Melbourne Cup 2024 - Predictions, Odds & Tips

(Odds at 13/09/2023. Subject to change)

*PlayUp Features;

Below are a couple of key features that PlayUp has when it comes to racing and the Melbourne Cup: 

• PlayUp’s Best Tote or SP: On selected races, punters can get the Best Tote or the Starting Price, whichever is better at the end of the day. Some other bookies out there have ceased offering this product as the odds on offer can end up being too good, and with this in mind, definitely be sure to check out this PlayUp feature! 
• PlayUp’s Playbook: This new PlayUp feature presents users with a Playbook in which the best free tips and bets from a variety of different sports and racing are provided. With this in mind, users can access this feature for free and it can aid punters in either working on their own form for a racing event or just as a source to help inform punting decisions in general. 

Once again, the 2023 Melbourne Cup is the headline race of the Spring Horse Racing Carnival in Australia – in what is known as the ‘Race that stops a nation!’ 

Future Horse Racing odds are now available at Australia’s top-quality betting bookmakers, and rest assured, our team has completed the hard yards by selecting the best odds within our Melbourne Cup betting guide! 

Along with Horse Racing betting odds for the massive event, we’ve also compiled some of the most important race facts & stats for the 2023 Melbourne Cup: 

1. Four and Five year olds have the best winning strike rate in the history of the Cup 
2. The average winning jockey weight is 54 – 55kg 
3. 11 runners have completed the Caulfield Cup / Melbourne Cup double 
4. The Cup favourite has won the race on 32 occasions, the last being Fiorente in 2013. 
5. Only 5 runners have won the Cup in back to back years. Makybe Diva was the last to do so after winning in a record 3 straight years (2003,2004,2005). 
6. Gold Trip is the defending champion, having won the race at $21.00 in 2022. 

Betting on Horse Racing can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience and this can only be enhanced through engaging with expert advice provided by our team at Bettingtop10.

Lunar Flare –Playup $15.00 | Bet365 $13.00 | TopSport $15.00 | Boombet $11.00 

2022 was a seismic year for Melbourne Cup fans, with the well backed Lunar Flare declared unfit to race on the day of the race at Flemington. For connections, the news came as a huge disappointment and Lunar Flare has been lightly trained in an attempt to go all the way in 2023. 

The form of 2022 is still to be seen this year, but Lunar Flare won well at the Lexus Andrew Ramsen Stakes at Flemington in May, and it should be a contender here. 

Vauban – Playup $7.00 | Bet365 $6.00 | TopSport $6.50 | Boombet $7.50 

Backing the Melbourne Cup favourite is hardly going out on a whim, but the Willie Mullins trained Vauban has been earmarked for this race for years. Having converted from the National Hunt scene in the UK and Ireland, Vauban certainly has the speed and staying power in this one. 

The absence of a Melbourne Cup win will only serve as extra motivation for the prolific Mullins too and it would be no surprise to see the great Irishman celebrating again here at Flemington in 2023. 

(Odds & field of runners correct as of 13/09/2023. All are subject to change)

Gold Trip – Playup $21.00 | Bet365 $26.00 | TopSport $21.00 | Boombet  $26.00

Going back to back in the Melbourne Cup hasn’t been done since Makybe Diva back in the early 2000’s but it is something Gold Trip will be looking to emulate at Flemington this year. 
 
The competition will be strong for Gold Trip, with no wins since the 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph but it seems to enjoy the conditions and it could go well in an open field. 

Valiant King – Playup $26.00 | Bet365 $31.00 | TopSport $26.00 | Boombet  $29.00

When it comes to established trainers at this level, very few are as synonymous with success as J.P. O’Brien is. The Irish trainer has a superb track record of producing quick horses and Valiant King certainly fits the bill. 

This is clearly a real step up in trip for Valiant King, but it is a challenge it should be willing to accept, and it could be one to watch if space opens up in front of it.  

(Odds & field of runners current as of 13/09/2023. Both are subject to change)

MELBOURNE CUP WIN OR PLACE OR EACH-WAY BET: Place a bet on your prediction to win and/or place (finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd). Or place an each-way bet. Last year’s winner, Gold Trip got over the line at $21.00 and the last 3 Melbourne Cup winners have been all started at higher than $10.00 in the paddock.

MELBOURNE CUP QUINELLA BET: Simply pick the first 2 runners in any order using a Quinella. In 2022, the Quinella paid $251.30. 

MELBOURNE CUP EXACTA BET: Feeling lucky? Pick the first 2 runners in the exact order to win big! The 2022 Melbourne Cup winning Exacta paid $460.49. 

MELBOURNE CUP TRIFECTA BET: Correctly select 1st, 2nd and 3rd in order or box multiple numbers to finish in the top three. In the 2022 Melbourne Cup, the Trifecta had a healthy payout of $16,494. 

MELBOURNE CUP FIRST FOUR BET: Back yourself to pick the first four, either in order or boxed, to finish the race this year? Well, with last year’s winning Top Four paying out a staggering $102,785, it might be worthwhile exploring. 

Always remember when betting on the Melbourne Cup to bet within your limits.