The Melbourne Cup is tagged “the race that stops the nation” and it certainly stops its home state of Victoria. It takes place on the first Tuesday of November and that is an annual public holiday in Victoria, which only adds to the fervour and excitement around the race. The contest itself was first run in 1861, meaning it has some serious history. It also offers some serious riches, with over £4m in prize money up for grabs. Flemington Racecourse is the host venue for this famous 3,200m (just under two miles) contest and the Melbourne Cup is open to any horse aged three and up.
It is the highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and sees tens of thousands of fans turn up to cheer on their horses. The record attendance came in 2003 when almost 123,000 people watched the race. Unsurprisingly domestic horses lead the way in terms of winners but there have been around 20 victors from beyond Australia or New Zealand over the years. Makybe Diva is the only horse to win the race three times, scoring a hat-trick of wins consecutively from 2003 onwards.
2025 - Half Yours
Jamie Melham became only the second woman to ride a Melbourne Cup winner as Half Yours triumphed at Flemington. Racing on rain-affected ground, the Australian-bred five-year-old stayed on strongly to defeat Irish challenger Goodie Two Shoes, with Middle Earth also involved in the closing stages. Melham timed her challenge perfectly, taking the lead inside the final 300 metres before pulling clear to win by around two lengths. The victory was a win for the only Australian-bred horse in this year’s contest and saw Melham become the first female rider to complete the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double, a genuinely historic moment for the sport in Australia.
- 1st – Half Yours 8/1, Jockey: Jamie Melham, Trainer: Tony McEvoy & Calvin McEvoy
- 2nd – Goodie Two Shoes 40/1, Jockey: Wayne Lordan, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
- 3rd – Middle Earth 25/1, Jockey: Ethan Brown, Trainer: Ciaron Maher
- 4th – River Of Stars 18/1, Jockey: Beau Mertens, Trainer: Chris Waller
2024 - Knight’s Choice
We witnessed a major shock in this year’s race as 90-1 outsider Knight's Choice snatched a dramatic victory. Eight years after moving to Australia, Robbie Dolan guided the five-year-old through a crowded field before producing a decisive late surge down the centre of the track. Warp Speed challenged strongly in the final strides, but Knight's Choice prevailed by a head in a thrilling finish. It was an unlucky runner-up spot for Warp Speed, who struggled to find a gap during the final two furlongs.
- 1st - Knight’s Choice 90/1, Jockey: Robbie Dolan, Trainer: John Symons & Sheila Laxon
- 2nd - Warp Speed 25/1, Jockey: Akira Sugawara, Trainer: Noboru Takagi
- 3rd - Okita Soushi 18/1, Jockey: Jamie Kah, Trainer: Ciaron Maher
- 4th - Zardozi 13/1, Jockey: Andrea Atzeni, Trainer: James Cummings
2023 - Without A Fight
Without A Fight completed the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double with an emphatic victory at Flemington. Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, the stayer travelled strongly under Mark Zahra before sweeping past his rivals in the closing stages. Zahra had time to look around as his mount established a commanding advantage, and still finished two lengths clear even after easing off in the closing strides. The triumph made Zahra the first jockey since Glen Boss (2003, 2004 and 2005) to win consecutive Melbourne Cups.
- 1st - Without A Fight 7/1, Jockey: Mark Zahra, Trainer: Anthony & Sam Freedman
- 2nd - Soulcombe 17/2, Jockey: Joao Moreira, Trainer: Chris Waller
- 3rd - Sheraz 150/1, Jockey: Beau Mertens, Trainer: Chris Waller
- 4th - Ashrun 25/1, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
2022 - Gold Trip
Mark Zahra gained redemption after missing the previous year's race as Gold Trip stormed to victory. The French-bred six-year-old finished a tight second in the Caulfield Cup but went one better over the longer Flemington distance. Favourite Deauville Legend looked a serious contender entering the straight, yet Zahra moved Gold Trip into the lead and quickly put the field under pressure. While repelling the pressure from Emissary, High Emocean made a blistering surge from deep, but ran out of track before she could become a major threat.
- 1st - Gold Trip 20/1, Jockey: Mark Zahra, Trainer: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- 2nd - Emissary 25/1, Jockey: Patrick Moloney, Trainer: Michael Moroney
- 3rd - High Emocean 40/1, Jockey: Teodore Nugent, Trainer: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- 4th - Deuville Legend 17/5F, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: James Ferguson
2021 - Verry Elleegant
Verry Elleegant overturned the odds to defeat heavily backed favourite Incentivise and give trainer Chris Waller his first Melbourne Cup victory. James McDonald produced a confident ride, bringing the mare into contention before she swept past the leader with 300 metres remaining. She then pulled away to win convincingly, leaving the previously unbeaten Incentivise to settle for second. The result was especially notable because Verry Elleegant started from gate 18, which had never produced a winner prior to this race since the introduction of barriers all the way back in 1924.
- 1st - Verry Elleegant 17/1, Jockey: James McDonald, Trainer: Chris Waller
- 2nd - Incentivise 19/10F, Jockey: Brett Prebble, Trainer: Peter Moody
- 3rd - Spanish Mission 9/1, Jockey: Craig Williams, Trainer: Ciaron Andrew Balding
- 4th - Floating Artist 10/1, Jockey: Teodore Nugent, Trainer: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
2020 - Twilight Payment
An O’Brien family battle saw Twilight Payment lead from the front to win the 160th running of the race. Jockey Jye McNeil stuck to the plan of making the running, holding off a determined late challenge from favourite Tiger Moth to secure success for owner Lloyd Williams, who claimed his seventh Cup. Joseph O’Brien had now pipped his father to first place in the Melbourne Cup twice, having also done so with Rekindling in 2017. However, the win was very much soured by the death of Aidan’s Anthony Van Dyck, who suffered a fatal injury approaching the home straight.
- 1st - Twilight Payment 25/1, Jockey: Jye McNeil, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
- 2nd - Tiger Moth 11/2, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 3rd - Prince Of Arran 17/2, Jockey: Charlie Fellowes, Trainer: Jamie Kah
- 4th - The Chosen One 40/1, Jockey: Daniel Stackhouse, Trainer: Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
2019 - Vow and Declare
There was no shortage of drama in this year’s contest, which went the way of the Australian-trained Vow and Declare but only following a stewards' inquiry. A determined effort from Vow and Declare saw him narrowly hold off a horde of rivals, including Frankie Dettori on board Master of Reality. However, officials ruled that the Italian had impeded Il Paradiso, and handed him a nine-meeting ban. The result was also amended, promoting Prince Of Arran to second and Il Paradiso to third, while Master Of Reality dropped to fourth. This unbelievable renewal saw the top six horses separated by just a length in one of the most thrilling finales ever.
- 1st - Vow and Declare 10/1, Jockey: Craig Williams, Trainer: Danny O'Brien
- 2nd - Prince of Arran 20/1, Jockey: Michael Walker, Trainer: Charlie Fellowes
- 3rd - Il Paradiso 14/1, Jockey: Wayne Lordan, Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
- 4th - Master Of Reality 25/1 (disq), Jockey: Frankie Dettori, Trainer: Joseph Patrick O'Brien
2018 - Cross Counter
Cross Counter made history in Australia by becoming the first British-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. Charlie Appleby's four-year-old settled towards the back during the early stages on rain-softened ground, then moved wide to launch his challenge in the straight. He swept past Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran to lead home a British-trained clean sweep of the first three places. The end of this British curse (eight runner-up finishes) was marred by the death of The Cliffsofmoher, who suffered a fractured shoulder early in the contest.
- 1st - Cross Counter 8/1, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: Charlie Appleby
- 2nd - Marmelo 13/1, Jockey: Hugh Bowmen, Trainer: Hughie Morrison
- 3rd - Prince of Arran 19/1, Jockey: Michael Walker, Trainer: Charlie Fellowes
- 4th - Finche 25/1, Jockey: Zac Purton, Trainer: Chris Waller
2017 - Rekindling
Joseph O'Brien defeated his father Aidan in a memorable family duel as Rekindling won at just three years old. Corey Brown brought the Irish stayer into contention during the closing stages, passing Johannes Vermeer with around 100 metres remaining. Johannes Vermeer held second, with Max Dynamite third, completing an Irish-trained clean sweep of the podium. The victory made O'Brien, aged just 24, the youngest winning trainer in the race's history while Rekindling became the first three-year-old winner since 1941. Southern hemisphere age classifications meant he was considered a four-year-old locally though.
- 1st - Rekindling 14/1, Jockey: Corey Brown, Trainer: Joseph O'Brien
- 2nd - Johannes Vermeer 12/1, Jockey: Ben Melham, Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
- 3rd - Max Dynamite 19/1, Jockey: Zac Purton, Trainer: Willie Mullins
- 4th - Big Duke 20/1, Jockey: Brenton Avdulla, Trainer: Darren Weir
2016 - Almandin
Almandin prevailed in a thrilling two-horse finish, denying Heartbreak City by the narrowest of margins at Flemington. Kerrin McEvoy positioned the German-bred gelding behind the leaders before launching his challenge in the straight as rain began to fall. The only other challenger, Heartbreak City, looked poised to win after taking the lead, but Almandin gradually closed the gap and edged ahead in the final strides. As they crossed the line, Heartbreak City seemed the most fitting name as the French-bred horse had to settle for a head’s length defeat.
- 1st - Almandin 10/1, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: Robert Hickmott
- 2nd - Heartbreak City 18/1, Jockey: Joao Moreira, Trainer: Tony Martin
- 3rd - Hartnell 9/2F, Jockey: James McDonald, Trainer: John O'Shea
- 4th - Qewy 20/1, Jockey: Craig Williams, Trainer: Charlie Appleby
2015 - Prince of Penzance
- 1st - Prince of Penzance 100/1, Jockey: Michelle Payne, Trainer: Darren Weir
- 2nd - Max Dynamite 12/1, Jockey: Frankie Dettori, Trainer: Willie Mullins
- 3rd - Criterion 18/1, Jockey: Michael Walker, Trainer: David Hayes & Tom Dabernig
- 4th - Trip To Paris 5/1, Jockey: Tommy Berry, Trainer: Ed Dunlop
2014 - Protectionist
- 1st - Protectionist 7/1, Jockey: Ryan Moore, Trainer: Andreas Wohler
- 2nd - Red Cadeaux 20/1, Jockey: Gerald Mosse, Trainer: Ed Dunlop
- 3rd - Who Shot Thebarman 20/1, Jockey: Glen Boss, Trainer: Chris Waller
- 4th - Signoff 7/1, Jockey: Joao Moreira, Trainer: Darren Weir