Latest News
14/10/2025
Watch Out, Australia: Thore Hammer-Hansen Is Coming For The Melbourne Cup
With a name straight out of Norse mythology, Germany's champion rider will make his Australian debut at Flemington as his global rise continues.
Hawk Eye View
09/10/2025
Damian Lane To Ride Japanese Raider In Melbourne Cup
Damian Lane will fly to Japan at the start of November but will make a brief return to ride the Japanese raider Chevalier Rose in the Melbourne Cup, before heading back for the JRA’s autumn majors.
David Morgan
06/10/2025
From Mini Mutiny To Melbourne Cup: Morrison Lifts Lid On Racing’s Tipping Point
Racing Victoria’s chief opens up on punters being banned, the squeeze on bookmakers, power plays with Peter V’landys, and whether Australia’s mega-stables are too big to fail.
Adam Pengilly
03/10/2025
Masa Hashizume’s Unlikely Journey … And Now, Maybe, The Melbourne Cup
From troubled teen to waiter in a Japanese restaurant and now potentially a Melbourne Cup ride, Masa Hashizume has found direction in racing.
Andrew Hawkins, Shuhei Uwabo
01/10/2025
Knight’s Choice Melbourne Cup Prize Money Dispute Settled
Knight’s Choice won’t be going back-to-back in the Melbourne Cup next month but his trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons at last have a settlement on last year’s winnings.
Adam Pengilly
It is Australia’s most famous race and one of the most famous races on the planet – the Melbourne Cup.
It is the start of Australia’s hospitality season that runs through until Christmas as many Australians attend office parties and functions. Many will pause at 3pm on November 4 as 24 stayers aim to land one of the world’s great prizes over 3200m at Flemington Racecourse.
It remains Australia’s most famous race, the country’s most watched race and the Australian race that attracts most attention globally, even as challengers like The Everest – worth twice as much – have made inroads in recent years.
This year’s Melbourne Cup will be run for A$10 million (US$6.48 million) for the first time. It is also set to feature the first ever American-trained runner.
Idol Horse‘s Andrew Hawkins is a leading Melbourne Cup expert. His annual preview will be available after the barrier draw on Victoria Derby Day, but for the first time, his early groundwork is available in the days before the draw.
Winners of the Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861, when it was won by the Etienne de Mestre-trained Archer.
The 2025 winner will become the 160th individual horse to land the prize, given the great Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005) won the race on three occasions and Archer (1861, 1862), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), Rain Lover (1968, 1969) and Think Big (1974, 1975) won the race twice.
Last year’s shock winner Knight’s Choice has been ruled out of a defence, meaning a new winner is guaranteed in 2025.
Find all winners of the Melbourne Cup by scrolling across below:
Likely 2025 Melbourne Cup Field
A total of 40 horses remain in contention for the Melbourne Cup after third declarations were taken on October 27.
Here are the 24 Melbourne Cup runners if the field were to be finalised today with likely riders. Hover over each for more information:
2025 Melbourne Cup Speed Map
Idol Horse will assess the way this year’s Melbourne Cup will likely be run after the barrier draw, which will be conducted following Victoria Derby Day on November 1.
2025 Melbourne Cup Preview
Make sure to return on November 1 for Andrew Hawkins’ comprehensive preview.
2025 Melbourne Cup Tips
Come back after Victoria Derby Day on November 1 for selections from the Idol Horse team.
Melbourne Cup Statistics
The Spring Racing Carnival always draws in “once-a-year punters” – the casual fans who pick horses based on lucky numbers, favourite colours or names that spark a personal connection.
That element adds a layer of unpredictability and charm to the day’s wagering dynamic, but there is still some serious analysis that can be gleaned from these statistics.
Here are some stats that could appeal both to the serious horseplayer and casual ‘Cups’ fan.
Here is how often each colour has appeared in the winning silks since 1861:
Barriers were first recorded in 1920 and were officially balloted in 1924 ahead of raceday. Starting stalls were introduced in 1958.
Here are the winning stall numbers since 1920:
As a handicap, the key is often to find the lightly weighted horse at the right time.
The below chart, though, shows that there is little correlation between weight and odds for winners.
Here is the historic representation of ages and sexes among Melbourne Cup winners.
While internationally bred winners are far more frequent these days, New South Wales alone has still produced the most winners of any state, territory or foreign country on 49. New Zealand is not far behind on 44.
Melbourne Cup Milestones
This year marks a number of significant Melbourne Cup milestones.
It is a decade (2015) since Michelle Payne became the first female jockey ever to win the Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance. She remains the only woman to ride a Melbourne Cup winner.
Twenty years ago (2005), Makybe Diva became the first and only horse to win the Melbourne Cup for the third time.
Forty years ago (1985), the Melbourne Cup was sponsored for the first time (by Foster’s) and it became the first ever million-dollar race run in Australia.
Fifty years ago (1975), Think Big became the most recent male horse to win the race twice.
Sixty years ago (1965), Bart Cummings won the first of 12 Melbourne Cups with Light Fingers. He also prepared runner-up Ziema.
Seventy years ago (1955), Rising Fast was denied in his bid to win the race for the second year in a row. In 1954, he became the only horse to win the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup treble in the same year. He won the Caulfield Cup again in 1955 but was a controversial second to Toparoa in the Melbourne Cup.
Three-quarters of a century ago (1950), the Cummings family won its first Melbourne Cup with Comic Court. Trained by Jim Cummings, Comic Court was strapped by Jim’s son – and future 12-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer – Bart.
Eighty years ago (1945), the Melbourne Cup returned to the first Tuesday in November after three years as a Saturday race during World War II. It has been run on the first Tuesday in November ever since.
It is 110 years (1915) since Edith Widdis became the first woman to own a Melbourne Cup winner when Patrobas took the prize.
Stay tuned to Idol Horse for the latest Melbourne Cup news. Make sure to return after the barrier draw on November 1 for full profiles and selections. ∎
