Melbourne Cup 2026 Tips and Race Guide

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The 2026 Melbourne Cup is run on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne. It is a 3200 metre Group 1 handicap worth $10.2 million, and the final field of 24 is confirmed on Saturday 31 October after Derby Day. This page carries the race details, the field and barriers as they are announced, and Dean McHugh’s tips, updated every day through Cup week.

Result: Point Of Law won the 166th Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 3 November 2026, ridden by Ethan Brown for trainer Ciaron Maher, from Zahrann and Juja Kibo.

Part of the 2026 Spring Racing Carnival, which runs from 29 August to 29 November across Melbourne’s tracks.

Race details

When is the Melbourne Cup 2026?

The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday of November every year. In 2026 that is Tuesday 3 November. It is the feature race of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, which opens with Derby Day on Saturday 31 October and closes with Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday in metropolitan Melbourne, the only public holiday in Cup week.

Where is the Melbourne Cup run?

Flemington Racecourse, about four kilometres north-west of Melbourne’s CBD on the Maribyrnong River. The Cup has been run at Flemington since the first race in 1861. The 3200 metre trip starts on the Flemington straight, runs a full lap of the course, and finishes back up the straight in front of the grandstands.

How do horses qualify for the Melbourne Cup?

The Cup is a handicap, so each horse carries a weight set by the Racing Victoria handicapper based on its record. Entries are ranked by weight and by a ballot order, and the final 24 are drawn from the top of that list. Winners of nominated lead-up races earn an exemption from the ballot, which guarantees a start if the horse is accepted. The Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate both carry that exemption, and this section is updated with each exempt winner as the lead-up races are run.

Melbourne Cup 2026: the first three

Point Of Law (barrier 8, Ethan Brown, trained by Ciaron Maher) won from Zahrann and Juja Kibo, both also trained by Maher. He is the first trainer to train the first three in a Melbourne Cup. The 2027 field and barrier draw will be published here in race week next November.

Melbourne Cup tips

Dean McHugh’s tips for the 2027 Melbourne Cup will be published here in race week next November.

Until then, read Dean’s Saturday previews through the carnival on our racing tips page.

Lead-up races that matter

Most Cup contenders come through a handful of races in the fortnight before. The Caulfield Cup on Saturday 17 October is the traditional path, run over 2400 metres and often producing the Cup favourite. The Cox Plate on Saturday 24 October, run at Flemington this year while Moonee Valley is redeveloped, tests the weight-for-age horses. Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, covered on our Derby Day page, is the last chance to book a run.

Past Melbourne Cup winners

Winners 2015 to 2025 verified 28/09/2026 against the VRC honour roll as recorded by Racing and Sports, races.com.au and the placings record.

Betting on Cup Day

If you are adding an app before the Cup, our guide to Australian betting apps covers the racing features that matter on the day: live vision, fixed odds versus tote, and how quickly each bookmaker pays out. Set a deposit limit before the day starts. If gambling is a problem for you or someone you know, call Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 or visit betstop.gov.au.

Cup week continues with Oaks Day on Thursday.