The Melbourne Cup is known in Australia as the race that stops a nation: a two-mile romp over the grass at Flemington that draws the best stayers in the country – and international foes, as well. The 2024 Melbourne Cup happens Tuesday, November 5 at Flemington. People flock to the racetrack or the pub to find out who won the country’s most historic race, and bettors around the world know it is one of the greatest horse race betting opportunities of the year.
Remember, if you are betting the Melbourne Cup from North America, the race happens Monday evening in those time zones. It starts at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday local time, but in that converts to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday night, or 8:00 p.m. Pacific. So, set your clock and get ready for one of the best betting events of the year!
Read on as well to find out the best places to get Vegas odds on the Melbourne Cup online, and the best horses to bet in the race.
Before you try to pick a winner in the Melbourne Cup, it is important to choose the right place to bet the race. Online sportsbooks bring real Las Vegas odds and wagers to your phone, tablet, or computer. You can bet horse racing and sports from anywhere, and know you’re getting the best odds.
Our online wagering experts are also here to help you pick the best betting sites quickly and confidently. Our guide to online Las Vegas betting sites will show you the sportsbooks that offer real Vegas odds and trusted betting payouts. All of our recommended options have those basics of a great wagering experience.
Take a few minutes to choose the site with the best betting site bonuses for your wagering style. The structures differ by site, so taking a few minutes now to pick the best one for you can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars in lucrative betting bonuses as you play the Melbourne cup and beyond!
These are the best places for Las Vegas betting online, for the Melbourne Cup and beyond:
These are early declarants for the 2024 Melbourne Cup in order of priority, including trainers, jockeys (if announced), and weight assignments (if final).
The final post draw for the Melbourne Cup happens Saturday, November 2; on that day, final jockey assignments and post positions will be determined.
After the draw, make sure to track the odds at the online sportsbook where you signed up to bet. Online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on many major horse races, so go ahead and place your bet when you see an overlay on your pick. You can lock in real Vegas odds just by placing a bet, and then be confident if what you’ll get when your horse wins!
Now that you’ve set up your Melbourne Cup betting account, it’s time to find out who to wager on. Read on to find out about the best contenders in the 2024 Melbourne Cup!
Horses bred in America hardly ever race two miles, but Onesmoothoperator has made it around the world: from being bred in Indiana to showing solid form in 1 ½-mile and two-mile handicaps in England to now Australia. He won the Geelong Cup (G3) last out, his first try down under, and now stretches out another four furlongs for his second start in the country.
Unlike some in this race, even at the top of the market, he has stretched out this far multiple times. The Geelong Cup is one of the more live prep races for the Melbourne Cup, and he is well weighted at just 51 kilograms.
Vauban was the favorite last year, and comes into this year’s edition as the highweight. He ran only 14th last year, but Willie Mullins has changed up his plans this year. Instead of shipping him for a lengthy Australian stay before the race, he stayed in Ireland and finished a good second behind Kyprios in the Irish St. Leger (G1). That’s class form through the world’s best stayer.
Buckaroo is expected to lead the markets, but be wary. His form is quality, of course: he was a close second to next-out Cox Plate (G1) winner Via Sistina two back, and then was second last out in the Caulfield Cup (G1), often an important prep. But, he is among the top of the weights and he has never gone past 1 ½ miles, much less the two miles of the race that stops a nation. So, he is less than exciting for win bets, but hard to toss completely given his class.
Okita Soushi was 11th in the Melbourne Cup last year, but he has claims to do even better this time around. Last year he was a 100-1 outsider making his second Australian start and coming off a flat prep. This time, he comes out of a victory in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (G2), with a good enough second in the Herbert Power (G2) as his prep for that. That’s a good line, especially with only a 51kg impost in the Cup.
Two others who could find the exotics include Land Legend and Interpretation. Land Legend is stuck with 53.5kg, not as good a weight as some, but he won the Metropolitan (G1) two back, wasn’t disgraced when third in the Caulfield Cup (G1), and won at 1 ⅝ miles last year. Interpretation, nicely weighted at 50kg, was second to Onesmoothoperator last out and ran a credible sixth in the Melbourne Cup last year.
With your wagering account at the ready and an introduction to the best contenders in the race, it’s now time to get your bets down on the race that stops a nation. These are the best bets for the 2024 Melbourne Cup:
