Melbourne Cup 2025: Field, sweepstake, odds, tips, history ahead of ‘the race that stops a nation’

Melbourne Cup day is upon us. Here are all the details about what you need to know about ‘the race that stops a nation’ at Flemington Track, including who are the favourites to win the cup, when the cup runs, who is in the cup, how far and how long the race takes.

Melbourne Cup field

1 Al Riffa (FR)

Form: 120x3x4211. Age: 5-year-old bay horse. Draw: 19. Jockey: Mark Zahra. Weight: 59kg. Odds: $7.

Summary: Classy European import from dual Cup winning Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien’s yard and comes into the race straight from winning Ireland’s top staying race, the Group 1 Irish St Leger. Jockey Mark Zahra has huge chance to win third cup in four years.

2 Buckaroo (GB)

Form: 9x970x3232. Age: 6-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 12. Jockey: Craig Williams. Weight: 57kg. Odds: $9.

Summary: Chris Waller’s import has not missed a place in four spring starts including an eyecatching Cox Plate second last start. He ran midfield when favourite in last year’s Cup after similar form but has veteran Cup winning jockey Craig Williams aboard this time.

3 Arapaho (FR)

Form: 5241x35408. Age: 8-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 15. Jockey: Rachel King. Weight: 56.5kg. Odds: $51.

Summary: Bjorn Baker’s veteran import returns for a second Cup tilt with top Sydney jockey Rachel King aboard, who guided him to a track record Sydney Cup win in the autumn. Spring form however reflected in his outside odds.

4 Vauban (FR)

Form: 0x130×3550. Age: 7-year-old chestnut gelding. Draw: 2. Jockey: Blake Shinn. Weight: 56.5kg. Odds: $34.

Summary: Vauban, Waterhouse & Bott’s high class ex-jumper chases redemption after two flops in the big race. But with a year of Australian racing but indifferent lead up form, Blake Shinn has a big job ahead of him.

5 Chevalier Rose (JPN)

Form: x11x020x. Age: 7-year-old bay horse. Draw: 5. Jockey: Damian Lane. Weight: 55.5kg. Odds: $34

Summary: Japanese raider Chevalier Rose thrives in races beyond 3000m but has struggled for form in 2025. Jockey Damien Lane rode the horse in Japan and says he is very capable but possibly needs a dry track to emulate compatriot Delta Blues.

6 Presage Nocturne (IRE)

Form: 71x4x13x34. Age: 6-year-old grey horse. Draw: 9. Jockey: Stephane Pasquier. Weight: 55.5kg. Odds: $9.

Summary: France’s international stayer, brings group wins and several placings this season for Italian trainer Alessandro Botti. His bold fourth in the Caulfield Cup under regular rider Stephane Pasquier was the perfect dress rehearsal for this.

7 Middle Earth (GB)

Form: x159×50903. Age: 8-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 13. Jockey: Ethan Brown. Weight: 54.5kg. Odds: $34.

Summary: Ciaron Maher is a master conditioner and Middle Earth’s last start third at the Valley shows he is coming into dangerous form. He is born and bred for this, has raced and won in top European staying company, drawn well and at juicy odds.

8 Meydaan (IRE)

Form: 47x5205239. Age: 4-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 22. Jockey: James McDonald. Weight: 54kg. Odds: $13

Summary: Lightly raced European stayer Meydaan has a bit going for him, breeding, solid results and having Kiwi superstar jockey James McDonald engaged for this. A tough run in the Caulfield Cup can be discounted. Respect.

9 Absurde (FR)

Form: 5x3132x3x7. Age: 7-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 4. Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy. Weight: 53.5kg. Odds: $17

Summary: Absurde, Willie Mullins’ valiant warrior, was fifth last year, and won a high class hurdle in Ireland on his return home, followed by three group placings on the flat. Back in Australia he ran on well in the Caulfield Cup last start.

10 Flatten The Curve (FR)

Form: x71111411x. Age: 6-year-old chestnut gelding. Draw: 17. Jockey: Thore-Hammer Hansen. Weight: 53.5kg. Odds: $51

Summary: Germany’s staying machine Flatten The Curve has only lost just once in seven starts for new trainer Henk Grewe in 3000m-plus group races in Germany and the United States. How that form stacks up in Australia is the 10 million dollar question..

11 Land Legend (FR)

Form: ×768×39500. Age: 5-year-old chestnut gelding. Draw: 16. Jockey: Joao Moreira. Weight: 53.5kg. Odds: $101

Summary: Chris Waller’s French stayer has a Metropolitan Handicap win in his resume, but was basically just a pacemaker in last year’s Cup where he ran eighth. With two dead last appearances in his last two starts expect similar.

12 Smokin’ Romans (NZ)

Form: 6031x72948. Age: 9-year-old chestnut gelding. Draw: 11. Jockey: Ben Melham. Weight: 53.5kg. Odds: $101

Summary: Veteran Smokin’ Romans lines up for his second Cup which he contested in 2022 after winning the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes. The Maher barn battler has mixed form, often setting the pace but has yet to show he can go all the way at this distance.

13 Changingoftheguard (IRE)

Form: x742x82106. Age: 5-year-old bay horse. Draw: 24. Jockey: Tim Clark. Weight: 53kg. Odds: $101.

Summary: Royal Ascot winner and Chester Vase hero Changingoftheguard was bought from the Aiden O’Brien barn by multiple Cup winning Lloyd Williams syndicate, his mixed form does include a dour win at Randwick three starts back.

14 Half Yours (AUS)

Form: ×211215141. Age: 5-year-old chestnut gelding. Draw: 8. Jockey: Jamie Melham. Weight: 53kg. Odds: $7.

Summary: The Caulfield Cup winner is bidding to be the 13th horse to do the double and is heavily backed to do so. The McEvoys have retained Jamie Melham in the saddle, also hoping to become the second woman rider 10 years after Michelle Payne’s 2015 triumph.

15 More Felons (IRE)

Form: 1x2x41x32x. Age: 5-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 23. Jockey: Tommy Berry. Weight: 53kg. Odds: $51

Summary: More Felons is Waller’s ex-Irish steeplechaser turned high-class stayer, who is making a second attempt at the cup. Following nearly 18 months out through injury, he has shown some seriously improving form in the run-up to this.

16 Onesmoothoperator (USA)

Form: 05735x8401. Age: 7-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 6. Jockey: Harry Coffey. Weight: 53kg. Odds: $15

Summary: Second attempt English raider Onesmoothoperator stormed into Cup considerations with a resounding Geelong Cup victory. Harry Coffey takes the reins on the stayer who has won over this trip but failed in the Cup last year.

17 Furthur (IRE)

Form: 72x152516. Age: 3-year-old grey colt. Draw: 7. Jockey: Michael Dee. Weight: 52kg. Odds: $26

Summary: The baby in the field, Andrew Balding’s a high-class 3yo grey colt who is inclined to mix his efforts though has a group 3 win. Which version shows up is anyone’s guess, as is whether he can get the distance in this company.

18 Parchment Party (USA)

Form: 1595592311. Age: 4-year-old bay horse. Draw: 3. Jockey: John Velazquez. Weight: 52kg. Odds: $51

Summary: History-maker Parchment Party is the first American-trained Cup runner, blitzing Belmont’s Gold Cup by eight lengths for Bill Mott. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is on board, but whether he can handle the turf or the company is the question.

19 Athabascan (FR)

Form: 78295×0002. Age: 6-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 1. Jockey: Declan Bates. Weight: 51.5kg. Odds: $81

Summary: The import turned around some insipid spring form with a dashing second in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, which earned him a place in this year’s Cup. Ran second in the Sydney Cup in 2023, so can stay the distance.

20 Goodie Two Shoes (IRE)

Form: 4x2x3x15x7. Age: 6-year-old bay mare. Draw: 20. Jockey: Wayne Lordan. Weight: 51.5kg. Odds: $34

Summary: Cup winning trainer Joseph O’Brien’s dual purpose mare Goodie Two Shoes has certainly been in fine form in Ireland with three strong staying wins in her last four starts. Has never started in Australia, which will have her at juicy odds.

21 River Of Stars (IRE)

Form: 42x73x7802. Age: 6-year-old bay mare. Draw: 14. Jockey: Beau Mertens. Weight: 51.5kg. Odds: $17

Summary: Waller’s classy import was nabbed later after leading the Caulfield Cup everywhere but the finish line. Beau Mertens is back on board the stayer to give Waller a genuine chance at his second Cup victory.

22 Royal Supremacy (IRE)

Form: 32x0011215. Age: 5-year-old bay colt. Draw: 21. Jockey: Robbie Dolan. Weight: 51kg. Odds: $34

Summary: Last year’s cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan is aboard Royal Supremacy who won the Metropolitan at Randwick last month. Yet to race over this trip, his close up fifth in the Caulfield Cup strongly suggests he will get the distance.

23 Torranzino (NZ)

Form: 4212x80821. Age: 6-year-old bay gelding. Draw: 18. Jockey: Celine Gaudray. Weight: 51kg. Odds: $34

Summary: Celine Gaudray debuts in the Cup after riding the New Zealand-bred battler to a gutsy victory in the Geelong Cup and a second in the Lexus Bart Cummings. But has yet to race over 3200m and will be at good odds.

24 Valiant King (GB)

Form: 0x0693x013. Age: 5-year-old grey gelding. Draw: 10. Jockey: Jye McNeil. Weight: 51kg. Odds: $7

Summary: Waller lightweight Valiant King clipped his Cup ticket with a dominant Bart Cummings win and a bold Caulfield Cup third which has him among the favourites. The flashy grey has top hoop Jye McNeil aboard.

Melbourne Cup favourite

Half Yours heads into the race as the favourite and drew barrier eight which co-trainer Calvin McEvoy called an “absolutely perfect” result. The last horse to win the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double was Without A Fight in 2023.

Michael Guerin’s Cup tips

1 Presage Nocturne

2 Half Yours

3 Furthur

4 Valiant King

How much is the Melbourne Cup prize money?

NZ$11.9 million total prize pool. The winner earns $5.15 million.

What time is the Melbourne Cup in New Zealand?

5pm on Tuesday, November 4 at Flemington Track in Melbourne.

Listen live

Live commentary of the Melbourne Cup on Newstalk ZB at at 5pm.

How long is the Melbourne Cup?

The race used to be two miles but was later shortened to 3200 metres (an 18.66-metre difference) after Australia switched to the metric system in 1972. The race is roughly one-and-a-half times around the Flemington track.

Kingston Rule holds the record for the fastest time around the track, set by the American-bred horse in 1990 at 3 minutes, 16 seconds and 3 milliseconds. The only other runner to finish the race under 3 minutes and 17 seconds was 2002 winner Media Puzzle, with a time of 3:16:97.

How to watch the Melbourne Cup in New Zealand

You can stream the 2025 Melbourne Cup for free on TVNZ+ or Sky Sports.

Melbourne Cup explained

The 2025 Melbourne Cup, referred to as the “Race that Stops a Nation”, is one of Australia’s most anticipated sports events. The Melbourne Cup held its first race back in 1861 and was declared a public holiday in 1877.

The race has been competed each year aside from an intermission during the war years.

The winning trophy contains 1.65kg of 18ct gold estimated at over A$200,000. Each cup takes over 250 hours to complete. W.J. Sanders has produced each Melbourne Cup from 2016 to present.

Male and female horses explained

A filly is a female horse under four years of age. A colt is a male horse under the age of four that has not been castrated.

A foal is a female or male horse under the age of one. A female foal is known as a filly foal and a male is known as a colt foal.

A mare is a horse that is four years or older and a stallion is a male horse four years or older.

A gelding is a male horse of any age that has been castrated.

New Zealand success at the Melbourne Cup

1883: Martini Henry

1890: Carbine

1907: Apologue

1916: Sasanof (NZ Trained)

1929: Nightmarch (NZ Trained)

1930: Phar Lap

1936: Wotan (NZ Trained)

1938: Catalogue (NZ Trained)

1947: Hiraji

1949: Foxzami

1952: Dalray (NZ Trained)

1954: Rising Fast (NZ Trained)

1955: Toparoa

1957: Straight Draw

1959: Macdougal

1960: Hi-Jinx (NZ Trained)

1962: Even Stevens (NZ Trained)

1964: Polo Prince (NZ Trained)

1965: Light Fingers

1966: Galilee

1967: Red Handed

1970: Baghdad Note (NZ Trained)

1971: Silver Knight (NZ Trained)

1974: Think Big

1975: Think Big

1976: Van der Hum (NZ Trained)

1977: Gold and Black

1978: Arwon

1979: Hyperno

1982: Gurner’s Lane

1983: Kiwi (NZ Trained)

1985: What a Nuisance

1987: Kensei

1988: Empire Rose (NZ Trained)

1989: Tawrrific

1991: Let’s Elope

1995: Doriemus

1997: Might and Power

1998: Jezabeel

2000: Brew (NZ Trained)

2001: Ethereal (NZ Trained)

2007: Efficient

2015: Prince of Penzance

2021: Verry Elleegant

The previous five Melbourne Cup winners

2024: Knight’s Choice (Jockey: Robbie Dolan)

2023: Without A Fight (Mark Zahra)

2022: Gold Trip (Mark Zahra)

2021: Verry Elleegant (James McDonald)

2020: Twilight Payment (Jye McNeil)