup, like Ming Dynasty, Dane Ripper and Makybe Diva.

Here at Australianbettingsites.net.au, we have horse racing tips coming out of our ears! There’s plenty to discover here, from tips on some of the biggest races on the calendar to daily best bets; we have something for everyone. Our tips on some of the biggest races include Australian Cup tips, Melbourne Cup tips, Cox Plate tips and more.

If you’re looking for more than just tips on the biggest races on that calendar, our daily horse racing tips should be right up your alley. Each day, we go through all the key meetings and provide our three most confident plays of the day. We are truly your one-stop shop for everything tips-related.

To make your Australian Cup betting experience a more enjoyable one, we have put together a short list of tips and tricks to follow:

• Follow In-Form Jockey/ Trainers - It’s not just about the runners in the Australian Cup. You should also look into the jockeys and trainers of each runner. Also, see if a particular jockey has a profitable relationship with a runner, or if a successful jockey/ trainer combo is lining up for the race.
• See Recent Runner Performances - Having a runner that is coming into the Australian Cup in form is important. But, you should look into the quality of races they are competing in before this Group One. Also, a runner may have performed well in recent races without getting a top-three result.
• Use Multiple Betting Sites - Don’t limit yourself to just one bookie. Different bookies offer different odds, promotions and more. Having an account with multiple bookies makes it much easier to take advantage of all the different features on offer.
• Don’t Blindly Follow The Odds - While the odds can be a major factor to consider, you shouldn’t blindly follow what’s on offer. The favourite may be the favourite for a reason, but think about whether any other runners present a little more value for the Australian Cup.

There’s no shortage of horse racing betting sites in Australia, so if you’re looking for a new bookie, it shouldn’t take you too long to nail one down. While you have a lot of options, it’s important to remember that they aren’t all created equally. We have gone through and created a shortlist of the top betting sites for the Australian Cup.

If you’re thinking about betting on the Australian Cup, you have a lot of options. From win bets to quaddies and everything in between, there’s something for everyone. While there are a lot of options, you must understand the bet type you have decided to go with.

We provide a brief explanation of each of the most common Australian Cup betting markets in this section:

With a cool $2 million worth of prize money on the line, we usually see some of the best racehorses in the country step out at Flemington Racecourse. The Australian Cup field is confirmed a couple of days out from race day, and you’ll also see the barrier draw confirmed

Once this happens, you can start digging into the form guide. The form guide and key form indicators are essential to look at when trying to find a winning bet for the Australian Cup. Looking into data like career record, jockey/ runner combination, track/ trip record, previous results, and more is critical.

For the latest edition of the Australian Cup, here are all the runners that took part:

Are you on the hunt for the best odds for the Australian Cup? Well, you should be! Finding the best price for the runner/ market you want to bet on isn’t a difficult task, but it does take some time to check all the bookies you fancy. So, if you have some time to spare before the big race, we highly recommend you shop around.

We find that different bookies may offer different odds for the same runner/ market. While little differences here and there may seem inconsequential, they really do all add up. This is especially the case if you’re betting on a roughie or markets with longer odds, as the difference between the lowest and highest price can be larger.

One of the ways you can save time when shopping around for the best odds is to use an odds comparison tool. This tool will display the odds across multiple bookies in one place. However, the tool may not display the odds from all the bookies you prefer, and it usually only shows fixed win/ place markets.

It can still be helpful, though and reduces the amount of manual work required. As well as using an odds comparison tool, another good idea is to stick with bookies that are known to offer some of the most competitive odds in the industry. Bookies like Unibet, Palmerbet and PlayUp have this reputation. 

In 2025, the Australian Cup was taken out by a $9.00 chance, Light Infantry Man. The 6YO gelding was ridden by Ethan Brown and jumped from barrier four. Deny Knowledge, who was going around with odds of $11, finished 2L off the pace.

Filling in the final minor placings was Zardozi, and the mare was ridden by Jamie Melham after jumping from barrier nine with odds of $4.60. The pre-race favourite, Pride Of Jenni, didn’t have what it took to stick around in the pointy end, and finished second last.

See where all the runners in the latest Australian Cup finished here:

Didn’t catch the race live? You can relive how the race unfolded as it happened here:

Some of the best 3YOs have won the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, and we take a look at the recent history of winners here:

Do you still have some questions about the Australian Cup? Well, you’ve come to the right place! We go through all the most commonly asked questions about this great race and answer them right here in this section.