Cup Betting Tips

CUP BETTING TIPS

The 2017 Melbourne Cup is the most heavily bet on sporting event in Australia, with millions of dollars wagered annually on the race. Its rich history, exciting finishes and champion fields of runners make it the perfect race to place a bet on, especially considering how high the betting pools are, and betting on the Melbourne Cup has become an Australian tradition.

Final 2017 Melbourne Cup Results

• 1st.Rekindling
• 2nd.Johannes Vermeer
• 3rd.Max Dynamite
• 4th.Big Duke

The 2017 Melbourne Cup will be held on Tuesday, November 7th. Cup Betting Tips

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Here you will find some key betting tips to help you choose the first runner over the line with your next wager.  There are many factors to take into consideration when betting, so read on to see our top tips for Melbourne Cup betting.  Further down we also explain when, where and how to place your Melbourne Cup bets.

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING TIPS – JOCKEY AND TRAINER

When placing your bet on the Melbourne Cup, look not only at the horses’ records but the career statistics for the current trainers and jockeys as well. Some truly successful trainers and jockeys have achieved multiple Melbourne Cup wins. Trainer Bart Cummings holds the record for training the most winners with a standout twelve victories at the Melbourne Cup.  Most jockeys will ride their best on horses with a certain running style, so make sure you know and understand what your selected horses’ style of running is and whether that suits its chosen jockey.

Jockeys to look out for in the Melbourne Cup, who are usually well up there in the Australian Jockey standings are Craig Williams, Damien Oliver, Michael Rodd, Nash Rawiller, Craig Newitt and Luke Nolen.

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING TIPS – LEAD-UP RACES

One of the best ways to estimate how a horse will perform in the Melbourne Cup is by looking at how they ran and placed in other Group 1 lead-up races to the Cup.  Other races in the Spring Racing Carnival like the Caulfield Cup and the Mackinnon Stakes are traditionally seen as the best guides for choosing a Melbourne Cup winner. There have been a number of horses throughout history to win the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double, so this race can be a good indicator of a horse’s chance at success in the famous Flemington race.

Another important lead-up run is the final Group 1 race before the Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Derby.  It is a long distance track of 2500 metres, and winners and placegetters in the Derby often go on to triumph in the following Tuesday’s race.  The last chance for horses to show their form, the final field of runners for the Melbourne Cup are announced just after the Victoria Derby.

Over the last fifteen years, at least nine of the Melbourne Cup winners finished either first or second in their previous start, so if you have selected a horse, make sure you find out what the last race it ran in before the Cup was and see if they placed.

With other horse races, seeing how a horse places in a similar distance tracks is important, but as there are few 3200 metre races of the same quality as the Melbourne Cup, this can be trickier, but backing the stayers is often a good way to go.

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING TIPS – FAVOURITES VS OUTSIDERS

Although betting on the favourites in the Melbourne Cup is popular and seen as by many as a more secure wager, with over 30 favourites winning and more than 65 placing in the top three over the years, the roughies and outsiders should not be discounted completely.  In recent Cup runs, many outsiders have fought back to take victory including Ethereal (2001) with 9-1 odds and Brew (2000) with odds of 14-1.  Other long-shots have improved their form at Flemington and placed up there with the favourites.  In fact, recently, two editions of the Melbourne Cup were won by roughies, Efficient (2007) and Delta Blues (2006) who both started the race at 16-1.

The long distance and handicap conditions are the equalisers for the Melbourne Cup, which can make choosing the winner more difficult.  The better a horse is, theoretically, the more weight it has to carry.  This is one reason why over the years a number of real outsiders have come to win the nation’s most challenging race.

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING TIPS – AGE:

History has shown the prime age for a Melbourne Cup winning horse seems to be around four to five years.  Over 80 victorious horses in the Cup have been in this age group.  Three-year-olds have won over 20 times, and seven and eight year olds producing only 11 Cup winners.

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING TIPS – OTHER FACTORS:

When betting on the Melbourne Cup, remember to consider other seemingly less important details too, like what barrier number horses have been allocated to start from.  There is a variety of different horse running styles and dependant on what one a horse has, certain starting points for the race will prove to be more advantageous. For example, a backmaker in barrier one would be disastrous as they need clear running without being shuffled back. There is one barrier number that in the long history of the Melbourne Cup has never been successful, 18.

Also the country of breeding for a horse can be taken into account when betting on a horse to win.  Over the last 16 years, since the Irish raider Vintage Crop won the Melbourne Cup in 1993, only two other visiting horses have been victorious, Media Puzzle (2002) and Delta Blues (2006).  All other winners have been from Australia or New Zealand.

So remember, an informed bet will have a higher chance of providing a winner than a lucky guess.

WHEN CAN YOU BET ON THE MELBOURNE CUP?

Betting markets for the Melbourne Cup open months in advance, even though the final field is not formally announced until the end of Derby Day the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup.  You can place wagers on horses to win the Cup based on whom betting agencies and bookmakers think will be included in the final field, although there is no guarantees.  A major portion of the Melbourne Cup bets are placed on the day and it is the busiest day of the year for the Australian betting agencies like the TAB.

WHAT ARE THE BETTING OPTIONS FOR THE MELBOURNE CUP?

There is a seemingly endless number of betting options when it comes to the Melbourne Cup. Win and place betting accounts for nearly 60% of all wagers, due to their simplicity and because many people who place a bet on the Melbourne Cup are not serious punters, they are either causal bettors who only place wagers on the major horse races throughout the year, or people who only bet as a one off, or once a year on the Melbourne Cup.

More exotic bets like trifectas and first fours can pay much higher dividends, so if you are feeling certain about your selection, these can be a lucrative choice.

WHERE CAN YOU BET ON THE MELBOURNE CUP?

Bets for the Melbourne Cup can be placed in a variety of places.  There is a vast range of online bookmakers and betting agencies that offer Melbourne Cup betting, as well as well as agencies like the TAB, and of course at Flemington Race Course on the day.

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