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Mugs guide to Melbourne Cup betting
The Melbourne Cup is the one day on the racing calendar where the hardcore punter and the first-timer come together to enjoy the thoroughbred action and have a sneaky bet.
These days you don’t have to waste your time lining up at the pub, and if you sign up at an online bookmaker you can place your Cup punt from the couch.
If you’re new to the game, or just don’t know how to bet on the race that stops a nation, you have come to the right place.
This mugs guide to betting on the Melbourne Cup will give you everything you need to make some cash on the world’s richest staying race.
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Melbourne Cup 2024 results & dividends
| Place | No. | Colours | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 |  |
$91 | $17.80 | |||
| 2nd | 4 |  |
$9.30 | ||||
| 3rd | 12 |  |
$4.80 | ||||
| 4th | 14 |  |
|||||
| Quinella | $887.80 | Trifecta | $22,576.80 | First Four | $728,015.70 | ||
2024 Melbourne Cup finishing order
| Place | No. | Colours | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 | |
Knight’s Choice | Johny Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | $91 | – |
| 2nd | 4 | |
Warp Speed | Noboru Takagi | Akira Sugawara | $26 | 0.1L |
| 3rd | 12 | |
Okita Soushi | Ciaron Maher | Jamie Kah | $19 | 0.85L |
| 4th | 14 | |
Zardozi | James Cummings | Andrea Atzeni | $14 | 1.3L |
| 5th | 9 |  |
Absurde | Willow Mullins | Kerrin McEvoy | $10 | 1.71L |
| 6th | 3 |  |
Circle Of Fire | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | $21 | 2.71L |
| 7th | 17 |  |
Fancy Man | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ron Stewart | $81 | 2.86L |
| 8th | 8 |  |
Land Legend | Chris Waller | Zac Purton | $15 | 3.32L |
| 9th | 2 |  |
Buckaroo | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | $6 | 3.52L |
| 10th | 5 |  |
Kovalica | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | $26 | 4.27L |
| 11th | 1 |  |
Vauban | Willie Mullins | William Buick | $8 | 5.02L |
| 12th | 13 |  |
Onesmoothoperator | Brian Ellison | Craig Williams | $7 | 5.42L |
| 13th | 16 |  |
Valiant King | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | $91 | 5.52L |
| 14th | 15 |  |
Sea King | Harry Eustace | Hollie Doyle | $12 | 6.02L |
| 15th | 18 |  |
Interpretation | Ciaron Maher | Teo Nugent | $21 | 7.77L |
| 16th | 6 |  |
Sharp ‘N’ Smart | Graeme & Deborah Rogerson | Michael Dee | $51 | 9.52L |
| 17th | 24 |  |
Trust In You | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | Mark Du Plessis | $71 | 9.98L |
| 18th | 20 |  |
Mostly Cloudy | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Karis Teetan | $91 | 10.98L |
| 19th | 19 |  |
Manzoice | Chris Waller | Declan Bates | $101 | 13.23L |
| 20th | 21 |  |
Positivity | Andrew Forsman | Winona Costin | $101 | 13.63L |
| 21st | 23 |  |
The Map | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Rachel King | $71 | 14.09L |
| 22nd | 22 |  |
Saint George | Ciaron Maher | Tyler Schiller | $26 | 15.34L |
| 23rd | 7 |  |
Just Fine | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jye McNeil | $31 | 25.34L |
| Scr | 10 |  |
2024 Melbourne Cup field & race odds
| No. | Silks | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Vauban | Willie Mullins | William Buick | 11 | 55.5kg | +500 |
| 2 | |
Buckaroo | Chris Walle | Joao Moreira | 21 | 54.5kg | +400 |
| 3 | |
Circle Of Fire | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 24 | 54.5kg | +3300 |
| 4 | |
Warp Speed | Noboru Takagi | Akira Sugawara | 3 | 54.5kg | +4000 |
| 5 | |
Kovalica | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 17 | 53.5kg | +2500 |
| 6 | |
Sharp ‘N’ Smart | Graeme & Deborah Rogerson | Michael Dee | 15 | 53.5kg | +7000 |
| 7 | |
Just Fine | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jye McNeil | 13 | 53kg | +3300 |
| 8 | |
Land Legend | Chris Waller | Zac Purton | 18 | 53kg | +2000 |
| 9 | |
Absurde | Willie Mullins | Kerrin McEvoy | 7 | 52.5kg | +1000 |
| 10 | |
Athabascan | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 2 | 52kg | +4000 |
| 11 | |
Knight’s Choice | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 6 | 51.5kg | +15000 |
| 12 | |
Okita Soushi | Ciaron Maher | Jamie Kah | 10 | 51kg | +1600 |
| 13 | |
Onesmoothoperator | Brian Ellison | Craig Williams | 12 | 51kg | +700 |
| 14 | |
Zardozi | James Cummings | Andrea Atzeni | 4 | 51kg | +1300 |
| 15 | |
Sea King | Harry Eustace | Hollie Doyle | 1 | 50.5kg | +850 |
| 16 | |
Valiant King | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 22 | 50.5kg | +6000 |
| 17 | |
Fancy Man | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ron Stewart | 19 | 50kg | +10000 |
| 18 | |
Interpretation | Ciaron Maher | Teo Nugent | 14 | 50kg | +1800 |
| 19 | |
Manzoice | Chris Waller | Declan Bates | 8 | 50kg | +8000 |
| 20 | |
Mostly Cloudy | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Karis Teetan | 16 | 50kg | +10000 |
| 21 | |
Positivity | Andrew Forsman | Winona Costin | 20 | 50kg | +10000 |
| 22 | |
Saint George | Ciaron Maher | Tyler Schiller | 9 | 50kg | +3300 |
| 23 | |
The Map | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Rachel King | 23 | 50kg | +2500 |
| 24 | |
Trust In You | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | Mark Du Plessis | 5 | 50kg | +15000 |
2024 Melbourne Cup order of entry
The Melbourne Cup order of entry is a complete ranking list of all nominated runners based on their results since February 1 of the previous year. Horses can earn automatic entry into the final field by winning certain designated races, including The Bart Cummings, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.
| Order | Horse | Age | Weight | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Cup ballot exempt horses as of October 30, 2024: 2 | ||||
| Exempt | Just Fine (IRE) | |||
| Exempt | The Map | |||
| Passed 2024 Melbourne Cup ballot clause as of October 30, 2024: 25 | ||||
| 3 | Vauban (FR) | |||
| 4 | Circle Of Fire (GB) | |||
| 5 | Buckaroo (GB) | |||
| 6 | Warp Speed (JPN) | |||
| 7 | Zardozi | |||
| 8 | Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) | |||
| 9 | Kovalica (NZ) | |||
| 10 | Land Legend (FR) | |||
| 11 | Absurde (FR) | |||
| 12 | Athabascan (FR) | |||
| 13 | Mahrajaan (USA) | |||
| 14 | Knight’s Choice | |||
| 15 | Okita Soushi (IRE) | |||
| 16 | Onesmoothoperator (USA) | |||
| 17 | Sea King (GB) | |||
| 18 | Valiant King (GB) | |||
| 19 | Interpretation (IRE) | |||
| 20 | Fancy Man (IRE) | |||
| 21 | Mostly Cloudy (IRE) | |||
| 22 | Positivity (NZ) | |||
| 23 | Mission Of Love | |||
| 24 | Trust In You (NZ) | |||
| 25 | Saint George (GB) | |||
| 26 | Manzoice | |||
| 27 | Kinesiology (GB) | |||
| Not Passed Melbourne Cup first ballot clause as of October 30, 2024: 2 | ||||
| 28 | Francesco Guardi (IRE) | |||
| 29 | Waltham (GB) | |||
Previous Melbourne Cup results
Order Horse Age Weight Trainer Melbourne Cup ballot exempt horses as of October 30, 2023: 3 1 Without A Fight (IRE) 7 56.5kg Anthony & Sam Freedman 2 Absurde (FR) 6 53kg Willie Mullins 3 Future History (GB) 6 50kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Passed 2023 Melbourne Cup ballot clause as of October 24, 2023: 28 4 Gold Trip (FR) 7 58.5kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 5 Alenquer (FR) 6 56.5kg Mike Moroney 6 Breakup (JPN) 6 55kg Tatsuya Yoshioka 7 Vauban (FR) 6 55kg Willie Mullins 8 Soulcombe (GB) 5 53.5kg Chris Waller 9 Vow And Declare 8 53kg Danny O’Brien 10 Right You Are 7 53kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 11 Magical Lagoon (IRE) 5 51kg Chris Waller 12 Virtuous Circle (NZ) 4 51kg Liam Howley 13 Lastotchka (FR) 5 51kg Jean-Marie Beguigne 14 Cleveland (IRE) 6 52kg Kris Lees 15 Sheraz (FR) 7 51.5kg Chris Waller 16 Daqiansweet Junior (NZ) 6 51.5kg Phillip Stokes 17 Valiant King (GB) 4 50kg Joseph O’Brien 18 Ashrun (FR) 8 51.5kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 19 Okita Soushi (IRE) 6 51.5kg Joseph O’Brien 20 Military Mission (IRE) 6 51kg Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 21 King Frankel (IRE) 6 51kg Annabel Neasham 22 Serpentine (IRE) 7 51kg Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 23 More Felons (IRE) 5 50.5kg Chris Waller 24 True Marvel (FR) 8 50kg Matthew Smith 25 Ladies Man 6 50kg Allan Sharrock 26 Athabascan (FR) 5 50kg John O’Shea 27 United Nations 5 50kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 28 Fancy Man (IRE) 6 50kg Annabel Neasham 29 Hasta La War 8 50kg Sue Murphy 30 Kalapour (IRE) 7 50kg Kris Lees 31 Interpretation (IRE) 6 50kg Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Not Passed Melbourne Cup first ballot clause as of October 30, 2023: 1 32 Mostly Cloudy (IRE) 5 50kg Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds 1 
Gold Trip Ciaron Maher & David Eustace James McDonald 2 58.5kg +600 2 Alenquer Michael Moroney Damien Oliver 9 56.5kg +5000 3 Without A Fight Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra 16 56.5kg +550 4 Breakup Tatsuya Yoshioka Kohei Matsuyama 18 55kg +1800 5 Vauban Willie Mullins Ryan Moore 3 55kg +360 6 Soulcombe Chris Waller Joao Moreira 4 53.5kg +900 7 Absurde Willie Mullins Zac Purton 8 53kg +900 8 Right You Are Ciaron Maher & David Eustace John Allen 15 53kg +3300 9 Vow And Declare Danny O’Brien Billy Egan 19 53kg +2500 10Cleveland Kris Lees Michael Dee 23 52kg SCR 11 Ashrun Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Kerrin McEvoy 11 51.5kg +3300 12 Daqiansweet Junior Phillip Stokes Daniel Stackhouse 12 51.5kg +8000 13 Okita Soushi Joseph O’Brien Dylan Gibbons 20 51.5kg +8000 14 Sheraz Chris Waller Beau Mertens 22 51.5kg +12500 15 Lastotchka Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Craig Williams 21 51kg +1700 16 Magical Lagoon Chris Waller Mark Du Plessis 7 51kg +15000 17 Military Mission Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Rachel King 5 51kg +2200 18 Serpentine Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Jye McNeil 1 51kg +4000 19 Virtuous Circle Liam Howley Craig Newitt 6 51kg +20000 20 More Felons Chris Waller Jamie Kah 24 50.5kg +2500 21 Future History Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Hollie Doyle 13 50kg +2000 22 Interpretation Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Teo Nugent 17 50kg +10000 23 Kalapour Kris Lees Zac Lloyd 14 50kg +4000 24 True Marvel Matthew Smith Ben Thompson 10 50kg +12500
Place No. Colours Horse Trainer Jockey Win Place 1st 1 Without A Fight Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra $9.00 $3.30 2nd 6 Soulcombe Chris Waller Joao Moreira $3.40 3rd 14 Sheraz Chris Waller Beau Mertens $21.00 4th 11 Ashrun Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Kerrin McEvoy Quinella $43.20 Trifecta $10,668.10 First Four $332,291.10
Where can I place a bet on the Melbourne Cup?
If you are like us, you have no interest in standing in line for hours on end just to get a chance to place a Melbourne Cup bet down at your local pub.
That’s where the advent of smartphones has helped punters. All the bookmakers below have both optimised for mobile betting and all our recommended bookmakers have betting apps that can be downloaded for easy access to Melbourne Cup markets.
Click on any of the banners below to read our comprehensive reviews of each bookmaker to choose which one is right for you ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
Could our exclusive Neds bonus be what you need? Click on the reviews to find out.
When is the 2024 Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup is always held on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington Racecourse. In 2024, the race that stops a nation is on November 5. The Cup is usually scheduled as the seventh race on the card, and this year it is set to jump at 3pm AEDT.
Who is the 2024 Melbourne Cup favourite?
As of November 4, the 2024 Melbourne Cup betting favourites are:
- Buckaroo – +600
- Vauban – +600
- Onesmoothoperator – +750
- Absurde – +900
- Zardozi – +900
Complete Melbourne Cup odds available at Neds
What kind of bets can you place on the Melbourne Cup?
When it comes to betting on the horses the only real limitation these days is your own imagination.
Click on the drop boxes below to quickly catch-up on the most popular Melbourne Cup racing betting options:
If you are looking to place a bet on a single horse you have two options. If you place a win bet, you will get a winning return if your horse passes the winning post first.A place bet will hand you a winning return if you horse finishes inside the top-three.
It is important to remember though, if you put on a place bet and your horse wins you will only get the place dividend, not the winning one.
- If you are looking at securing a higher dividend, a multiple bet option could be for you.
A Quinella or Exacta bet is picking the horses that finish first and second in the race. A quinella means they can be in any order and an exacta means they have to be in the exact order.
One of the more popular Melbourne Cup bets is a trifecta.
To get a winning trifecta return you have to pick the top-three horses in the race. You can elect to choose the horses in the correct finishing order, or do what is called a boxed trifecta which means any horses included can run in any order. Just remember, a boxed bet diminishes your dividend.
- Last of the big multiple bets you can place is a first four, which is self-explanatory. Much like the trifecta, you can pick your four runners to finish in the correct order, or you can box them up and not worry about the finishing positions.
- Another multiple bet that you can place is a quaddie, which includes other races being held that day. To have a winning return on a quaddie you need to pick the winners of the last four races on Melbourne Cup day, starting with race seven, which is the Melbourne Cup itself.
Each race you can put in as many horses as you want to win each ‘leg’, but any additional horse you add to each race subtracts from your overall return.
Are there other races I can bet upon on Melbourne Cup Day?
Yes, there are.
Melbourne Cup Day is one of the busiest times of the year at Flemington, with 10 races for punters to have a bet on.
The first race on the card kicks off just before midday and the final race isn’t until close to 6pm AEDT, so there are plenty of opportunities to invest on that first Tuesday in November.
What else do you need to know before putting on your Melbourne Cup bet?
Outside of selecting your bet type, the rest is up to you.
Many first-timers like to choose a horse based on the jockey’s silk colour, while others enjoy taking a look at the name of the horse and basing their bet on that. Often there are patterns and coincidences that seem to be reflected in race results of certain Cup races, and the Melbourne Cup is no different. Read our guide on Melbourne Cup statistics guide to get a better understanding of factors that can help you find the Cup winner.
If you are looking to make a more informed decision, the odds you get on each horse are a good indication. If a horse is paying less to win, it means in general there is a greater likelihood that elect will run well.
If you are looking to delve even further, you can read the form guide, which bookmakers like Betfair provide free of charge. Simply click or tap on your selected horse and you can see how it has gone in its most recent races.
Outside of that, our advice is to have fun and enjoy what is one of the world’s greatest horse races.
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