Melbourne Cup Betting

About the Melbourne Cup

Next Melbourne Cup – Tuesday November 5, 2024 3200m | Group 1 Open Handicap | Flemington Racecourse | Prize money: $8,000,000

The Melbourne Cup is the most anticipated race run in Australia each year. It is held on the first Tuesday of November and is known as “The race that stops the nation”. It is the highlight of the Melbourne Spring Carnival and the last leg of the '3 majors'. It is run over 2 miles – 3200m, and only the top stayers from Australia and around the world are eligible to be entered. Horses qualify via a ballot system and can gain exemption by winning specific lead up races. The race has a large field size due to its prestigious nature, holding a capacity of 24 runners. The runners compete for a prize pool of over $8 Million with the winner taking home $4.4 Million.

History of the Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup was first held in 1861 and has since become the jewel of Australian thoroughbred racing. The race is synonymous with champion racehorses who have etched their name in history, including the greats; Makybe Diva, Phar Lap, Rain Lover, Think Big and Kingston Rule, just to name a few. Only 4 horses have won the race consecutively.

Melbourne Cup Key Statistics

• King of the Cups Bart Cummings holds the record of most wins in the Melbourne up, saddling up 12 winners
• Makybe Diva is the best performed horse in the history of the race with 3 wins to her name, she is also the last mare to win (2005)
• Lloyd Williams has the most wins by any owner with 6 – he last won the race with Rekindling in 2017
• Favourites have a poor record in the race winning only 22% of the time

Melbourne Cup Past Winners (Last 20 editions)

Early Betting on The Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is always a wide open betting affair, and this year and 2024 will be no different. The current favorite is last years champion Without a Fight who is  $13 with BlueBet. Without A Fight is a 7yo brown Gelding from Ireland trained by Anthony & Sam Freedman based at Flemington. It is sired by Teofilo out of the dam Khor Sheed. Without A Fight has amassed $9,471,620 in career earnings and can be regarded as an elite equine athlete amassing 11 wins in its 23 careers starts. 

The Melbourne Cup on Nov 7 2023 at Flemington was Without A Fight's  most significant win to date, getting the money in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, defeating Soulcombe who ran 2nd & Shiraz who ran 3rd.

In the futures betting Soulcombe sits on the second line of betting for the Melbourne Cup 2024 market with other notable mentions including Apulia & First Immortal. 

Melbourne Cup Betting Options

1. Win and Each-Way Bets:
The classic win bet involves selecting the horse expected to cross the finish line first, while each-way bets cover a horse to win or finish within the top places, providing a safety net for bettors.

2. Quinella and Exacta:
Punters can predict the first two horses (quinella) or their exact order (exacta). This requires a keen understanding of horse performance and race dynamics.

3. Trifecta and First Four:
For the ambitious, trifecta bets involve predicting the first three horses, and first four bets extend this challenge. Accurate predictions yield substantial payouts, especially on Melbourne Cup Day

4. Place Cards and Multis:
Place cards allow bettors to choose horses to place in multiple races, while multis involve combining bets across different events, amplifying potential returns.

5. Future Bets:
Future bets, placed well in advance, add an anticipatory dimension and allow you to bet before final acceptances which can increase your return. 

Navigating this diverse range of Melbourne Cup betting options provides an opportunity for both seasoned punters and newcomers to engage with the race in ways that align with their preferences and risk tolerance.

The full Melbourne Cup Futures Market at BlueBet is available below.