The Melbourne Cup is the most famous horse race in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the richest turf races in the world. Known as “the race that stops a nation”, the 166th running takes place on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, with a post time of 3:00pm AEDT. The Cup is a Group 1 handicap run over 3,200 metres (two miles) and forms the centrepiece of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival, which is a public holiday across metropolitan Melbourne.
What is the Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap race for horses aged three years and older, run over 3,200 metres at Flemington Racecourse. As a handicap, each runner carries a weight allocated by the official handicapper based on its form and ability, designed to give every horse a theoretical equal chance of winning.
The race carries total prize money of $10 million AUD, making it the world’s richest handicap and the richest race over 3,200 metres. It has been run every year since 1861, making it one of the longest-running major sporting events in the world. The Melbourne Cup transcends sport in Australia: Cup Day is a public holiday in Melbourne, offices and factories pause to watch the race, and an estimated 700 million viewers tune in globally.
The Cup sits within the broader Melbourne Cup Carnival, which spans four race days and is the showpiece of the Australian Spring Racing Carnival. The Carnival also features the Victoria Derby, VRC Oaks, and Stakes Day, attracting hundreds of thousands of racegoers to Flemington over the course of the week.
When is the Melbourne Cup?
The 2026 Melbourne Cup takes place on Tuesday 3 November 2026, with a post time of 3:00pm AEDT. The full Melbourne Cup Carnival schedule is:
- Saturday 31 October: Howden Victoria Derby Day
- Tuesday 3 November: Lexus Melbourne Cup Day (public holiday in metropolitan Melbourne)
- Thursday 5 November: Oaks Day (Ladies’ Day)
- Saturday 7 November: Stakes Day
Gates on Cup Day typically open at 9:00am, with the first race at approximately 10:45am and the final race around 5:15pm. The Melbourne Cup itself runs as Race 7 on the card.
Where is the Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup is held at Flemington Racecourse, located at 448 Epsom Road, Flemington, approximately four kilometres north-west of Melbourne’s central business district. The racecourse sits on low alluvial flats beside the Maribyrnong River and covers a substantial area with its distinctive pear-shaped track.
Flemington has a circumference of 2,312 metres and a final straight of 450 metres. It also features a famous six-furlong (1,200m) straight course known as “the Straight Six”. The venue has a capped capacity of approximately 120,000, with the record attendance of 129,089 set on Victoria Derby Day in 2006.
The racecourse comprises three grandstands: the Lawn Stand, Members Stand, and the Club Stand (opened in 2018). Flemington has its own dedicated railway station on a branch line that operates on race days, providing direct access from the Melbourne metropolitan rail network.
Key Contenders
The 2025 Melbourne Cup was won by Half Yours, ridden by Jamie Melham, who became only the second female jockey to win the Cup, a decade after Michelle Payne’s historic victory aboard Prince of Penzance in 2015. Melham also became the first female jockey to win both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year, a remarkable achievement.
Knight’s Choice caused one of the biggest upsets in Melbourne Cup history in 2024, winning at odds of 90/1 under Robbie Dolan. International raiders have been a major feature of the Cup in recent decades, with horses from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Japan, and continental Europe regularly featuring in the field.
For 2026, the field will not take shape until the Australian spring, with contenders emerging from European staying races, Japanese middle-distance events, and the Australian lead-up races including the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. The Melbourne Cup’s handicap conditions ensure the race remains open and unpredictable, with outsiders regularly troubling the favourites.
How to Watch the Melbourne Cup
Australia: Channel Nine holds exclusive free-to-air broadcast rights, with live coverage available on Nine and streaming free on the 9Now app and website. Coverage typically begins in the morning and runs through the full race day.
New Zealand: TVNZ Plus provides free streaming coverage of the Melbourne Cup.
United Kingdom and Ireland: Sky Sports Racing broadcasts the Melbourne Cup live. Now Sports offers daily passes from £14.99 for 24-hour access. Virgin Media provides coverage in Ireland.
United States: FS2 (Fox Sports 2) carries the Melbourne Cup, available through cable packages and streaming services including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling (Sports Extra add-on).
International: The Melbourne Cup is broadcast in over 150 territories worldwide. Regional broadcasters include ESPN (Central and South America), Sportsnet (Canada), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa), DMI (Middle East and North Africa), Viaplay (Scandinavia and Netherlands), and various partners across Asia and Europe.
History and Records
The Melbourne Cup was first run on 7 November 1861, when Archer won the inaugural race over two miles at Flemington. Archer returned to win again in 1862 by eight lengths, a winning margin that remains a joint record with Rain Lover’s 1968 victory. The race has been run every year since, surviving two World Wars and even the COVID-19 pandemic, when the 2020 edition was held without spectators.
Makybe Diva is the only horse to have won the Melbourne Cup three times, achieving the feat in consecutive years from 2003 to 2005 with jockey Glen Boss. Her third victory, before a crowd of over 100,000, produced one of the most emotional moments in Australian sporting history. Four other horses have won the Cup twice: Archer (1861, 1862), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), Rain Lover (1968, 1969), and Think Big (1974, 1975).
Bart Cummings holds the record as the most successful trainer with 12 Melbourne Cup victories, earning him the title “Cups King”. The legendary Phar Lap won in 1930 as the shortest-priced favourite in Cup history at 8/11. Kingston Rule holds the race record of 3:16.3, set in 1990. The first international winner was the Irish-trained Vintage Crop in 1993, opening the floodgates for overseas raiders that have since transformed the race into a truly global contest.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the Melbourne Cup are available through the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) official website and Ticketmaster. General admission starts from approximately $120 AUD. The VRC offers a range of enclosures and hospitality experiences across the Lawn Stand, Members Stand, and Club Stand.
Hospitality packages include the Makybe Diva Marquee (featuring seated dining, three-course lunch, afternoon tea, and beverage packages), Skyline Dining, the Parade Lounge, and the Rose Room. Multi-day packages including accommodation start from approximately $599 AUD per person for basic options, rising to $2,799 AUD and above for hospitality-inclusive packages.
Cup Day regularly attracts crowds in excess of 80,000 to 100,000, and premium hospitality experiences sell out months in advance. Visitors from interstate and overseas should book flights, accommodation, and tickets well ahead, as Melbourne hotels fill rapidly during Carnival week. The racecourse is well served by public transport, with a dedicated train service running to Flemington station on race days.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup takes place on Tuesday 3 November 2026, with a post time of 3:00pm AEDT at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
Where is the Melbourne Cup held?
The Melbourne Cup is held at Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Road, Flemington, approximately four kilometres north-west of Melbourne’s CBD.
How can I watch the Melbourne Cup?
In Australia, Channel Nine broadcasts the Cup free-to-air, with streaming on 9Now. In the UK, Sky Sports Racing carries live coverage. In the US, FS2 broadcasts the race. The event reaches over 150 territories worldwide.
Who won the Melbourne Cup last year?
Half Yours won the 2025 Melbourne Cup under jockey Jamie Melham, who became only the second female jockey to win the race.
Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday?
Yes, Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday across metropolitan Melbourne. It is observed on the first Tuesday in November each year.