The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous horse race, run over 3200m at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November. Known as "the race that stops a nation", it is a Group 1 handicap that draws a global field of stayers and the attention of the entire country.
The Cup is the centrepiece of the Flemington Spring Carnival and the Melbourne Cup Carnival week. As a staying handicap over two miles, it rewards genuine stamina, a good barrier, and the right weight, and it regularly attracts international raiders alongside the best Australian and New Zealand stayers. Its handicap conditions mean lightly weighted improvers can beat the topweights, which is a big part of the race's enduring appeal to punters.
First run in 1861, the Melbourne Cup has grown into a public holiday in Victoria and a fixture of Australian culture. Famous winners include Phar Lap, Makybe Diva (a three-time winner) and a growing list of internationally trained champions.
Our latest tips and analysis for the Melbourne Cup:
This year’s Melbourne Cup is wide open. Half Yours brings the perfect staying profile, Valiant King drops to a winning weight and peaks at the right time, Buckaroo adds genuine class, and Absurde offe
