The Melbourne Cup

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The Melbourne Cup Carnival 2022

When and Where can I watch Australia's Melbourne Cup?

The Melbourne Cup will air at 11:00pm ET on Monday, November.
Locally, the race date is Tuesday, November with the first race going at 11:00am local time.

The Melbourne Cup is run at Flemington Racecourse and is the biggest Thoroughbred race on the Australian calendar. Run at a distance of 3200 meters and focused on horses with staying talent, the winner is awarded a solid gold trophy worth over $175,000. Similar to the Red Roses of the Kentucky Derby, the Melbourne Cup's official flower is the Yellow Rose.

The races can be viewed FREE here on TwinSpires!

Melbourne Cup Handicapping Analysis:

HANSON: Horses of interest in the 2019 Melbourne Cup

JOHNSON: How to bet the 2019 Melbourne Cup

HANSON: Looking for 'Dynamite' or 'Duke' to surprise in Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup 2019 Entries/Barrier

• Barrier 1: Master Of Reality
• Barrier 2: Mer De Glace
• Barrier 3: Raymond Tusk
• Barrier 4: Finche
• Barrier 5: Cross Counter
• Barrier 6: Mustajeer
• Barrier 7: Constantinople
• Barrier 8: Prince Of Arran
• Barrier 9: Youngstar
• Barrier 10: Sound
• Barrier 11: Hunting Horn
• Barrier 12: Rostropovich
• Barrier 13: Mirage Dancer
• Barrier 14: Southern France
• Barrier 15: Downdraft
• Barrier 16: Steel Prince
• Barrier 17: Il Paradiso
• Barrier 18: The Chosen One
• Barrier 19: Twilight Payment
• Barrier 20: Surprise Baby
• Barrier 21: Vow And Declare
• Barrier 22: Latrobe
• Barrier 23: Neufbosc
• Barrier 24: Magic Wand

Melbourne Cup Race History

The Melbourne Cup is one of the richest Thoroughbred horse races in the world and has become such a prominent staple, a public holiday has been declared for the region as the Cup is the highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. The race covers 2 miles (3,200 meters) and is hosted at Flemington Racecourse.

Frederick Standish is largely considered as the man who devloped the initial concept of the Melbourne Cup. Standish was chairman of the Victoria Racing Club and also the former Chief Commissioner of Police in Victoria, Australia.

The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861 with a modest cash purse and a gold watch up for grabs. Seventeen horses ran in the inaugural running in front of 4,000 fans. Archer, a massive bay horse who was recently inducted in to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, won the first two editions of the race. Notably, Mormon finished second in both renewals.

Archer would remain the only horse to win back-to-back Melbourne Cups until Rain Lover achieved the same feat in 1968 and 1969. Prior to that, Australian legend Peter Pan had become just the second two-time champion in 1932 and 1934.

In the 1876 Melbourne Cup, a three-year-old filly named Briseis would score victory with a 12-year-old jockey named Peter St. Albans. It was one of the three victories during a single season stretch for Briseis that also included the VRC Derby and the VRC Oaks. This triple result has never been repeated in the history of Australian racing.

With his 1910 Melbourn Cup victory, Comedy king became the first of many foreign horses to win the race. There have been 13 total foreign born winner including Makybe Diva, the first two-time female winner and the only three-time winner in the race’s history. Makybe Diva scored in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

In 2013, Gai Waterhouse became the first female trainer to earn a victory at the Melbourne Cup thanks to Florente. Two years later, Michelle Payne would become the first female jockey to win, when she posted a 100/1 upset aboard Prince of Penzance.

Three other horses have won with 100/1 odds, including The Pearl in 1871, Wotan in 1936 and Old Rowley in 1940.

The biggest favorite in Melbourne Cup history is Phar Lap, who won as an 11/8 first choice in 1930 while decimating his competition despite having to be hidden due to genuine fears that the horse was being targeted for assassination.

Purse money for the Melbourne Cup has risen steadily over the years. In 2005 the purse was lifted to $5,000,00 and crested $6,000,000 in 2010. Since 2014, the Melbourne Cup has been worth $6,200,000. While the money is inviting, the real prize of the race is the 18-carat gold trophy that is hand crafted each and every year for the winning owner. Trainers and jockeys receive a miniature replica.

The fastest time was posted by Kensington Rule in 1990 when he finished with a time of 3:16.30 over the two-mile distance. Archer won by the widest margin in 1862 when he defeated his rivals by eight lengths.

Flemington attracts over 100,000 fans on an annual basis for the Melbourne Cup and the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. A record of 122,736 attendees was set in 2003. As is fitting for marquee Thoroughbred racing days, guests are encouraged to dress fashionably and extravagantly.

Melbourne Cup Race Winners

The Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap race run in Australia and among the most lucrative races on the globe.

Past Winners of the Emirates Melbourne Cup: 3200m, Hcp, Open; $6,200,000