Betting on the 2023 Melbourne Cup at bookmakers is a thrilling proposition. Australia's premier horse race is known not only for its huge purse, but also for the way it can captivate even the most casual fan looking for a little excitement on race day. The 2023 Melbourne Cup is set to be a fantastic time with an $8 million prize pool and the potential for a $4.4 million payday for the winning horse! Spanning 3,200 meters, the Cup is one of the longest flat races in Australia and is sure to attract many punters from coast to coast looking for a chance at some big returns.
Betting on the Melbourne Cup in 2025 is likely to be more famous than ever, with the money flowing at an extraordinary rate. When the race first started in 2005, the pot was a meager $5 million; by 2020, it had grown to a whopping $8 million! By 2025, that number will have grown even larger, as the nature of this event dictates. So now is the time for betting enthusiasts to start making plans for the big event.
Punters in the UK can place their bets on the 2025 Melbourne Cup at any of our recommended sportsbooks. The Melbourne Cup carnival, which also includes the Victorian Derby, the Kennedy Mile, the Coolmore Classic and the Oaks, is easy to follow. Use our expert betting tips and predictions on the likely winner of the race to place your bets.
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Melbourne Cup Betting Guide
- What Is the Melbourne Cup?
- The 2025 Melbourne Cup Odds
- Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
- Favourites to win Melbourne Cup
What Is the Melbourne Cup?
Don't worry, it's all taken care of. The Cup is really a week long celebration that takes over Flemington Racecourse from the Saturday before the event until the following Saturday. It is an amazing spectacle. To call it a race is a bit of an understatement as it is essentially an extreme test of not only speed but endurance as well. It has been classified as a Group 1 race - a worldwide classification that ensures it is at the very top of horse racing. All 24 equine competitors try to stay ahead of the others as they thunder around a 3200 meter course (they can't stay on course if they don't go at least 3200 meters).
You can actively bet on four of the most famous races on Derby Day, the Victorian Derby, the Myer Classic, the Kennedy Stakes and the Coolmore Stud Stakes. The best bookmakers in the UK are offering Melbourne Cup 2025 odds, giving you the chance to win money in a digital format. Our in-depth guide includes betting tips to help players avoid losing when betting on horses.
The 2025 Melbourne Cup Odds
The Melbourne Cup is held annually on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. It is one of the most anticipated horse racing events in the world. Fans and bettors are always on the lookout for the latest odds for the event, which will take place on November 4, 2025.
- Several horses stand out among the early favorites, with Incentivise being one of the top contenders. She has shown such impressive form in recent races that she now appears to be one of the most dominant stayers in Australian racing, and her current odds of around 5-1 make her the clear favorite to win.
- Another horse to keep an eye on is Spanish Mission. He has had a successful season racing in both the United States and Europe and has shown that he can handle all types of turf. And while he is listed at around 8-1 on the morning line, he seems poised to offer a solid return should he win the Melbourne Cup.
- Another strong contender is Sir Dragonet, the 2022 Cox Plate winner, who currently sits at around 10-1. Twilight Payment, the 2020 Melbourne Cup winner, is listed at around 12-1.
- However, as with any horse race, upsets can occur on the day and many longshots have triumphed in the Melbourne Cup over the years. Bettors looking for a bigger payout may want to consider betting on horses with longer odds, such as Explosive Jack and Toffee Tongue, who are currently priced at around 20-1 on AAP.
Placing a bet on the Melbourne Cup requires careful research and consideration of many elements and factors. These include but are not limited to: the horse's recent form; the jockey's ability and recent form; the trainer's ability and recent performance; and the track conditions on the day of the race. Bets may be placed on a number of outcomes, including but not limited to 1. win 2. place 3. each way (meaning you're betting that the horse can do either 1 or 2).
As the event approaches, Melbourne Cup odds can be affected by a number of different factors, including recent form, injury issues and prevailing track conditions. With as many as a dozen different horse and rider combinations making their way to the starting line, it's up to the potential bettor to keep up with the latest events and odds before placing a bet.
In short, the Melbourne Cup is an exhilarating event that attracts horse racing and betting enthusiasts from around the world. Anticipation for the international race reaches a fever pitch as some of the most elite thoroughbreds in the country compete for the title. Bets are placed, and even those who don't frequent the track can get in on the action through a variety of wagering options.
Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
Tipsters from around the world are meeting in private, elite settings to discuss the Melbourne Cup 2025 odds. They work out a betting pattern that, they believe, reduces the risk of betting on horses. British punters, take note: The working-class heroes and classy pros we consult for this column offer tips that are good, we think, but not necessarily golden. They offer them as guides to help our readers help themselves. See below what kind of service the pros provide.
- It should come as no surprise that the fences and the position of a horse before the start have traditionally had very little effect on which horse wins. Therefore, pay little attention to the fences in front of your favorite horse.
- The track at Flemington can be quite rough, and currently the Internationals have the most wins - 7 to be exact - in the last 15 Cups.
- Remember that all horse racing odds are based on the probability that the numbers used by the bookmakers will prove to be correct. You can always swim upstream and pick a horse that isn't the favorite, thus increasing your potential payout if that horse wins.
- If you look at the history of the Melbourne Cup, you'll see that less than 25% of the bookmakers' favorites have gone on to win the event. If you look at the last four years, you'll notice that none of Prince of Penzance (2015), Almandin (2016), Rekindling (2017) or Cross Counter (2018) were considered the most likely to win the Melbourne Cup. And yet, seemingly against the odds, these nearly four longshots went on to win the event.
Who Will Win Melbourne Cup 2025?
As the winner of the Caulfield Cup, Cross Counter is a sure-fire favorite with the bookmakers, but history is not on his side. In the long history of the event, only four horses have won back-to-back Cups. Mer De Glace has been on a tear lately, coming out of nowhere to become a heavy favorite to win. He also won the Japanese Raider to make himself one of the favorites to win. If anyone can win, it's Mer De Glace, who has won six races in a row and has solid momentum heading into the Melbourne Cup challenge. Here's a full list of the horses, jockeys and trainers who will be competing in the horse race:
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1. Cross Counter (5) | William Buick (57.5kg) | Charlie Appleby |
| 2. Mer De Glace (5) | Damian Lane (56.0kg) | Hisashi Shimizu |
| 3. Master Of Reality (5) | Frankie Dettori (55.5kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 4. Mirage Dancer (6) | Ben Melham (55.5kg) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
| 5. Southern France (5) | Mark Sahra (55.5kg) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
| 6. Hunting Horn (5) | Seamie Heffernan (55.0kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 7. Latrobe (5) | James McDonald (55.0kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 8. Mustajeer (7) | Damien Oliver (55.0kg) | Kris Lees |
| 9. Rostropovich (5) | Dwayne Dunn (55.0kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 10. Twilight Payment (7) | Hugh Bowman (55.0kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 11. Finche (6) | Kerrin McEvoy (54.0kg) | Chris Waller |
| 12. Prince Of Arran (7) | Michael Walker (54.0kg) | Charlie Fellowes |
| 13. Raymond Tusk (5) | Jamie Spencer (54.0kg) | Richard Hannon |
| 14. Downdraft (5) | John Allen (53.5kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 15. Magic Wand (5) | Ryan Moore (53.5kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 16. Neufbosc (5) | Luke Nolen (53.5kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 17. Sound (7) | James Winks (53.5kg) | Michael Moroney |
| 18. Surprise Baby (5) | Jordan Childs (53.5kg) | Paul Preusker |
| 19. Constantinople (4) | Joao Moreira (52.5kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 20. Il Paradiso (4) | Wayne Lordan (52.5kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 21. Steel Prince (6) | Brett Prebble (52.5kg) | Anthony Freedman |
| 22. The Chosen One (4) | Tim Clark (52.0kg) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman |
| 23. Vow And Declare (4) | Craig Williams (52.0kg) | Danny O’Brien |
| 24. Youngstar (5) | Tommy Berry (52.0kg) | Chris Waller |