It’s that time of the year in Australia. The Melbourne Cup is not just a horse race. It is a monument to the culture in the land down under, and an event that’s famously known as the race that stops a nation. As tradition insists, it is held each year on the first Tuesday of November. This year, as ever, the nation will stop to witness this 3200m (two miles), 24 horse race. Australia made this event so famous that today, it is seen as one of the biggest horse races in the world. Deservedly so.
The history of this event speaks for itself. The first ever Melbourne Cup was held way back in 1861. The first edition was won by the now immortal Archer who paved the way for other greats such as Phar Lap, Carbine, Rising Fast, and Makybe Diva among many others. While at first, the Cup was only meant to be an event for home grown horses, since 1993 it has been an international race. Even as an expanded and international race, it now has over 30 years of history as such.
This year, the race is more international than ever. The 2026 Melbourne Cup will feature eight foreign raiders. All of them are either from Ireland or Britain in general, while 10of the horses are bred in the northern hemisphere. Of course, Kiwi and Aussie bred are not neglected and the likes of Knight’s Choice and So You Are will have a chance to prove their worth. As far as sports betting on horses goes, you should know that this is a two stable race. Ciaron Maher has seven runners, which means that this one stable will take on a third of the field. Next to the Australian mega-trainer we will also have Ireland’s Joseph O’Brien who will represent his country with five horses. Interestingly enough, he has won on this track twice, so be sure to keep a close eye on his horses.
Before we move onto who could win this race, it is important to note a few things. First of all, expect a spectacle at the 166th edition of this tournament. Secondly, expect showers. The forecast signals that there will be rains on both Monday and Tuesday, meaning that the surface is going to be wet. So, give a racing advantage to horses who have already proven themselves at wet surfaces. With all of that said, let’s move to the early favourites to win the race.
Who Could Win the 2026 Melbourne Cup?
This is a highly competitive race. There are a few horses and their jockeys who could go all the way. Some are favoured, while others could make a surprise run. Before we move onto singling out the top in from horses who could go all the way at Melbourne Cup, how about we tell you that you can win a bet on a horse, without him even winning a race? Now, how’s this possible? Well, it is simple. To get this unique sports betting opportunity, you ought to check out Horse Racing Payout for 2nd on Stake. This promotion rewards the horse who finishes the race in 2nd place as if he has won the race. Let us tell you more about it.
What is Horse Racing-Payout for 2nd?
It is an exclusive horse racing promotion for all users at Stake online casino and sportsbook. It goes like this: back any horse you like, and if your selection competes the Melbourne Cup race in the second place, you will be paid out as if the horse has won the competition. This is a promotion like no other as far as horse racing goes, and your first opportunity to take advantage of it comes with the scheduled races in the land down under.
The first opportunity to make this wager on this promotion comes with the Flemington R7-Victoria Derby on Saturday, October 31st and Kyoto R11-Kyoto Sho Fantasy. If, by the time you’ve read this article, these races are a foregone conclusion, worry not. There’s more to come. On Sunday, November 1st, you have Tokyo R11-Tenno Sho, and after that the cherry on the cake in Flemington R7-Melbourne Cup on November 3rd.
The terms and conditions of this Stake promotion are quite clear and not complicated by any means. The bet needs to be made pre race, with fixed odds on a single horse, in any of the selected races. To enter into this competition and be eligible for the promo you ought to have a VIP Level Bronze or higher status with the Stake company. It needs to be a first bet, per customer, per household. As we said all wagers tied to this promotion need to be made before the race kicks off. The minimum stake you can have is set at $1 while the highest amount you can spend stands at $50.
What’s amazing about this promo is that the payout will come your way if your selection finishes the race as second, and will be paid out as normal if it takes first place too. Eligibility doesn’t go for cashed out or voided bets. Also, due to a high interest in the promotion, the payouts might take up to 96 hours to be processed as there will be many payouts that don’t have connection with the actual winner of the race due to the second place promo. Also, your wager might get disqualified if Stake notices any irregularities or abuse tied to your bet, which in that case might also lead to a permanent ban.
If this promotion sounds like something that you could use to your advantage while horse racing betting on Stake, this is then the right opportunity to check out the horse racing betting market on Stake and check the odds on upcoming events. In the meantime, check out the early favourites for the 2026 Melbourne Cup.
Point of Law
Ladies and gentlemen we have our favorite. Point of Law is an offspring of Frankel, and his mother was a good horse in stamina races. While genes do matter in horse racing, what matters even more is preparation. Melbourne Cup has Point of Law as the frontrunner, and it’s all thanks to the preparation this horse has had in the lead up to the Cup. The horse is trained by none other than Ciaron Maher, and it has had some good showing both in Australia and Europe in the past. The most recent success of this horse was recorded at G3 at Newmarket where it was the first to pass the 2615 mark. Geelong Cup fell next, and it is seen as a fine introduction to what awaits it at the 2026 Melbourne Cup. Ethan Brown will be its jockey for the upcoming spectacle, and the two are a proven combination for winning. With Stake’s promotion taken into account, Point of Law to win the Melbourne Cup might be one of the most logical bets to make.
Trustyourinstinct
If your instinct tells you to wager on Trustyourinstinct, then who are we to claim otherwise. Joseph O’Brien is behind the success of this horse, and if there’s one thing you can say about both it’s that they’re consistent. The best part is that it will have the world’s No1 jockey, James McDonald in the saddle. Its previous results at Al Riffa, St Leger, and across Italy and Saudi Arabia are a good testimony to what this horse can do under the right conditions. While its showing at the G2 in Riyadh where it finished as 8th out of 10 competitors was a smallish letdown, the conditions in Australia will suit it better. It was only logical to include it into the list of those who could win this year’s edition of the Melbourne Cup.
Hopewell Rock
This is a horse whose odds are improving vastly in the days leading up to the race. It was bred in England in a progressive stable, but it will be instructed by an Australian jockey. A combo that could prove to be fruitious in the land down under. At the Ebor Handicap it was the second best horse on the day. At Goodwood it was the best. For the Melbourne Cup it shed some weight, and it is a clear sign that it wants to be competitive at Flemington when the 3200m race kicks off. At five years of age, and with a profile that suits the upcoming competition, this horse might be finally poised to make the finest of impressions. While the two horses we listed first might have better odds of winning this race, as far as pure chances go, the race is thin between these three options, and we wouldn’t look farther than Hopewell Rock, in addition to Point of Law and Trustyourinstinct.
Shockletz
Let’s put a locally bred mare in Shockletz into contention. Ciaron Maher knows what he’s doing, and this New Zealand horse has all the right tools for success. It comes from pedigree position as its father, Shocking, is a previous winner at the Melbourne Cup. It will do well at the wet surface in Melbourne, and with Harry Coffey in the saddle it might demolish the establishment in Australia. This is one horse that has had an interesting road to this race. It has been racing on a regular basis since May. It bought its ticket to the Melbourne Cup by winning Archer, and with a few mini breaks between the races it came in strong to this race. As far as racing at Flemington goes, this horse was second in the G2, 2400m just last Saturday now, that’s a good sign for everyone who wants to make their wagers with Stake’s promotion in mind. If the stars align, Shockletz might be on a path to emulate the success its father achieved in the past.
Now that you know the horses that are the leading favourites to do well at 2026 Melbourne Cup all that is left is to make the right set of decisions regarding the final outcome of the race through the lenses of sports betting. It wouldn’t be too ambitious to claim that one of the four horses listed above would end up as the second placed one. If the promo we mentioned above is not your cup of tea, here are some of the most frequent horse racing bets you could make.
How to Bet on Horse Races
There’s plenty of fun to be found in horse racing betting during an event such as the Melbourne Cup. Of course, only if you do it responsibly, within your means, and with the funds you’ve prepared for this big event. In addition to the above mentioned promo of betting on the 2d place horse and getting rewarded as if it was the winner, you can enjoy plenty of standard horse racing betting too. Here are some of your most basic options:
- Singles – a wager that is a straight bet on a single horse to win an upcoming race.
- Doubles – bets that assume a wager on two horses to win two different races. To win this bet both had to win the race
- Trebles – the principle remains the same: three races, three horses, all to win. To win, all three horses need to end their races as No1.
- Accumulator – a step up in betting where you chase four or more horses to win their respective races. To get a payout all horses you’ve wagered on need to win their races.
- Trixie – a place where horse racing gets super interesting. You pick three horses in four races. It is a wager of three doubles and one treble. To get a return at least three horses need to win their races.
We’re going to stop here, but nothing stops you from discovering types of wagers such as Yankee, Lucky 15, Heinz, Super Heinz, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta and Flexi Bets.
