The Melbourne Cup is the largest betting event in Australia meaning it is essential for everyone having a bet on the race to understand what odds are and know what odds mean when related to betting.
Market 💰: View the Melbourne Cup odds
Each horse in the Melbourne Cup will have its own odds depending on what people have bet on and what the bookmaker you are betting with thinks is the horse most likely to win the race. You have probably seen Black Caviar throughout her career, if you have you would have seen her odds around $1.05 to $1.10 in most races. This means a $1 win bet on Black Caviar at $1.10 will get you back 10cents. ‘Not a lot aye’
The odds reflect what the bookmaker thinks her chances of winning are, because Black Caviar was $1.10 they believe she is almost impossible to beat. On the other side of the scale if a horses odds are $101 then a $1 bet would return you $101. Being such long odds the market believes the horse has a very little chance of winning the race.
The beauty of odds is that a horse does not know what price it is paying in the market. This is where punters need to do their own research to find a horse who they think has a good chance of winning at the longest possible odds. You can do this by reading page about Melbourne Cup form guide which gives you information on how to pick a horse. The idea is to select a horse with a good chance of winning that is at the biggest odds possible, as you want to win big!
It is essential to get the best odds when betting on the Melbourne Cup you can do this by signing up to Ladbrokes or Neds who provide the best odds available on the race. We also recommend that you bet tote odds and not fixed odds unless backing a favourite, more often than not tote odds will pay more. You can learn more about tote and fixed odds below.
Tote Odds
Tote odds are based off of the TAB’s tote pool. This odds will fluctuate until jump time. The tote is split into three different regions: Vic Tab, NSW Tab and Tattsbet. Depending where you place your bet will determine which odds you should base your selections off. Although by using to Ladbrokes or Neds you can receive the best of all three totes on the Melbourne Cup.
Fixed Odds
Fixed odds are quite simple. When you place a bet the bookmaker will have the odds displayed for each runner. At the time you place the bet those are the odds you will receive if your horse wins. This can be a good method of betting on a race if you are betting on a horse who’s odds are shortening although in Melbourne Cup betting we recommend you take tote odds as fixed odds are usually a lot less.
Melbourne Cup Odds 2025
The 2025 Melbourne Cup is set to be another cracking contest and as per usual, tough to predict.
Melbourne Cup Favourites
History suggests that favourites dont always perform that well. In the history of the Melbourne Cup there have been 32 favourites to win the race. In the past 10 years only one the Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente has been able to win the Cup after jumping as favourite.
| Year | Favourite | Odds | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Buckaroo | $6.00 | 9th |
| 2023 | Vauban | $5.50 | 14th |
| 2022 | Deauville Legend | $4.40 | 4th |
| 2021 | Incentivise | $2.90 | 2nd |
| 2020 | Tiger Moth | $6.50 | 2nd |
| 2019 | Fince | $8.00 | 7th |
| 2018 | Yucvatan | $6.00 | 11th |
| 2017 | Marmelo | $7.00 | 9th |
| 2016 | Hartnell | $5.50 | 3rd |
| 2015 | Fame Game | $5 | 13th |
| 2014 | Admire Rakti | $5.50 | 22nd |
| 2013 | Fiorente | $7 | 1st |
| 2012 | Dunaden | $7 | 14th |
| 2011 | Americain | $5 | 5th |
| 2010 | So You Think | $3 | 3rd |
| 2009 | Alcopop | $4.80 | 6th |
| 2008 | Mad Rush | $5.50 | 7th |
| 2007 | Master O’Reilly | $3.80 | 8th |
How often do Favourites win Melbourne Cup?
History suggests that favourites dont always perform that well. In the history of the Melbourne Cup there have been 32 favourites to win the race. The last favourite to win was Fiorente in 2013.
What are the odds for the Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup odds are constantly changing but you can view the current odds at Ladbrokes.
