2025 Melbourne Cup Day Race Guide
Find everything you need for Melbourne Cup Day in this ultimate guide. Whether it's fields, news, stats, tips, live streams or betting advice you are looking for, blackbook.com.au has you covered.
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2025 Melbourne Cup Information
| Melbourne Cup 2025 | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, November 4 |
| Time | 3:00pm local time |
| Racecourse | Flemington |
| Race No. | 7 |
| Distance | 3200m |
| Class | Group 1 |
| Race Type | Handicap |
| Maximum Runners | 24 |
| Prizemoney | $8 million |
| Age Restrictions | 3YO and Upward |
| Track Type | Turf |
| Racing Direction | Clockwise (left-handed) |
Melbourne Cup Tips & Preview
The Melbourne Cup is one of Australia's biggest betting heats and the Blackbook.com.au experts have you covered for the Race The Stops A Nation.
Form from Australia and New Zealand used to be a good guide for the Melbourne Cup but it has shifted in the Europeans favour.
Punters should look to the European runners which are either unraced in Australia or have had only one start. Gone are the days where form throughout the year in Australia will be good enough to win the Melbourne Cup.
It’s targeted by the second-tier staying thoroughbreds in Europe and they have had great success in doing so. Many punters bet too early in the Melbourne Cup markets and form out of Sydney in the autumn just doesn’t stack up well enough.
Wait until the field starts to take shape and ignore most of the local form. Look for the younger European types which get into the race with no weight and you’ll be a happy punter.
If you get overloaded with the information available, and there is a lot to sort through with up to 24 runners in the field, check out our free 2025 Melbourne Cup tips and see who our experts are tipping on top.
Melbourne Cup Field
The Melbourne Cup field is confirmed on the Saturday night prior to the race. This is due to some qualifying races behind held on that Saturday.
This page willl be updated with the final field as soon as runners are announced.
Melbourne Cup Day Race Schedule
There are a total of 10 races on Melbourne Cup Day, with the first race to kick off at 10:45am and the last to take place at 5:15pm local time. Here is a rundown of which races make up the Cup Day program.
| Race | Time | Race Name | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:45am | Darley Maribyrnong Plate | 1000m |
| 2 | 11:20am | TAB Trophy | 1800m |
| 3 | 12:00pm | MSS Security Subzero Handicap | 1400m |
| 4 | 12:40pm | The Schweppervescence Plate | 1000m |
| 5 | 1:20pm | Australian Heritage Cup | 2800m |
| 6 | 1:55pm | Furphy Plate | 1800m |
| 7 | 3:00pm | Lexus Melbourne Cup | 3200m |
| 8 | 3:50pm | The Amanda Elliott | 1400m |
| 9 | 4:35pm | The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes | 1400m |
| 10 | 5:15pm | Channel 9 Trophy | 1400m |
Melbourne Cup Betting
Let’s face it, while part of the appeal of the Melbourne Cup is the fashion and social gatherings, the majority just want to punt on the race. You no longer have to head to the racetrack or local pub to place a bet, as this can be done from anywhere using your mobile device. Read on to see how to make the most of your Melbourne Cup betting experience.
Trusted Betting Apps for the Melbourne Cup
With so many betting apps available in Australia, it’s hard to know which ones are worth your time on Cup Day. We’ve pinned down the best Melbourne Cup betting apps based on important criteria for punters.
Bookmaker Betting Offers & Promotions for Cup Day
Part of choosing a good site or app to bet with on Cup Day is the range of offers and promotions they have available. Each and every year, the bookies step up their offerings, and 2025 will be no exception. If you want to get more bang for your buck on Cup Day, Melbourne Cup promotions are a great way to get boosted odds or the chance of a refund should your horse finish 2nd or 3rd.
Melbourne Cup Form Guide
If you are looking for a place to bet and get a free Melbourne Cup form guide, Ladbrokes Australia is your best choice. They have the most comprehensive form guides with full form guides for the advanced racing enthusiast, and easy form for beginners which is in a simple to read format.
In-Form Australian Key Race Winners
| Race | Distance | Date | Location | Winner | Cup Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Roy Higgins | 2500m | March 29 | Flemington | Deakin | Qualified |
| The Andrew Ramsden | 2800m | May 18 | Flemington | Basilinna | Qualified |
| Lexus Archer Stakes | 2500m | September 13 | Flemington | TBA | TBA |
| Turnbull Stakes | 2000m | October 4 | Flemington | TBA | TBA |
| The Bart Cummings | 2500m | October 4 | Flemington | TBA | TBA |
| Herbert Power | 2500m | October 11 | Caulfield | TBA | TBA |
| Caulfield Cup | 2400m | October 18 | Caulfield | TBA | TBA |
| Geelong Cup | 2400m | October 22 | Geelong | TBA | TBA |
| Cox Plate | 2040m | October 25 | Moonee Valley | TBA | TBA |
| Moonee Valley Cup | 2500m | October 25 | Moonee Valley | TBA | TBA |
In-Form International Key Race Winners
| Race | Distance | Date | Location | Winner | Cup Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont Gold Cup | 2414m | June 7 | Saratoga (US) | Parchment Party | Qualified |
| Hardwick Stakes | 2406m | June 22 | Royal Ascot (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Northumberland Plate | 3270m | June 28 | Newcastle (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Goodwood Cup | 3218m | July 29 | Goodwood (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Geoffrey Freer Stakes | 2671m | August 16 | Newbury (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Lonsdale Cup | 3270m | August 22 | York (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Ebor Handicap | 2787m | August 23 | York (UK) | TBA | TBA |
| Prix Kergolay | 3000m | August | Deauville (France) | TBA | TBA |
| Irish St Leger | 2816m | September 15 | Curragh (Ireland) | TBA | TBA |
Melbourne Cup History
The Melbourne Cup has a long history and since its first running in 1861, the past champions include the likes of Phar Lap, Makybe Diva and many other national heroes.
Frederick Standish was credited with the idea of the Melbourne Cup. 17 horses contested the first Melbourne Cup and it was a winner take all system. Archer was the first Melbourne Cup winner and it was marred with controversy as three horses fell during the race.
It was since become a much more professional race and horses are set for the Melbourne Cup years in advance. One horse that captured the hearts of Australian punters was Makybe Diva, who scored an incredible three consecutive Melbourne Cup wins from 2003-2005.
The Champion stayer, with Glen Boss in the saddle, was the horse that banded punters from around the country. Despite the Melbourne Cup being a tough betting race, punters swarmed to back Maykbe Diva and rightfully so.
Times have changed with the Melbourne Cup field. It is mostly filled with international runners that many punters don’t know the form around. This is seen as a positive for the Melbourne Cup but a negative for Australian and New Zealand staying ranks.
Now, because of the Melbourne Cup’s changing dynamic, trainers are buying horses from overseas in the hopes of training a Melbourne Cup winner.
For more on the evolution of the Cup, check out the Melbourne Cup history and see how the race grew from humble beginnings to becoming 'the race that stops a nation.'
Melbourne Cup Previous Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Knight's Choice |
| 2023 | Without A Fight |
| 2022 | Gold Trip |
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant |
| 2020 | Twilight Payment |
| 2019 | Vow And Declare |
| 2018 | Cross Counter |
| 2017 | Rekindling |
| 2016 | Almandin |
| 2015 | Prince of Penzance |
| 2014 | Protectionist |
| 2013 | Fiorente |
| 2012 | Green Moon |
| 2011 | Dunaden |
| 2010 | Americain |
| 2009 | Shocking |
| 2008 | Viewed |
| 2007 | Efficient |
| 2006 | Delta Blues |
| 2005 | Makybe Diva |
| 2004 | Makybe Diva |
| 2003 | Makybe Diva |
| 2002 | Media Puzzle |
| 2001 | Ethereal |
| 2000 | Brew |
Melbourne Cup Live Streaming
Punters can live stream the Melbourne Cup at Dabble. The Australian-based bookmakers shows all Australian and New Zealand racing live and all you need to do is have a positive account balance.
For the full guide on how to stream the race, see our Melbourne Cup live streaming guide.
