Melbourne Cup guide

A Melbourne Cup Guide providing all your betting information and what information you need to find the best bet of the cup.

As the richest event on the Australian racing calendar, it is a race that stops the nation and commands the attention of thoroughbred people from across the globe. With this in mind, there are many, many variables and key pointers to consider when analysing Melbourne Cup Form.
The form of participating jockeys and trainers - a traditional marker in selecting which horse to bet on in any race - in addition to this there are many other factors to ponder to find Melbourne Cup Form:

Age and sex,
Barrier,
Saddlecloth number,
Handicap, preparation,
Breeding,
Even the odds.

All this considered, the seventy-two hours or so one has to do their Melbourne Cup form once the final field is known makes for some busy cramming! To make this task a slightly less onerous one, here is a brief synopsis of some of the things history can tell us about the key Melbourne Cup form pointers:

AGE AND SEX
5-year-old entires and geldings have the most dominant record of any age and gender segment in Cup annals, accounting for 41 winners. However, the last of these was Doriemus in 1995 so very recent history suggests otherwise. 4yo males sit right on their heels, having won 36 Cup runnings, including the most recent instalment won by Efficient. Outside of these two prominent groups, others to win the race are:

Eighteen 3yo males
Three 3yo fillies
Five 4yo mares
Two 5yo mares
Twenty-four 6yo males
Four 6yo mares
Eight 7yo males
Two 7yo mares
Two 8yo males

So age and sex is certainly one thing to ponder when assessing this year's Melbourne Cup form.

WEIGHT/HANDICAP
As a rule, horses have significantly less probability of winning the Melbourne Cup when asked to carry high weights. That said, horses have carried well above 60kg in the history of the cup - albeit a rarity in the modern era - to win the Cup. The greatest weight-bearing effort was by the mighty Carbine, who carried the equivalent of 66kg to victory in 1890. The heaviest weight ever bared is 68kg the mighty Phar Lap carried more than ever before and still holds the record, albeit it was without success. Interestingly, just six original top weights have won the race, the last of which being Comic Court in 1950. The magnificent Makybe Diva carried a winning mares' weight-bearing record in 2004 with 55.5kg, then made a mess of that a year later winning with 58kg.

SADDLECLOTH NUMBER
The most successful saddlecloth in the Cup is a mantle shared by numbers 4 and 12, with eleven champions apiece. Saddlecloth number 20 is undergoing the longest spell of 'outs' having not provided a winner since 1897. Yet another Melbourne Cup form vagary to consider.

WINNING BARRIER
Since the runners' barrier number was recorded for the first time in 1924, only one gate has not thrown a winner: unlucky number 18. The stall from which most Cup victors have come in that period is barrier 11 with seven, last successful in 2001 when Ethereal saluted.
So rest assured, with an assured big field hotly contesting the race annually, take the time to consider the pointers provided by history when doing your Melbourne Cup form!

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