Ultimate betting guide for the Melbourne Cup

All is in readiness for Australia’s greatest horse race, yet finding the winner can be a monumental undertaking. It is one of the most important tasks of the year for every Australian, however most folk have no idea where to start. Many factors go into winning the Melbourne Cup. For the experts, everything is second nature but for the not-so-expert, where do you start? Worry not. We’ve put together the ultimate betting guide for the Melbourne Cup. A step-by-step guide to finding the Melbourne Cup winner and maximising your bet returns.

1. Resources

Arm yourself with as many resources as possible. Buy the newspaper with the best form guide. This will put everything at your fingertips. There’s nothing better than scribbling your notes and markings directly on the page. Make notes in the margin as later when you come to making your final decision, you’ll want every one of your thoughts available.

2. Field

Familiarise yourself with the horses. There are 24 to pick from and it’s important to have an opinion on every one of them. Know their names and backgrounds. You should know which are the international horses, which are from interstate and which are from the major stables. No betting guide for the Melbourne Cup is useful unless the punter has a good knowledge of each and every runner.

3. Connections

Know the jockeys and trainers. While lesser known connections have won the Melbourne Cup, it’s important to know the relative experience of the jockeys. It’s not easy to ride a Melbourne Cup winner so experience does count. You should also know which horses come from the major stables as the top trainers know what it takes to win a Melbourne Cup.

4. Form

Study the form. What are the most recent runs. Melbourne Cup lead-up form can follow a proven pattern. Have the horses been showing improvement in each lead-up race. To run a testing 2 miles, the horses need to be superfit and at the peak of their powers. Performances in lead up events are usually at unsuitable distances and race conditions. Watch for signs of finishing strongly and gathering momentum as this shows that the 2 miles will suit.

5. Weather

Keep an eye on the weather and the amount of rain the track is receiving in the days leading up to The Cup. This will affect the track rating. The punter must have detailed knowledge of how each horse performs on the state of the track. For example, a water-logged track will suit some horses better than others whereas a firm track will bring other horses into play. Stay aware of the Europeans who tend to prefer softer tracks whereas Japanese horses love it firm.

6. Distance

Distance is the most telling component of Melbourne Cup form analysis. The Melbourne Cup is 2 miles and the horse should be strong over every inch of it. Almost all Cup winners have an ability to relax and turn off through certain sections of the race. You don’t want a horse that pulls against the jockey as it will expend much needed energy. Also, the Flemington track has the longest home straight in Australia. The final 200 metres can be telling and it’s important that horses have that extra dose of stamina to finish strongly.

7. Weight

The Melbourne Cup is a handicap. All the competing horses are weighted by the chief handicapper to theoretically cross the finish line together. However, weights are released way back in September. Therefore some aspects of a horse’s form may not be exposed at that time. The punter must find evidence that a horse is performing better now than when weights were released. This is called “beating the handicapper” and there have been instances in the past (eg; Cross Counter, Rekindling) where this has occurred. History tells a compelling story about weight, so it’s important to be aware of how much the burden will affect winning chances.

8. Tips

The Melbourne Cup is the Grand Final for horse racing tipsters and as such most put an immeasurable amount of time and effort into the study. However, not all tipsters are reliable and there are many whose expertise is questionable. Go through our qualifications checklist for each particular tipster. Look at their results and track record and compare and contrast. What are their best winners? You’ll find that following the best tipsters is worth considering, however do not discount your own thoughts. I think it’s best if you carefully consider the logic and reasoning given by professional tipsters and use it to form your own opinions. Our racing tips and best bets page is a good place to start.

9. Betting

The most important section (see also at the bottom of this article for Melbourne Cup Carnival Specials). When you decide on your final selection, you’ll need to place a bet on it. That way, if it wins you’ll be able to boast about how much money you made. First, go ahead and join up now to the best online bookmaker. You’ll find easily the best odds in Australia for the Melbourne Cup. It’s a great experience and you’ll enjoy the most diverse betting options and customer experience available online. If you like free bets, use this exclusive link to join. You’ll get an additional 4x free matched bets up to $25 each.

Best ways to bet on the Cup. Bet each-way because there is always good value in The Cup and betting each-way means you will usually get close to your money back if it finished in the placings. Take a trifecta with the potential of winning many thousands of dollars. Bet the quadrella or simply bet for the win and place. As this ultimate betting guide for the Melbourne Cup shows, there are many ways to win money if your skills are sharp.

10. Enjoy

Lastly, as a final point in our betting guide for the Melbourne Cup, always be mindful that the Melbourne Cup is, first and foremost, to be enjoyed. It’s one of Australia’s most entertaining cultural events so ease up, take a breath and smell the roses. Remember also that these are the world’s most elite thoroughbreds, trained to the minute and at the peak of their powers. Appreciate their sheer quality and awesome power as there is nothing as thrilling and exciting as the race to the finish line in the Melbourne Cup.

Free bets available with this betting guide for the Melbourne Cup

There are a number of tips and tricks to get started betting on The Cup. You will certainly want to take advantage of the bonuses that you receive from just creating an account with our preferred online bookmaker. For example, after you join, you will get a free bet equal to the amount that you deposited.

An even better way to enjoy an amazing set of bonus bets is to take advantage the free bets that are added to your account when you make a bet. The bets are matching, meaning if you make a $25 bet, you’ll see another $25 bet automatically added to your bet slip. This is called a matched bet. You get four matched bets, however they are only available if you join using this exclusive link. Using free bets is a great way to bet on the Melbourne Cup without investing too much of your own money. They are just like the Pokie Place bonus codes that are available to overseas players at an online casino.

Melbourne Cup Carnival Specials

Click here for Bonus Backs, Price Pushes, After Party Specials & More!

Melbourne Cup Carnival Specials are now live, with several promotions available across all 4 days of the 2020 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd: Races 1-3 at Every Metro Meeting
Get your stake returned as a Bonus Bet when your selection runs 2nd or 3rd in races 1-3 at every metro meeting throughout the carnival.
*Available from 8am (AEDT) on race day. Apply from Bet Slip. Limits apply. Fixed odds win bets only. Min 6 runners.

After Party Specials
On top of daily offers, we’ll top up your Vault with our additional rewards, available from 4:00pm – 10:00pm (AEDT) on each of the 4 carnival days:

5x Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd (races of your choice)
*Apply from Bet Slip. Limits apply. Fixed odds win bets only. Min 6 runners.

Price Push Specials
Every day of the carnival, our traders will boost the price of at least one runner which will make us have the most competitive price in Australia!

Final thoughts on this betting guide for the Melbourne Cup

Our preferred online bookmaker has the tools you need to bet on the Melbourne Cup. It has all the form and expert tips as well as the complete suite of betting options. However, when trying to find the winner make sure you consider all the necessary factors outlined in this betting guide for the Melbourne Cup. By following these step-by-step instructions you should be able to bet with confidence and surety. The rest is up to lady luck!

Tags: betting, betting advice, betting odds, featured, Melbourne Cup, online betting

Category: Melbourne Cup