Betting on the 2024 Melbourne Cup with bookmakers offers real opportunities for multiples and winnings; for many punters, the chance to place a bet is an exciting part of the overall Cup experience. Like any major sporting event, the Cup attracts its fair share of even money bookmakers eager to take bets on all 24 runners. But betting on the Melbourne Cup isn't just about the Cup itself. A savvy punter will look for opportunities throughout the 10-race card at Flemington.
Betting on the Melbourne Cup in 2025 is likely to be more popular than ever, judging by the extraordinary and ever-increasing growth rate of the event's prize money. If we go back to the start of this race in 2005, we see a prize pool that was a modest $5 million; jump to 2020 and we're at a staggering $8 million! That number will undoubtedly have grown exponentially by 2025, making this event at least an annual parlay to plan and prepare for in between.
Kenyan punters can visit any of our recommended sports book sites to place bets on the 2025 Melbourne Cup odds. Betting on the Cup itself and its associated events is made easy by the clear structure of the event and the availability of our expert tips and predictions. The Melbourne Cup and its four associated events - the Victoria Derby, Kennedy Mile, Coolmore Classic and Oaks - form a betting carnival that we are keen to help our readers profit from. Here's why.
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Melbourne Cup Betting Guide
- What Is the Melbourne Cup?
- The 2025 Melbourne Cup Odds
- Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
- Favourites to win Melbourne Cup
What Is the Melbourne Cup?
If you're a first-time bettor, don't worry; we've got you covered. The Melbourne Cup is essentially a week-long festival of racing that takes place at Flemington Racecourse from Saturday to the following Saturday. It features a total of seven Group 1 races with all 24 runners in the Cup vying for first prize. The ambitious thoroughbreds race on a 3200-meter track in Melbourne's inner northwest, but not even close to the number of fans along the track in 2020. It was almost like a Hollies concert, amps turned up to 11, that just wouldn't stop.
On Derby Day you can place real-time bets on four of the most prestigious races: the Victorian Derby, the Myer Classic, the Kennedy Mile and the Coolmore Stud Stakes. The top Kenyan bookmakers are ahead of the curve and have already made the 2025 Melbourne Cup odds available to punters. Our site features these odds and in the last few days we've also dropped some betting tips to help players avoid going broke when backing horses.
The 2025 Melbourne Cup Odds
Every year, on the first Tuesday in November, horse racing enthusiasts around the world await one of the most coveted racing events - the Melbourne Cup. Held at the iconic Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, it attracts not only local fans, but also bettors and followers from around the world. As the 2025 edition approaches, the excitement is building and the latest 2025 Melbourne Cup odds are set to be unveiled any day now.
- Among the several horses that have emerged as early favorites, Incentivise stands out as one of the top contenders. The combination of her recent race results and her sheer talent - making her one of the most dominant stayers in Australian racing - gives us reason to believe that this horse has a better than average chance of winning. Currently the odds on Incentivise are around 5-1.
- Another horse to keep an eye on is Spanish Mission, who has had a profitable run in the United States and Europe and has shown the ability to handle all types of turf. He currently sits at around 8-1 on the betting line and those in the know expect him to run well in the Melbourne Cup.
- Sir Dragonet, winner of the 2022 Cox Plate, is currently a strong contender for the Melbourne Cup and is priced at around 10-1. Similarly, Twilight Payment, who won the 2020 Melbourne Cup, is a strong contender and is currently listed at around 12-1.
- However, like any horse race, the Melbourne Cup can produce upsets and many longshots have won it over the years. Those looking for a bigger payout may want to consider betting on some of the longer odds horses, such as Explosive Jack and Toffee Tongue, who are currently around 20-1.
When betting on the Melbourne Cup, it is necessary to research and consider many different components, such as the current form of the horse, the jockey, the trainer and the condition of the track. There are several ways to bet, such as win bets, place bets, and each-way bets, and they vary greatly in terms of payout and risk.
As the event approaches, the odds on the Melbourne Cup can be affected by many different things including the form of the horse, the condition of the rider and the condition of the track itself. For this reason, it is very important to keep up to date with the latest news and odds before placing a bet.
In conclusion, the Melbourne Cup is an electrifying event that attracts an international gathering of not only horse racing enthusiasts but also bettors of all stripes and types. With a gaggle of not just good, but great horses in the mix and several betting lines on offer, the pre-race buzz and excitement is almost palpable.
Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
Tipsters around the world are holding private meetings to discuss the Melbourne Cup 2025 odds, trying to establish some semblance of a betting pattern that might reduce the risk associated with placing a punt on the event. Actual punters on the ground in Kenya need to be aware that the odds provided these days are little more than educated guesses. See below what our professional guessers (or gamblers) have come up with:
- It's no surprise that a horse's post position and the barriers it's behind at the start of the race have historically had very little effect on which horse wins. So don't worry too much about the fences when it comes to your favorite horse.
- Flemington is a tough track and international runners have dominated the Melbourne Cup with the most wins (7) in the last 15 runs of the event.
- All horse racing odds are based on the expectation that the figures used by the bookmaker will be correct. You are not obliged to back the horse at the top of the market. You can always choose the more speculative option and increase your payout by picking a less likely winner.
- A quick look at the history of the Melbourne Cup shows that less than 25% of the bookmakers' picks have actually won the race. In stark contrast to our recent memory with horses such as Makybe Diva, the Cup winners of the last four years - Prince of Penzance (2015), Almandin (2016), Rekindling (2017) and Cross Counter (2018) - were all non-favorites going into the race. We might say that an upset was in the cards.
Who Will Win Melbourne Cup 2025?
Caulfield Cup winner Cross Counter is the bookmakers' favorite, but he doesn't have history on his side. In the long history of the event, only four horses have won back-to-back Cups. Mer De Glace has come out of nowhere recently to become a heavy favorite and many now see him as a potential winner. He also won the Japanese Raider, making him one of the favorites to win as well. If anyone can win it, it's Mer De Glace. He's won six races in a row, which is a solid streak going into the Melbourne Cup challenge. Here's a full list of horses, jockeys and trainers competing in the race:
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1. Cross Counter (5) | William Buick (57.5kg) | Charlie Appleby |
| 2. Mer De Glace (5) | Damian Lane (56.0kg) | Hisashi Shimizu |
| 3. Master Of Reality (5) | Frankie Dettori (55.5kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 4. Mirage Dancer (6) | Ben Melham (55.5kg) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
| 5. Southern France (5) | Mark Zahra (55.5kg) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
| 6. Hunting Horn (5) | Seamie Heffernan (55.0kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 7. Latrobe (5) | James McDonald (55.0kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 8. Mustajeer (7) | Damien Oliver (55.0kg) | Kris Lees |
| 9. Rostropovich (5) | Dwayne Dunn (55.0kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 10. Twilight Payment (7) | Hugh Bowman (55.0kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 11. Finche (6) | Kerrin McEvoy (54.0kg) | Chris Waller |
| 12. Prince Of Arran (7) | Michael Walker (54.0kg) | Charlie Fellowes |
| 13. Raymond Tusk (5) | Jamie Spencer (54.0kg) | Richard Hannon |
| 14. Downdraft (5) | John Allen (53.5kg) | Joseph O’Brien |
| 15. Magic Wand (5) | Ryan Moore (53.5kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 16. Neufbosc (5) | Luke Nolen (53.5kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 17. Sound (7) | James Winks (53.5kg) | Michael Moroney |
| 18. Surprise Baby (5) | Jordan Childs (53.5kg) | Paul Preusker |
| 19. Constantinople (4) | Joao Moreira (52.5kg) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig |
| 20. Il Paradiso (4) | Wayne Lordan (52.5kg) | Aidan O’Brien |
| 21. Steel Prince (6) | Brett Prebble (52.5kg) | Anthony Freedman |
| 22. The Chosen One (4) | Tim Clark (52.0kg) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman |
| 23. Vow And Declare (4) | Craig Williams (52.0kg) | Danny O’Brien |
| 24. Youngstar (5) | Tommy Berry (52.0kg) | Chris Waller |