Dubbed “the race that stops a nation,” the Melbourne Cup Day is one of the most popular horse races in modern history. Native to the Australian city of Melbourne, the thorough-bred racing tourney dates back over 160 years and is remarkably significant. In fact, the tournament is a public holiday in the state, making it one of the very few horse racing contests that are commemorated as a work-free day.
Unsurprisingly, each year, expectations are high for the Melbourne Cup, and over time, it has tried to live up to its billing. As British-American actress, Mischa Barton once remarked after her first race, “[this] experience has been generally pretty laid back…everyone wants to have fun and have a nice day.”
The Melbourne Cup racecourse spans a length of 3,200 metres and is primed for horses aged three years or older. At a prize set at 8 million in recent times, it is deemed the most-rewarding two-mile handicap race globally. However, despite its popularity, the history of the Melbourne Cup is still unknown to many people.
In this article, Kate Richardson, a seasoned tourism and pari-mutuel expert walks us through the intricacies of the Melbourne Cup, its history as well the time and location for the 2025 edition of the annual racing event.
Tracing the History of the Melbourne Cup Day
The first ever Melbourne Cup took place as far back as 1861 in the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia’s second smallest state. Featuring 17 runners, the first race was won by the horse Archer.
Albeit, that tournament did not have a physical trophy and the champion walked home only with a gold watch and a purse. Over the course of the next decade, the Melbourne Cup would grow significantly and adapt some changes to its format, many of which have remained till today.
At its inception, the first tournament was organized by the Victorian Turf Club as a show of supremacy over races hosted by the Victorian Jockey Club. Both organisations would later merge in 1864 to form the Victorian Racing Club which has been in charge of the Melbourne Cup for over 160 years.
While today, the handicap race is run on the first Tuesday of November, this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, it wasn’t until 1875 that the calendar became formally recognised, with previous races happening on a Thursday and once even in October. Among the many firsts of the championship came in 1882 where bookmakers were licensed to receive bets at the Flemington, which has remained the racecourse for the Cup till date.
In the sections that follow, we explore some other significant aspects of the race such as the reason it is a public holiday.
Why is Melbourne Cup Day a Public Holiday?
For the first time, the Melbourne Cup was observed as a public holiday in 1865, but even then, it was merely a half-day break with businesses and offices closing around noon. Some historians believe that the tourney at that point coincided with the birthday of the Prince of Wales, leading many people in the state to celebrate both events.
The holiday was only given formal status in 1873 when the Victoria Government Gazette announced that Cup Day would be a bank and civil service holiday throughout the county. When the race moved to a specific period in November, the Gazette was subsequently amended to reflect this monumental change.
Highlights of the Melbourne Cup Last Year
Although the Flemington racecourse has a capacity for over 120,000 people, in more recent years, just over 90,000 people travel across Australia to witness the race that stops the nation. The 2024 edition, sponsored commercially by Lexus, was a pretty exciting experience for all who made it down to Victoria. In all, the race featured 24 horses competing for the top spot.
Knight’s Choice, a local thoroughbred horse ridden by Robbie Dolan won last year’s Melbourne Cup. Its trainers were John Symons and Sheila Laxon, the first woman to officially train a Melbourne Cup winning horse and one-time winner of the Caulfield Cup. Back in 2001, Laxon trained Ethereal, a New Zealand horse, marking the first foreign thoroughbred to win the race of the day in the 21st Century.
Speaking of foreign trained winning horses, Phar Lap is a well known horse in this category, winning the 1930 edition of the competition. In more recent years, Americain and Dunaden were foreign-bred horses to win, clinching the trophy in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup prize pool on offer in 2024 was also the highest ever in the history of the tournament. At exactly A$8.56 million, the prize money was $150,000 higher than 2023. Nine Network also officially broadcast the race for the first time, having a total audience of over 5.5 million people who tuned in to their screens.
Detailed Information of the Melbourne Cup 2025
As earlier highlighted, the Melbourne Cup takes place on the first Tuesday in November every year. That means this year’s edition will be held on 4th November 2025. It’s worth mentioning that the cup week is marked by an outstanding carnival known as the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Other Group One races take place during the Carnival, alongside fashion parades where marquees are set up for VIP guests who come attending the Australian cultural event.
Below, let’s consider other specific details of this renowned sport and cultural event that Australians take much pride in.
What Time Does the Melbourne Cup Start?
The race in Australia starts at 3pm local time and should typically take only a few minutes to wrap up the 3,200-metre distance. However, the Melbourne Cup schedule is always more extensive than that. There are 10 races scheduled for the day, with the first starting at 10:45 am and others continuing throughout the day until 5:15 pm. Final schedules for the race days will be released about a week before the iconic competition, so you can know any updates to the timing.
Where to Watch the Melbourne Cup Race?
In 2024, Nine Entertainment, one of Australia’s foremost commercial broadcasters acquired free-to-air rights to screen the Melbourne Cup until 2029. In the deal with Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and Tabcorp, the broadcaster earned the opportunity to screen the event, starting with the 2024 Melbourne Cup carnival across mobile, digital and social platforms
“We are thrilled that in 2024 the Melbourne Cup Carnival will join the Nine big event stable alongside the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Australian Open, and State of Origin.”
“Nine’s capability to showcase coverage of Melbourne Cup Carnival racing and events across the depth of their leading broadcast and streaming assets make for a compelling partnership outcome.” The VRC chief remarked about the partnership.
So, if you’re looking to watch the long race weekend that includes Derby Day, Stakes Day and Oaks Day, then Channel 9 or any of the 9Now streaming platforms are your best bets.
How to Follow and Bet on Your Favourite Horses
Visitors from Poland have recently discovered the Melbourne Cup draw. Well, in the Australian city, tickets are purchased representing individual horses and potentially offering a part of the prize pool. It is a form of betting but one that completely discards the rules of odds and skill-based gambling.
Additionally, there are pari-mutuel and other sports betting markets to explore for Polish players. If you’re looking for trusted betting options, look no further than MightyTips. With specially curated lists of recommended bookmakers across different countries, you can discover the best places to bet whether you’re watching the Melbourne Cup from Poland, or you’re right in the heart of the Victorian city.
Signing onto these recommended bookmakers not only give you access to a wide range of sports to wager on, but you also enjoy free bonus offers to start your adventure from polish bookmakers. Besides, with top customer service and banking security, what’s not to love about these online betting?
Final Remarks: What to Expect From the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival
After a successful outing in 2024, all eyes are laser focused on what the 2025 edition will bring. We can expect that the order of entry will be released in September, while the final list of elite horses who make the final cut become public just before November. Nevertheless, tourists and lovers of horse racing can expect an absolute spectacle.
Will a record be broken? Or will we see a massive increase in the prize money? Regardless of what happens, you can enjoy a blend of sporting excitement and real money rewards by betting on your favorite horses or opting for the Melbourne Cup sweep.
