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.

Latest Melbourne Cup News

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2025 Melbourne Cup Information


Melbourne Cup 2025
Info
DateTuesday, November 4
Time3:00pm local time
RacecourseFlemington
Race No.7
Distance3200m
ClassGroup 1
Race TypeHandicap
Maximum Runners24
Prizemoney$8 million
Age Restrictions3YO and Upward
Track TypeTurf
Racing DirectionClockwise (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
110:45amDarley Maribyrnong Plate1000m
211:20amTAB Trophy 1800m
312:00pmMSS Security Subzero Handicap1400m
412:40pmThe Schweppervescence Plate 1000m
51:20pmAustralian Heritage Cup 2800m
61:55pmFurphy Plate1800m
73:00pmLexus Melbourne Cup3200m
83:50pmThe Amanda Elliott 1400m
94:35pmThe Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes 1400m
105:15pmChannel 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 Higgins2500mMarch 29FlemingtonDeakinQualified
The Andrew Ramsden2800mMay 18FlemingtonBasilinnaQualified
Lexus Archer Stakes2500mSeptember 13FlemingtonTBATBA
Turnbull Stakes2000mOctober 4FlemingtonTBATBA
The Bart Cummings2500mOctober 4FlemingtonTBATBA
Herbert Power2500mOctober 11CaulfieldTBATBA
Caulfield Cup2400mOctober 18CaulfieldTBATBA
Geelong Cup2400mOctober 22GeelongTBATBA
Cox Plate2040mOctober 25Moonee ValleyTBATBA
Moonee Valley Cup2500mOctober 25Moonee ValleyTBATBA

In-Form International Key Race Winners


Race
Distance
Date
Location
Winner
Cup Starter
Belmont Gold Cup2414mJune 7Saratoga (US)Parchment PartyQualified
Hardwick Stakes2406mJune 22Royal Ascot (UK)TBATBA
Northumberland Plate3270mJune 28Newcastle (UK)TBATBA
Goodwood Cup3218mJuly 29Goodwood (UK)TBATBA
Geoffrey Freer Stakes2671mAugust 16Newbury (UK)TBATBA
Lonsdale Cup3270mAugust 22York (UK)TBATBA
Ebor Handicap2787mAugust 23York (UK)TBATBA
Prix Kergolay3000mAugustDeauville (France)TBATBA
Irish St Leger2816mSeptember 15Curragh (Ireland)TBATBA

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
2024Knight's Choice
2023Without A Fight
2022Gold Trip
2021Verry Elleegant
2020Twilight Payment
2019Vow And Declare
2018Cross Counter
2017Rekindling
2016Almandin
2015Prince of Penzance
2014Protectionist
2013Fiorente
2012Green Moon
2011Dunaden
2010Americain
2009Shocking
2008Viewed
2007Efficient
2006Delta Blues
2005Makybe Diva
2004Makybe Diva
2003Makybe Diva
2002Media Puzzle
2001Ethereal
2000Brew

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.