Melbourne Cup 2025 Tips & Betting Guide
Melbourne Cup Day is one of the biggest days on the Australian sporting calendar, and Aussies just love to have a punt on the big day. Our racing experts have poured countless hours into form analysis for the Cup and each race on the program so you can relax and enjoy the festivities. Read on to see our best bets for Cup Day.
Who Will Win the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
NOTE: This section will be updated regularly as key lead-up races unfold. But for those looking to place an early bet on the Melbourne Cup futures markets, we’ve identified a horse at big odds to consider.
Futures Melbourne Cup Tip (Pre-Noms)
We haven’t seen a Victoria Derby winner take out the Melbourne Cup since Efficient won the 2006 Derby and then claimed the 2007 Melbourne Cup, but 2025 could change that. The Andrew Gluyas-trained Goldrush Guru was an impressive winner of the 2024 Victoria Derby (2500m), and his sire American Pharoah also produced Riff Rocket who won the 2023 Victoria Derby and 2024 ATC Australian Derby (2400m). Goldrush Guru returned in the autumn and put in an honest 4th placing in the CS Hayes Stakes (1400m), and his next run in the G1 Australian Guineas (1600m) was super-impressive as he finished hard late to grab 3rd place. Looks a very progressive type and is nominated for the Rosehill Guineas (2000m), ATC Australian Derby, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in the autumn. He could be something special, and at $51 for the Cup, he’s worth an early punt.
Goldrush Guru $51 at Ladbrokes AustraliaClaim now
New customers only. 18+ T&Cs and wagering requirements apply.
Melbourne Cup Exotics Tips
The exotics on the Melbourne Cup have been known to pay big dividends because the betting pools are so large on the race. In 2024, Aussies wagered
Melbourne Cup Quinella & Exacta Predictions
The Quinella and Exacta involve having the first two horses past the post. With the Quinella, horses can finish in any order, and in the Exacta, they need to finish in exact order.
| Placing | Selections |
|---|---|
| 1st | |
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Melbourne Cup Tips for the Trifecta
Trifecta bets are one of the most popular exotic bet types in Australia and they involve picking the first three horses to finish. These can be done in specific placing order or as a boxed Trifecta, meaning horses can finish in any order.
| Placing | Selections |
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| 1st | |
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Melbourne Cup First 4 Tips
As the name suggests, the First 4 is picking the first four horses past the winning post. With a boxed First 4, the horses can finish in any order, and in a standard First 4, horses can be selected for individual placing positions.
| Placing | Selections |
|---|---|
| 1st | |
| 2nd | |
| 3rd | |
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Quaddie Tips for Melbourne Cup Day
The Quaddie involves picking the winner of four consecutive pre-determined races at a race meeting. The Quaddie on Melbourne Cup Day is known to pay out big, but in 2024 it was more than just big as it paid $512,468.60 with S-TAB and $716,907.40 with UTAB.
| Quaddie Leg | Race No. | Race Selections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | |
| 2 | 8 | |
| 3 | 9 | |
| 4 | 10 |
Melbourne Cup Day Race Guide
While the Melbourne Cup is the drawcard on Cup Day, there are six races run prior to the Cup, and three races that follow. If you are trying to build a bank heading into the main event, or looking to extend the day’s betting action beyond the Cup, we have expert tips and previews for each race on the card.
Race 1 - 10:45AM Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000 METRES)
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Race 2 - 11:20AM TAB Trophy (1800 METRES)
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Race 3 - 12:00PM MSS Security Subzero Handicap (1400 METRES)
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Race 4 - 12:40PM The Schweppervescence Plate (1000 METRES)
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Race 5 - 1:20PM Australian Heritage Cup (2800 METRES)
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Race 6 - 1:55PM Furphy Plate (1800 METRES)
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Race 7 - 3:00PM Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200 METRES)
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Race 8 - 3:50PM The Amanda Elliott (1400 METRES)
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Race 9 - 4:35PM The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400 METRES)
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Race 10 - 5:15PM Channel 9 Trophy (1400 METRES)
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Tips for Doing Melbourne Cup Form Analysis
If you prefer to do your own research on the Melbourne Cup, here are a few helpful hints on how to dissect the vast amounts of information available.
- Colours & Numbers: Ignore these types of stats. Looking at which coloured horse wins the Melbourne Cup the most or which number is most successful is a useless stat.
- Barriers: A good barrier is a big advantage for a horse and jockey, but backing horses from the most successful barrier isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. Instead, as a general rule of thumb, horses drawn from gates 5 to 19 have the most success. This is because horses drawn on the very inside can get cluttered up and might struggle to find clear running. On the flip side, horses drawn extremely wide will have to push forward and use too much energy early, or they will have to drift back to find a spot, or may be caught wide and have to cover too much ground.
- Weight: A weight each horse has to carry is the most crucial factor in assessing their winning chance. Horses carrying between 51kg and 54.5kg account for the largest percentage of winners. It is estimated that each half a kilogram slows a horse down by 1 length over 3200m. Meaning a horse that carries 58kg needs to be 14 lengths better than a horse that carries 51kg.
- Distance: The fact is, half the horses in the Melbourne Cup simply won’t run the distance at their peak. And with most horses untried at the gruelling 3200m trip, some anticipation is needed based on breeding and prior runs. Generally, a horse that is strong at the end of a 2400m race will get the distance, but this isn’t always the case.
- Lead-Up Form: A horse's most recent form is also an important part of assessing its winning chance. In the past 12 years of the Melbourne Cup, only one horse has won after not finishing top 4 in one of its two prior runs. That was Knight’s Choice in 2025 who had finished 5th in his previous start.
- Replays: Watching Melbourne Cup replays can help you see why a horse didn't run as well as expected or why a horse ran above expectation. Watching replays of lead-up races can also help identify horses that were finishing strong late or were unlucky and could improve.
Hints & Tips for Finding the Best Melbourne Cup Betting Apps
In Australia, there are a plethora of betting apps to choose from. But that doesn’t mean they are all equally suited to Melbourne Cup betting. The best Melbourne Cup betting apps should have the following features:
- Quick Registration: Signing up with most online bookmakers via their betting app shouldn’t take any more than two minutes. Any app that complicates the registration process isn’t worth your time.
- Competitive Odds: There is quite a difference in the odds that are offered from bookmaker to bookmaker and it’s important to use an app that has consistently higher odds.
- Variety of Betting Markets: These days, simply having an odds market for the Melbourne Cup isn’t good enough. Many bookmakers offer exotics markets, Same Race Multis, Top 4 Betting and more.
- Range of Promotions: With the Melbourne Cup being the biggest racing event of the year in Australia, bookmakers will offer all sorts of Melbourne Cup promotions to existing customers. These can include Bet Returns and Bonus Cash, Odds Boosts and Unique Betting Markets.
- Quick Payouts: If you are lucky enough to have won money on the Cup, you want quick access to your winnings. Choose a betting app that is known for quick payouts.
Melbourne Cup Tips FAQs
Which horse will win the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
As of March 2025, our expert is tipping Goldrush Guru at $51. Check back regularly as lead-up races unfold for updates on which horse is our top tip.
Who is favourite to win the Melbourne Cup?
Vauban is the $11 Melbourne Cup favourite in pre-noms markets. He has failed to finish top 10 in two Melbourne Cup starts to date.
How do you place a bet on the Melbourne Cup?
When you have selected the horse you want to place a bet on, and you have downloaded a betting app or visited a bookmaker website, head to the Melbourne Cup markets to browse available betting options. The most common bet types are Win, Place and Each-Way, and exotic bet types like Trifecta and First 4.
Are expert Melbourne Cup Tips reliable?
Most racing experts have a high knowledge of the sport and the individual horses, but don’t assume the expert will be right all the time. Overall, expert tipsters have a wealth of experience and can offer great insight.
Where can I find free Melbourne Cup tips?
Blackbook.com.au provides daily racing tips from a variety of racing experts and insiders. They preview all feature races and provide free Melbourne Cup tips each year.
