Everyone is an expert. Everyone reckons they have the winner. Every horse in the field is a chance, depending on who you speak to.
This is the story of the biggest race on the Australian thoroughbred calendar – the Melbourne Cup.
The Melbourne Cup – Flemington Racecourse
When it comes to the Melbourne Cup, you don’t have to be a horse racing expert to have a bet — it is the race that brings a nation together.
| DATE: | November 3, 2020 |
|---|---|
| VENUE: | Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington, VIC |
| DISTANCE: | 3200 metres |
| FIRST RUNNING: | 1861 |
| TICKETS: | No public access |
| CONTACT | 1300 727 575, [email protected] |
Whether its grandma Beryl dropping a fiver on the horse that has the name she likes the most, or hardened punters splurging the big bucks on curious exotics, every one is united on the bet during the three and a half minute, two mile race as they cheer their charge home.
It might actually be inaccurate to call it the race that stops the nation. Perhaps the race that stops the world? The event is broadcast into 120 countries, with an estimated 700 million people tuning in to watch.
What is the Melbourne Cup?
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The Melbourne Cup is the world’s richest handicap race, with a prize pool in excess of $6.4 million available to the 24-horse field. It is raced over 3200 metres and open to horses aged three years and older.
Being that it’s a handicap event, the best horses are allocated weight penalties in order to level the playing field. The minimum weight is 49 kilograms, while the top weight must carry 57 kilograms or more. The handicapper declares the weights and then will allocate penalties – i.e., more weight – if any of the nominated runners win further big races in the lead up to the cup.
The Melbourne Cup race is held on the first Tuesday in November at the storied Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. It is the main event of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (the Cup, the Derby, the Oaks and Stakes Day), which is part of the broader Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Entries for the Melbourne Cup close during the first week of August. If there are more than 24 nominees, horses are balloted, with factors such as prize money, results in recent races and handicap weight taken into account to exclude runners.
Direct entry is gained if a horse wins one or more of the following races: Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, Doncaster Cup (UK), Lexus Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes, Irish St. Leger (Ireland), Victoria Derby, Tenno Sho (Japan), Arlington Million (USA), Sankei Sho All Comers (Japan), San Juan Capistrano Handicap (USA), Australian Stayers Challenge.
Best bookmakers for the 2020 Melbourne Cup
Any bookmaker worth their salt will have a number of bonuses and specials available in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup.
So which online book is going to deliver the best service for you?
Best Bookies for the Melbourne Cup
#1
|
Fast Payouts BetOnline50% matched deposit up to USD $5,000
|
Visit BetOnline BetOnline Review |
#2
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Live Betting Odds BovadaClaim a 50% deposit bonus up to the value of USD $250
|
Visit Bovada Bovada Review |
The truth of the matter is, the bookmakers we recommend all bring their absolute A-game to the Melbourne Cup.
Whether it’s Sportsbet, the new BetEasy, Bet365 or Neds, you’re going to get a quality service, quality bonus offers and more.
So what we recommend is that you have an account with each and every one of them, to ensure you are getting the best odds on your big Melbourne Cup tip.
It costs nothing to open an account at these online bookmakers and once you have one, you’ll be able to compare odds, take advantage of the best specials available to you and make sure that you’re maximising every cent you punt on the big race.
Finalised 2020 Melbourne Cup Field
| 2020 Melbourne Cup Field | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Silks | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Odds |
| 1 |  |
Anthony Van Dyck | Aidan O’Brien | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 58.5kg | $8.50 |
| 2 |  |
Avilius | James Cummings | John Allen | 10 | 57kg | $51 |
| 3 |  |
Vow And Declare | Danny O’Brien | Jamie Mott | 4 | 57kg | $51 |
| 4 |  |
Master Of Reality | Joseph O’Brien | Ben Melham | 11 | 56kg | $26 |
| 5 |  |
Sir Dragonet | C Maher & D Eustace | Glen Boss | 14 | 55.5kg | $10 |
| 6 |  |
Twilight Payment | Joseph O’Brien | Jye McNeil | 12 | 55.5kg | $31 |
| 7 |  |
Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | Mark Zahra | 15 | 55.5kg | $13 |
| 8 |  |
Mustajeer | Kris Lees | Michael Rodd | 2 | 55kg | $101 |
| 9 |  |
Stratum Albion | Willie Mullins | Jordan Childs | 9 | 55kg | $47 |
| 10 |  |
Dashing Willoughby | Andrew Balding | Michael Walker | 19 | 54.5kg | $101 |
| 11 |  |
Finche | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 6 | 54.5kg | $19 |
| 12 |  |
Prince Of Arran | Charlie Fellowes | Jamie Kah | 1 | 54.5kg | $12 |
| 13 |  |
Surprise Baby | Paul Preusker | Craig Williams | 7 | 54.5kg | $9.50 |
| 14 |  |
SCR | |||||
| 15 |  |
Russian Camelot | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | 16 | 53.5kg | $13 |
| 16 |  |
Steel Prince | A & S Freedman | William Pike | 21 | 53.5kg | $44 |
| 17 |  |
The Chosen One | M Baker & A Forsman | Daniel Stackhouse | 5 | 53.5kg | $42 |
| 18 |  |
Ashrun | Andreas Wohler | Declan Bates | 24 | 53kg | $23 |
| 19 |  |
Warning | A & S Freeman | Luke Currie | 8 | 53kg | $51 |
| 20 |  |
Etah James | C Maher & D Eustace | Billy Egan | 22 | 52.5kg | $201 |
| 21 |  |
Tiger Moth | Aidan O’Brien | Kerrin McEvoy | 23 | 52.5kg | $8.60 |
| 22 |  |
Oceanex | M Price & M Kent jnr | Dean Yendall | 17 | 51.5kg | $101 |
| 23 |  |
Miami Bound | Danny O’Brien | Daniel Moor | 21 | 51kg | $41 |
| 24 |  |
Persan | C Maher & D Eustace | Michael Dee | 20 | 51kg | $42 |
Recent Melbourne Cup results
2018 Melbourne Cup results
PLACE HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY WIN ODDS PLACE ODDS 1st Cross Counter Charlie Appleby Kerrin McEvoy $12 $4.40 2nd Marmelo Hughie Morrison Hugh Bowman $4.10 3rd Prince Of Arran Charlie Fellows Michael Walker $7 4th Finche Chris Waller Zac Purton QUINELLA: $74.90 TRIFECTA: $2,541.90 FIRST FOUR: $38,020.70 2018 Melbourne Cup field
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds 1 
Best Solution Saeed bin Suroor Pat Cosgrave 6 57.5kg $15 2 
The Cliffsofmoher Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 9 56.5kg $17 3 
Magic Circle Ian Williams Corey Brown 17 56kg $8.50 4 
Chestnut Coat Yoshito Yahagi Yuga Kawada 4 55.5kg $9.50 5 
Muntahaa John Gosden Jim Crowley 13 55.5kg $10 6 
Sound Check Mike Moroney Jordan Childs 16 55.5kg $67 7 
Who Shot TheBarman Chris Waller Ben Melham 18 55.5kg $8.50 8 
Ace High David Payne Tye Angland 22 55kg $11 9 
Marmelo Hughie Morrison Hugh Bowman 10 55kg $17 10 
Avilius James Cummings Glyn Schofield 11 54.5kg $13 11 
Yucatan Aidan O’Brien James McDonald 23 54.5kg $4.50 12 
Auvray Richard Freedman Tommy Berry 1 54kg $91 13 
Finche Chris Waller Zac Purton 15 54kg $26 14 
Red Cardinal Darren Weir Damien Oliver 5 54kg $34 15 
Vengeur Masque Mike Moroney Patrick Moloney 2 54kg $67 16 
Ventura Storm Hayes, Hayes & Dabernig Mark Zahra 7 54kg $34 17 
A Prince of Arran Charlie Fellowes Michael Walker 20 53kg $15 18 
Nakeeta Iain Jardine Regan Bayliss 3 53kg $81 19 
Sir Charles Road Sullivan & Scott Dwayne Dunn 14 53kg $101 20 
Zacada Forsman & Baker Damien Lane 24 53kg $126 21 
Runaway Waterhouse & Bott Stephen Baster 12 52kg $34 22 
Youngstar Chriss Waller Craig Williams 8 51.5kg $21 23 
Cross Counter Charlie Appleby Kerrin McEvoy 19 51kg $9 24 
Rostropovich Aidan O’Brien Wayne Lordan 21 51kg $21
