Place Melbourne Cup Bet Online
Step 1: Choose an online bookmaker Use one of the below bookmakers to place a bet on the Melbourne Cup, each of the bookmakers are highly recommend and offer better odds than the TAB. They are quick to register on and you can start betting within 2 minutes. The BEST Online. Tabcorp’s thousands of retail outlets have long served the punting public, but online betting is by far the most convenient and efficient way to place a wager with TAB. No queues to wait in, no fiddly tickets to fill out or dirty touch screens to navigate, just the punter and a few quick clicks/taps on phone, tablet or PC, and your bet is placed. Betting on the Melbourne Cup is made easy if you choose to bet online. The first thing you need to do is choose an online bookmaker, we recommend TAB as they have an extensive range of products and features. You then need to sign up, make a deposit and place your bet! No more waiting in long TAB.
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Check out our how to bet on Melbourne Cup guide for a full overview of the Melbourne Cup 2021. We’ll provide our best betting tips, how to pick a winner, a preview of the 2021 race, which this year, will be run on Tuesday 3rd November at 3 pm.
Betting on Melbourne Cup 2021
Billed as the ‘race that stops a nation’, the race this year is more exciting than ever, there are many tips and trends to take into account before betting on the Melbourne Cup. You can see a full list of our key Melbourne Cup Betting trends and stats below.
Read our Melbourne Cup Betting Guide for more tips.
Editorial credit: Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com
For example – did you know that 13 of the last 14 Melbourne Cup winners had raced in the last four weeks? While 12 of the last 14 successful horses came from stalls 5 or higher.
The best place to find a winner is by using ‘how to bet on Melbourne Cup’ form guides provided by bookmakers or online websites. Otherwise, if you’re not a racing or betting expert, almost every news or sports website in Australia will provide a betting preview of the race.
The form guide can be tough for a beginner to read but the best method for picking a winner on the Cup is looking at the distance record. The Melbourne Cup is a long race and the best winners are known for their records over the distance. Also, another betting tip is to look for previous runners in the race as they will be more experienced.
A good example in recent years is Who Shot The Barman who finished third in 2014 and fifth in 2016.
You can also look at which horse last ran, or had its prep race ahead of the Melbourne Cup. Why? Well, a staggering 13 of the last 14 winners raced at one of these four Australian tracks before heading to the Melbourne Cup – Geelong, Flemington, Caulfield or Moon Valley.
Melbourne Cup Betting Tips
You can also try some exotic bets such as quinella that can be a lot of fun and also extremely profitable if you get it right.
However, many bookmakers will increase these place terms to 5th, 6th or even 7 places – so be sure to shop around!
Melbourne Cup Bet Types
Here is a list of the most popular betting opportunities for the Melbourne Cup 2019:
1. Win betting – The most basic Melbourne Cup betting type, simply pick the winner. In general, the win odds for the Cup are inflated as it’s a unique race with more International runners than usual. As well as a large field of around 22-24 runners. For example, the 2015 winner (Prince of Penzance) paid winning odds of around $80.
2. Place betting – A place bet is for the first, second or third runner in the race. This is the best bet type for an outsider as the odds will provide value.
3. Quinella – The Quinella is the selection of the first two runners after the post, in any order. Picking just two options will provide the best odds but will be a harder bet to win.
4. Exacta – Similar to the Quinella, the Exacta is also the first two runners but it must be picked in the exact finishing order.
5. Trifecta – The trifecta is the most popular betting option as it provides massive odds if successful. A boxed trifecta is the best option as it allows a choice of multiple runners. Whereas a fixed trifecta means the runners must finish in a certain order. The odds will be increased but a fixed trifecta is a very tough bet.
6. First Four – Select the first four runners on your Melbourne Cup Betting slip and get huge odds if successful.
Melbourne Cup Betting: Bookmakers Sites
| Bookmaker | Details | Visit Sites |
|---|---|---|
Ladbrokes | Check bookmaker site | |
Unibet | Visit Site | |
bet365 | Visit operator’s website | |
PointsBet | Check bookmaker’s site | Coming soon >> |
Melbourne Cup 2021: Race Info
- Date: Tuesday 3rd November at 3 pm
- Track: Flemington Racecourse
- Distance: 3200m
- Conditions: Handicap
- Prize Money: TBA
- First Run: 1861
Melbourne Cup Betting Trends
These are the key Melbourne Cup betting trends for winners from the last 14 years:
14/14 – Had won a Group class race before
13/14 – Had raced within the last 4 weeks
13/14 – Raced at either Geelong (2), Flemington (3), Caulfield (3) or Moon Valley (5) last time
13/14 – Won 8 or fewer races before
12/14 – Winners from stall 5 or higher
12/14 – Winning distance – 2 lengths or less
10/14 – Had raced within the last 2 weeks
10/14 – Aged 5 or older
9/14 – Drawn in stall 9 or higher
9/14 – Aged 6 or older
9/14 – Won by an AUS-based horse
9/14 – Raced at Flemington Park before (6 won there)
9/14 – Placed in the top 3 last time out
8/14 – Horses from stall 10 or 11 placed
8/14 – Returned 12/1 or shorter in the betting
8/14 – Won by a 6-year-old
7/14 – Placed favourites
6/14 – Had won over 1m7f or further before
4/14 – Had won just once before
4/14 – Won last time out
3/14 – Winning favourites
3/14 – Had raced in a previous Melbourne Cup
2/14 – French-trained winners
1/14 – English/Irish winners
The average winning SP in the last 14 runnings is 19/1
Past Winners of the Melbourne Cup
Remind yourself of previous winners before you enter your Melbourne Cup betting slip
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Race Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Cross Counter | Marmelo | A Prince Of Arran | 3:21.17 |
| 2017 | Rekindling | Corey Brown | Joseph O’Brien | 3:21.19 |
| 2016 | Almandin | Kerrin McEvoy | Robert Hickmott | 3:20.58 |
| 2015 | Prince of Penzance | Michelle Payne | Darren Weir | 3.23.15 |
| 2014 | Protectionist | Ryan Moore | Andreas Wohler | 3.17.71 |
| 2013 | Fiorente | Damien Oliver | Gai Waterhouse | 3.20.84 |
| 2012 | Green Moon | Brett Prebble | Robert Hickmott | 3.20.45 |
| 2011 | Dunaden | Christophe Lemaire | Mikel Delzangles | 3.20.84 |
| 2010 | Americain | Gérald Mossé | Alain de Royer Dupre | 3.26.87 |
| 2009 | Shocking | Corey Brown | Mark Kavanagh | 3.23.87 |
| 2008 | Viewed | Blake Shinn | Bart Cummings | 3.20.40 |
| 2007 | Efficient | Michael Rodd | Graeme Rogerson | 3.23.34 |
| 2006 | Delta Blues | Yasunari Iwata | Katsuhiko Sumii | 3.21.47 |
| 2005 | Makybe Diva | Glen Boss | Lee Freedman | 3.19.17 |
| 2004 | Makybe Diva | Glen Boss | Lee Freedman | 3.28.55 |
| 2003 | Makybe Diva | Glen Boss | David Hall | 3.19.90 |
| 2002 | Media Puzzle | Damien Oliver | Dermot K. Weld | 3.16.97 |
| 2001 | Ethereal | Scott Seamer | Sheila Laxon | 3.21.08 |
Place Melbourne Cup Bet Online Casino
Melbourne Cup History
The Melbourne Cup is most known as the race that stops a nation in Australia. The race is run on the first Tuesday in November and is apart of the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne, Australia. It was first to run in 1861 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
The Melbourne Cup is a 3,200-metre race and is the richest horse race in the world at the distance. It’s officially a public holiday in Melbourne and the race attracts International exposure for Australian racing.
In 2015, the first female jockey won the race (Michelle Payne) and well-known Victorian trainer, Darren Weir finally won his first Melbourne Cup race. Makybe Diva is known as the greatest runner at the Melbourne Cup after winning in three straight years from 2003 to 2005.
After Almandin won the 2016 Melbourne Cup, Lloyd Williams became the most successful owner at the Cup with 5 wins since 1981.
The late Bart Cummings is easily the best trainer in Melbourne Cup history with 12 wins from 1965 to 2008. The next best is 5 wins between Etienne de Mestre (1800s) and Lee Freedman.
Melbourne Cup Stats
Also note, horses that had their prep runs at the Aussie tracks of Flemington, Geelong, Caufield or Moon Valley last time out – 13 of the last 14 winners raced at one of those four tracks before winning the Melbourne Cup.
Despite being run over two miles the draw has played a big role too. 12 of the last 14 winners came from stalls 5 or higher. Taking the draw stat a bit further, 9 of the last 14 winners came from stalls 9 or higher.
Next up is to note the age of your fancy. Why? Well, even though we saw a 3-year-old winner in 2017 it’s actually worth noting that 10 of the last 14 winners were aged 5 or older.
Considering the competitive nature of the race the market leaders haven’t done too bad, with three of the last 14 favourites winning (21%) – with the most recent being Fiorente back in 2013.
The jollies also have a good record of being placed with 50% of the last 14 finishing in the top four.
Finally, look for horses that finished in the top three in their most recent race (9 of the last 14), plus had won at the Flemington track in the past – 6 of the last 14 winners had tasted success at the Aussie course previously.
Melbourne Cup Form Facts
- In 2017, young Irish trainer, Joseph O’Brien won the amazing £2.25 million first prize to win the race for the first time, while he, in fact, led home and Irish 1-2-3 as Dad, Aidan O’Brien – trained the second (Johannes Vermeer), with the Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite in third.
- In 2018, Cross Counter, a four-year-old gelding from Appleby’s stable in Newmarket, England won the 2018 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse.
- However, it’s generally the Australian-based yards that hold sway in the race – they’ve won 9 of the last 14 runnings.
- For example, ALL of the last 14 Melbourne Cup winners had at Group Class level in the past, while a massive 13 of the last 14 winners had raced in the last four weeks. Plus, if you want to take this trend a bit further then 10 of the last 14 winners raced in the last two weeks.
For example, ALL of the last 14 Melbourne Cup winners had at Group Class level in the past, while a massive 13 of the last 14 winners had raced in the last four weeks. Plus, if you want to take this trend a bit further then 10 of the last 14 winners raced in the last two weeks.
For British citizens: The Grand National and Cheltenham Festival
For the British citizens, the Grand National which takes place at Aintree Liverpool remains a top for betting experts, check on grandnational.org.uk! Meanwhile, for the latest on the Cheltenham Festival, go to cheltenham-betting-offers.co.uk/.
They don’t call it “The Race That Stops a Nation” for nothing. The Melbourne Cup, is, by far and away, the most famous thoroughbred horse race in Australia. To get you prepared for it, we’ve made a list of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites which would be ideal for you to make your wagers on this one-of-a-kind event.
For those looking to jump straight into the betting action for the Melbourne Cup, here are the top sites we recommend:
It actually might be more correct to say that two nations stop everything that they’re doing when the Melbourne Cup takes place. After all, it isn’t just Australia that treats the race day like a national holiday. New Zealand’s citizens also break their daily routine to watch the race, either in person, on television, or via the internet.
This year’s event, which takes place this coming Tuesday, November 6, should make for a particularly entertaining race. That’s because there are many possible contenders for the Melbourne Cup this year. As a result, there should be plenty of action at the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites for sure.
Many fans who aren’t from the region of Australia or New Zealand might be at a loss to what makes this race so special. That’s why it’s important that we give you a crash course on the Melbourne Cup to show you just what an incredible part of the international racing schedule it is. Once we do, we’re guessing that you’ll be wondering how you can be a “punter,” or gambler, on this day, just like almost everybody in Australia and New Zealand will be.
With that in mind, we’ve diligently scoured the internet for the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites. We’ll also explain a little about the particulars of the race, and we’ll give some betting tips to show you how to handicap what is usually a very full field of horses. In addition, we’ll take a look at some of the top competitors for this year’s Melbourne Cup, as well as showing you how you can pick out a top, legitimate site to bet on the event on your own.
The Specifics Of The Melbourne Cup
So why has the Melbourne Cup so captured not just the imagination of Australian and New Zealand fans, but also the attention of horse racing fans and gamblers alike for over 150 years? Well, the question is partially answered by that final fact. This race has been in existence since 1861, lending it incredible tradition that few horse races around the world can match.
It is also unique because there are few horse racing events that can claim the monopoly of a public’s attention like the Melbourne Cup. And part of the reason for that is when on the calendar it is held. It comes in the Australian spring season, at a time when the public is craving some kind of sporting event.
For most of the calendar year in Australia, two sports dominate the scene: cricket and football. The Melbourne Cup settles into a window right between the seasons for those two sports. That means there is nothing else vying for the public attention at that time.
On top of that, it also comes at a time when most other horse racing events around the world have already taken place during the year. As a result, it gives horse racing bettors something to grasp onto, in terms of meaty betting opportunities, even this late in the year. And the setup of the Melbourne Cup makes bettors really excited because it is meant to ensure that no horse stands above the rest.
Quality Handicap Conditions
The Melbourne Cup is what’s known as a quality handicap. What that means is that the people in charge of the race attempt to keep one or a few horses from dominating the betting. Anyone who has ever been a horse racing fan knows that there isn’t much skill or value in betting a race where a horse is a prohibitive, odds-on (meaning less than even-money) favorite.
The handicap conditions usually prevent the Melbourne Cup from falling into that kind of rut. Each horse is assigned a specific weight that it must carry during the race. This weight is assigned to each horse based on certain criteria, such as age (younger horses are assigned less weight than older) and skill level (horses who have performed better are usually asked to carry more weight than their less-successful foes in the race.)
In past years, the Melbourne Cup used to be extremely strict about weight assignations. They have softened the stringency of the weight requirements, in part because many international owners of classy horses didn’t want to put their competitors through that burden. In an effort to strengthen the fields, changes were made.
Yet there will still be horses who will be forced to carry significantly more weight than some their lesser-regarded foes. What that means is that the Melbourne Cup is one of the few major horse races where every horse, on paper, can be seen as having a decent shot to win the race. And that fact is why the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites will be humming leading into Tuesday’s race, since every bettor loves a value.
Long-Distance Running
The other major factor that comes into play each year in the Melbourne Cup is the distance of the race. It is run at its traditional home on the Flemington Race Course at a distance of 3,200 metres, or approximately two miles. Immediately, horse racing fans should be taking notice of this distance as something out of the ordinary.
For example, American fans who are used to the Triple Crown racing series might know that the Kentucky Derby is run at 1 ¼ miles, the Preakness Stakes at 1 3/16 miles, and the Belmont Stakes at 1 ½ miles. They even call the Belmont Stakes the test, since its distance seems so foreboding for three-year-old horses. Even races for older horses such as the Breeders’ Cup Classic tend to top out at 1 ½ miles.
Yet the Melbourne Cup sits at two miles and is contested under handicap conditions. That is what you call a true test. And that’s why the horses who do the best in a race like it are called “stayers,” for their ability to stay in the race for such a long distance.
In many ways, the Melbourne Cup is a throwback to a different time in horse racing. Modern times often require horses to be bred for pure speed. Yet this race is the ultimate test of stamina, which is another reason why it stands out as both a true challenge for the horses competing and for the bettors trying to figure out the race.
Betting Tips For 2018 Melbourne Cup
So now that we’ve established what makes the Melbourne Cup such a unique part of the horse racing world, it’s time to get down to betting on it. As you might expect, you can find a lot of betting sites to help you take this action. The ones that we’ve listed here are legitimate and provide excellent service, and we’ll talk more in a bit about what makes the best 2018 Melbourne Cup betting sites so solid.
Place Melbourne Cup Bet Online
But first we have to get down to the particulars of betting on the race. The following tips will help you sift through the fields to perhaps find some diamonds in the rough. And that rough can get pretty thick and confusing, considering that fields for the Melbourne Cup run up to 24 horses.
This will also help you get started with handicapping the race, even though the fields won’t yet be finalized until the weekend. That’s because many horses might make the decision to try to race after competing over the weekend in either the Victorian Derby or Victorian Oaks. Imagine them taking on a two-mile race after being in a competitive race just a few days earlier, which is just another sign of what a throwback this race is.
Keep in mind than none of these factors are tried-and-true indicators all by themselves, and there can always be a surprise. After all, last year the Melbourne Cup was won by a 3-year-old, making it the first time in 76 years that a sophomore has taken this race. Still, if you take in all of these factors together, you can sort out the contenders from the pretenders in the massive field of pre-entries.
Weight
In most horse races, weight considerations don’t factor in too much, as the differences from race-to-race and from horse-to-horse are negligible. But the Melbourne Cup is a different animal, so to speak. The differences in weight, from top weight to bottom, can be very significant.
What that means is that you have to look at the weight assignations for each horse and then compare them to what that horse has had to carry in past races. If you see a horse who has done well carrying something close to what he’ll be toting in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, it is usually a good sign. That usually indicates that it is the kind of stayer with the ability to make the distance with that weight.
A concern could be with a horse who suddenly has to carry more weight, by a formidable margin, in the Melbourne Cup than it has ever had to before. That can easily lead to a horse being fatigued. Considering many European horses who will be competing in the event are not generally dealing with handicap conditions, they might be adversely affected by the weight.
Distance
Obviously, any horse that is going to win the Melbourne Cup will be one that can handle the distance. And that is something that often can’t really be determined till race day. After all, many horses who will compete in the 2018 Melbourne Cup will come in having never raced two miles before, and many never will again after taking on the Flemington course on Tuesday.
As a result, your handicapping for the race, no matter which of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites you utilize, has to include some sort of concession to distance. If you can find horses who have previously been in “stayer” type races and have performed well in them, you obviously have a good starting point. Horses with the muscle memory of such a long, grueling race will have a leg up on their competition.
But that doesn’t mean that you should disqualify the horses who haven’t raced at two miles before out of hand. What it does mean is that you should look at how they handled their previous distance races.
If they had been in a previous race at around 1 ½ miles or similar and were closing out the race strong, it could be an indicator that they have it in them to finish the two miles with something left to give. By contrast, horses who have barely been hanging on at the shorter distances might not be stayer material and therefore could come up short at the unforgiving distance of the Melbourne Cup.
Connections
Again, when you are talking about a race with such a unique format, it is good to have a proven track record on which to fall back. And that also goes for the jockeys and trainers that surround the horses. They might have proven successful in other venues, but the Melbourne Cup requires some special talents for both jockey and trainer.
In terms of the jockey, knowing how hard to push a horse at different moments in the race is crucial, especially considering the distance. You also need to be able to navigate positioning which, with so many horses in the field, is not the easiest of tasks. Riding a winner in the Melbourne Cup requires a great blend of cunning and fearlessness.
For trainers, the task is about having your horse in top condition when the race begins. For some horses, that might mean that the horse has been resting for a long period of time, while others might be better off having competed in a recent race to bring them into top form. Trainers that know their horses inside and out and can sense what it will take to prepare them for such an unusual race are rare?
How to find them? Look at the rolls of past winners of the Melbourne Cup. That will give you a clue to which jockeys and trainers might provide an advantage to their horses.
Form and Class
This can be tricky, because, as we’ve said again and again, the Melbourne Cup presents a unique set of challenges. For example, a horse with the best form might be one who gets assigned more weight than others in the field. And class might not mean much if the horse has never raced in a quality handicap before at such a long distance.
Still, it is a good idea to study those past performances as well as possible before making your wagers on the Melbourne Cup. You should be able to find some nooks and crannies of information concerning the horse’s recent form and their class level that can help you when it comes down to placing your bet. Just don’t disregard all the factors we listed above when you make these distinctions.
Top Competitors For The 2018 Melbourne Cup
As mentioned earlier, the field won’t be set until the weekend is over and is at the discretion of race organizers. Other than horses who are guaranteed a spot because they’ve won a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup, no one is assured anything. Still, based on early wagering odds, the list below will give you a jump start at assessing the top horses in the field.
- Yucatan: This is the probably favorite and a candidate for being handed top weight. The Irish-bred horse comes from top European trainer Aidan O’Brien, who would love to add a Melbourne Cup win to his impressive trophy case. And Yucatan has the stuff to overcome the inevitable weight penalty coming his way.
- Cross Counter: He could become the second straight three-year-old winner of this race (although, by Australian thoroughbred standards, he is a four-year-old.) After all, the weight assignation will be light compared to others. And his stellar performances in Europe so far, with four wins in six, make him one of the classiest in the field, regardless of age.
- Magic Circle: If nothing else, Magic Circle should jump out at you for a single reason: the presence of jockey Corey Brown. He has won this race twice before. Add that fact onto the already impressive qualifications for this veteran gelding and you have a real threat to take it all.
- Muntahaa: A classic stayer if ever there was one. Neither the distance nor the weight should scare him off, as he has already proven able to win with a lot of both. This is a horse who could legitimately thrive in the rigorous conditions of the Melbourne Cup.
- The Cliffsofmoher: Another O’Brien trainee who could certainly factor in, perhaps at an even more beneficial price for the punters. After all, his record doesn’t immediately jump out at you. But he has amassed extensive Group One experience and has even raced already in Australia.
Choosing the Best 2018 Melbourne Cup Betting Sites
We have given you just about every piece of information you’ll need to get you started on your journey to betting the Melbourne Cup. That includes the particulars of the race, the keys to handicapping it, and the horses who should be at the top of the list when it comes to making your bets.
Just as important as all of that is where you are going to make your bets. When we provided you with the list of the best 2018 Melbourne Cup betting sites, we did so with certain criteria in mind. So that you can make your own decision, here are some of the criteria we used:
Variety Of Wagering Opportunities
Just look at the Melbourne Cup as an example of what you’ll need from a betting website. Not only will you need the site to cover horse racing, but you’ll also need it to cover it on an international level. If you picked a random betting website off the internet, you might find that it doesn’t have this kind of action available to you.
And what if you wanted to do more than bet on this single horse race? What if you also wanted exposure to other sports, or maybe even casino betting? That’s why sites with excellent variety should always be high on your list, as you never know what will come down the pike to pique your betting interest.
Strong Customer Service
You are going to be putting your money on the line when you gamble online, whether it is for the 2018 Melbourne Cup or any other event. That can be a somewhat nerve-racking experience, and questions might arise. For that reason, you’ll want a site that is expert and quick at answering those questions for you, whatever they may be.
The site in question might seem, on first glance, to be everything you need. But without checking into their customer service reputation, you run the risk of possibly encountering problems and having nothing done about them. Don’t choose a sit without first knowing how you can contact them, how fast they will respond, and how interested they likely will be in solving whatever problem you might have.
Great Bonuses
You have to go into your choice of gambling website almost like you would a negotiation, one where you are holding all the cards. They want your business and will do whatever it takes to get your business. If they don’t do enough to secure that business, you should be prepared to walk away from the table, so to speak, and find another site.
With that in mind, don’t be afraid to ask a site what it can do for you. This might go beyond the obvious bonuses that you have in mind for joining the site. It can even relate to how withdrawals and deposits are handled.
Dependability
Place Melbourne Cup Bet Online Betting
A site that is not functioning properly will do you no good. Imagine all the handicapping that goes into your picking who you think will be the winner of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Now imagine that you do all that work, go to place the bet, and the site is down.
Not a very appealing scenario, is it? That’s why you should be prepared to investigate a site for possible glitches and bugs before signing on. Sites that allow free bets to start will let you test the navigation and dependability before committing to an actual account.
Conclusion
We are now just about set for Tuesday’s running of the Melbourne Cup. It should be, as usual, a doozy of a race. And, now that you are equipped with the knowledge of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites, you can lay your money down with confidence.