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

Welcome to your guide on everything related to Melbourne Cup online betting! Here at AustralianBettingSites.net.au, we know just how important the Melbourne Cup is, so we have taken the time to develop this comprehensive guide. We have everything you need to know about Melbourne Cup betting and more.

Best Melbourne Cup Betting Sites

Before we take a deep dive into the world of the Melbourne Cup, check out some of the quick facts you should know:

The Melbourne Cup is undoubtedly one of, if not, the biggest race on the Australian calendar. Group One races really don’t get bigger than this and it is known as “The Race That Stops The Nation”.

The race has been a staple on the Australian racing calendar and takes place on the first Tuesday of November, in the thick of Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival. The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861, where it was won by Archer, who would then go on to win the 1862 race as well.

The 3,200m race is a true test of staying power and the demands of the race are extremely high. For the winner? The glory of becoming a Melbourne Cup champion, and the lion’s share of the $10 million in prize money.

As has been the case for many decades now, we see several international runners head to Australia to chase Melbourne Cup glory. So, the field is always filled with both high-quality domestic runners, plus international competitors.

The Melbourne Cup is as prestigious as they come and it is the world’s richest handicap. On top of this, the race acts as the grand final in the Spring prep for many horses. There aren’t many other 3,200m races in Australia (with the Sydney Cup the only other Group 1), so it is a true test to see these thoroughbred horses competing in.

There is no one best way to bet on the Melbourne Cup, but over the years, we have developed some tips to help improve your chances of success. If you want to bet on the Melbourne Cup online, here are some of our top tips:

Shop Around

There are plenty of betting sites out there, so you should take the time to shop around and see if you can get better odds or take advantage of different promotions.

Form Guide

You don’t have to do the form guide yourself, but one of our top Melbourne Cup bet tips is to look at historical trends, as they will help you determine some patterns of the Melbourne Cup winners.

Look Beyond Favourites

When it comes to the Melbourne Cup horses, favourites to win are always looked into. However, the favourite doesn’t always win the race, so it can pay to look beyond the favourite and see what else is out there.

Recent Race History

It’s a good idea to look into some of the recent races to see how runners have performed in the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup. Races like the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Moonee Valley Cup are good places to start.

Looking for the best Australian betting sites for the Melbourne Cup? Well, we have you covered. We have gone through all the top bookies in Australia and found the top ones that you should consider when betting on the Melbourne Cup.

Thinking about how to bet on the Melbourne Cup online? Well, there are plenty of markets and bet types to choose from! You can stick with a basic bet type, or shake things up with something a little more exotic. Melbourne Cup exotic payouts can be huge, especially if a few roughies finish in the top four.

Here are some of the most common betting types for the Melbourne Cup:

Betting bonuses for the Melbourne Cup are always a hot topic and while sign-up inducements are no longer available in Australia, bookies, including new betting sites, will offer a range of promotions. The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest days of the year for betting, so there will be a lot of different promotions available for you to take advantage of.

If you are planning to bet on the Melbourne Cup online, then you’ll have to sign in to your account to see the full range of promotions available to you. Different bookies will likely offer a slightly different range of promotions, so if you want to take full advantage, you can place your bets with a couple of different betting sites.

The Melbourne Cup field starts to take shape well before race day each year. There are a few different win and you’re in type races that you should keep your eye on as well. On the Saturday before race day, the final field is confirmed and you can see which 24 runners made the cut.

When the final field is confirmed, it’s a good idea to look into a raft of different areas like each runner’s lead-up, barrier, weight, jockey, trainer, track record, distance record and more. This will help shed some light on how well the horse should run in the Melbourne Cup.

For the most recent Melbourne Cup, here is the final field:

If you want to bet on the Melbourne Cup online, it is important to understand the order of entry. Each year, we see 24 horses confirmed for the Melbourne Cup, but it doesn’t start that way. Upwards of 100 horses are nominated for the Melbourne Cup each year and as we get closer to the event, there are different order of acceptances.

At each stage, the connections of each runner are required to pay a fee and the list of nominated runners dwindles. Each runner is given a handicap and the top runners will find themselves in the final field. So, connections of each runner need to think about whether their runner has a genuine chance of making the final field, so they don’t pay the necessary fees.

Each year, when the Melbourne Cup barrier draw is released, you’ll notice the Melbourne Cup betting odds change dramatically. Some barriers have been more successful than others over the history of the Melbourne Cup. This means that connections want to see their runner draw a favourable barrier.

The barrier draw is done at random and takes place the Saturday before the big race. Getting the right barrier draw can really make a difference, even in a race like the Melbourne Cup, which is run over a distance of 3,200m.

These days, finding the best odds for the Melbourne Cup is pretty easy! You can use odds comparison tools to compare the odds from different betting apps, or you can check the odds manually for the exact bookies you want to bet with, like Betfocus, PlayUp or Bet365, for example.

It is a good idea to shop around for the best odds when betting on the Melbourne Cup because you will usually find different odds for the same runners. For example, at Bet365, the Melbourne Cup favourite might be paying $6.50, but at a different bookie, the same runner is paying $6.00.

Another thing that is important to remember when it comes to Melbourne Cup betting sites is that the odds will be changing constantly. Horse racing betting sites will open up their Melbourne Cup markets well in advance of race day and from the time their markets are released to race jump the odds will fluctuate.

So, if you think you’ve nailed down your Melbourne Cup winner predictions, it is best to jump on while you still can. Waiting around could result in a change in the odds and you may end up having to settle for lower odds and therefore a lower payout potential. When finding Melbourne Cup betting odds, these are some of the most important things to look out for.

If you aren’t one of the lucky people who get to watch all the action from Flemington Racecourse, you don’t have to worry because there are plenty of streaming options! Channel 9 signed a six-year deal for the rights to the Melbourne Cup, so you can tune in to Channel 9 or stream 9Now for all the action.

If you are placing a bet on the Melbourne Cup, you probably want to watch the race live and there are more options than just Channel 9 as well. Racing.com will have a live stream of the Melbourne Cup and TAB also offers a live stream. So, you are certainly well equipped to watch the big race and hopefully you come out as a winner.

After winning the Caulfield Cup, Half Yours successfully completed the Cup's double, winning the 2025 Melbourne Cup as well. After being the favourite for much of the week, Half Yours wasn’t the favourite at the jump, but was paying around the $9.00 mark. The gaps opened up perfectly for Jamie Melham as she navigated the gelding to victory.

Coming in second by 2.75L was Goodie Two Shoes, who jumped wide from barrier 20. The mare was paying around the $9.00 mark to place. Filling in the final minor placing was Middle Earth, who ended up finishing 4.75L behind Half Yours. In the end, the Melbourne Cup was run in a time of 3:22.46.

You can take a look at the finishing order of every runner in the Melbourne Cup here:

Want to see the race as it played out? We have you sorted with the full race replay! Check out all the action here:

Before completing your Melbourne Cup online betting, it is a good idea to take a step back and look at the history of winners. By checking out the history, you can see if any patterns can potentially point you in the direction of the next winner.

Here is a brief history of all the winning horses in the Melbourne Cup (up to 2010):

All throughout this page, we have gone through some fun facts about the Melbourne Cup and hopefully you have a better picture of what’s involved when it comes to Melbourne Cup betting. If you still have some burning questions about the Melbourne Cup, this is the section for you. We go through some of the most commonly asked questions here.