The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most famous thoroughbred race, known as “the race that stops a nation”. It is run every year at 3pm on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. The 3200-metre handicap is open to horses aged three and older, and it is one of the richest two-mile handicap races in the world.

The 2026 Melbourne Cup runs on Tuesday, November 3rd. Half Yours won the race in 2025. American bettors can find more on betting the race from the US on our Melbourne Cup betting page for Americans.

Where To Bet On The Melbourne Cup

  • Australia – The TAB and a long list of licensed bookmakers take bets on the race, with both tote (pari-mutuel) and fixed odds markets.
  • United States – Licensed online horse betting sites such as TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing and Xpressbet often carry the Melbourne Cup, in the states where they operate.
  • UK, Ireland and Canada – Licensed bookmakers in the UK and Ireland price the race, and Woodbine’s HPIbet platform offers international racing in Canada.
  • Offshore racebooks also offer the race, but they aren’t licensed in the US or Canada.

How To Bet On The Melbourne Cup Online

  1. Choose a licensed betting site that operates where you live and carries Flemington racing.
  2. Open and fund your account. You’ll verify your identity and age, then deposit using one of the listed payment methods.
  3. Place your Melbourne Cup bets. Find Flemington in the racing section and select the Melbourne Cup. Note that the race starts at 3pm Melbourne time, which is late Monday evening in North America. Set a budget before you bet and stick to it, and use the deposit limits licensed sites offer. Help is available from organizations such as GamCare (UK), Gambling Help Online (Australia), ConnexOntario (Canada) and 1-800-GAMBLER (US).

Melbourne Cup Betting Tips

Here are a couple basic tips for betting on the Melbourne Cup. Check out our horse racing section to find more general horse race betting tips.

  • Be Wary of Favourites – The Australian public loves backing the favourite, which can shorten its odds more than it deserves. As a handicap, the Melbourne Cup also adds weight to the best horses, making it very difficult to predict. Horses at bigger prices with solid staying form often offer better value.
  • Look At Stamina and Weight – 3200 metres is a long way for most horses. Check which runners have proven themselves over two miles or more, and how much weight each one is carrying compared to its recent races.

Melbourne Cup History

The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861 with seventeen horses contesting the race on Thursday, November 7th. The first race was a winner take all affair with £710 and a gold watch on the line. That first race was quite eventful, with a long shot named Archer coming from behind to take the win.

The race has grown into one of the world’s best known handicaps, with international horses, particularly from Europe and Japan, regularly in the field, and crowds of around 100,000 at Flemington. To learn more about the Melbourne Cup check out the Melbourne Cup Wikipedia page.