Melbourne Cup Day 2026

Tuesday 3rd November 2026
Flemington Racecourse
Gates open: 9:00am
First race: 10:45am (AEST)
Melbourne Cup Race 7: 3pm (AEST)
Last race: 5:15pm (AEST)

On Tuesday 3rd November 2026 all eyes will be on "the race that stops the nation", the $10 million Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup Day 2026

166th Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup Day sits at the pinnacle of the Australian racing calendar and is the focal point of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. There's nothing like being there amongst the 100,000 plus crowd to experience the day that puts Australia firmly in the international sporting spotlight.

Most Australians stop and listen to the race or watch it on TV, even people who don't usually gamble, have a bet on the race or a ticket in a sweep.

At 3pm on the first Tuesday in November, Australians stop for one of the world's most famous horse races - the Melbourne Cup.

Trainers from around the world set their sights on the Melbourne Cup, a race widely considered to be the best-staying handicap in the world.

Over 3,200 metres, the Melbourne Cup offers the richest prize in Australian sport and a 18ct solid gold Hardy Brothers trophy valued at $175,000+ and a stake of the $10 million prize money and to cement their names in history.

With such significant international standing, the anticipation of history in the making creates the electric atmosphere that is 'the race that stops a nation'.

Official Tickets

ticketmaster.com.au

Race Day Info

Race 7: $8m Group 1 - Melbourne Cup (3200m), 3pm (AEST)

The Melbourne Cup is Race 7 (of 10 races), run at 3pm.

24 horses run over 3,200 metres (2 miles) at Flemington Racecourse.

Melbourne Cup Race Time

The Melbourne Cup race starts at 3:00pm (AEST). Here are the start times for when the Melbourne Cup will jump around the country.

Melbourne: 3:00pm

Sydney: 3:00pm

Brisbane: 2:00pm

Adelaide: 2:30pm

Perth: 12:00pm

Canberra: 3:00pm

Hobart: 3:00pm

Darwin: 1:30pm

Official Flower: Yellow Rose

The official flower for Melbourne Cup Day is the yellow rose and can be purchased from flower sellers near the entrances, upon arrival to Flemington.

Spring Racing Carnival Flowers

Weather Forecast

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BOM Weather Forecast - Today

Flemington Racecourse

There's nothing quite like being at Flemington for the world's most vibrant racing event, the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Wander the world-famous racecourse and experience the colour of the Front Lawn, energy of Hill Square or festival-like atmosphere in The Park. The Melbourne Cup Carnival is four days of pure exuberance, where anything can happen and just about everything does!

Grab your friends and join the revelry and experience the thrill of a historic win, witness the stylish fashion, indulge in delicious food, dance to the hottest musicians, laugh with friends and dive into the festival feeling that is Cup Week.

Flemington Pass tickets allow access to all general public areas including the Front Lawn, Hill Square, The Hill Stand Level 1, the Betting Ring, Saintly Place and The Park.

VISITING

Tickets to the course must be purchased prior to race day

The Melbourne Cup Carnival is a fully ticketed event. All tickets must be pre-purchased at ticketmaster.com.au before arrival at Flemington Racecourse.

Official Tickets

ticketmaster.com.au

Getting To Flemington - Short | Long Guide

Departing Flinders Street Station:

8.44 AM - 1.23 PM: Express services operating direct to Flemington Racecourse.

1.35 PM - 2.44 PM: Services stopping at Southern Cross and North Melbourne, then through to Flemington Racecourse.

Departing Southern Cross Station:

8.52 AM - 1.33 PM: Stopping at North Melbourne then express through to Flemington Racecourse.

DRIVING

Head to Epsom Road, Flemington | Map

Members Parking: Allocated Annual Reserved Car Sites and Ranks 1-4 can be accessed via Members Drive only.

The Members Unreserved Car Park begins from Row 15 and is accessible via Flemington Drive. Traffic management staff will be on hand on race days to guide all unreserved car park holders.

Please note: Unreserved car parking is subject to availability. If spaces are full, members will be directed to the nearest available parking area.

Public Parking: Public Parking is available at the Showgrounds. Public Parking is $30 per vehicle, card only.

Tram

Catch the No. 57 West Maribyrnong tram from the corner of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street and hop off at Flemington Drive (Stop 30), located right outside the main gate to the racecourse.

Please note: Route 57 does not operate low-floor trams. Passengers using mobility aids are advised to take the train to Flemington Racecourse for easier access.

Bus

Catch Route 472 from Williamstown, Footscray or Moonee Ponds to Fisher Parade, with entry to Flemington via The Elms Gate entrance.

Or take Route 404 from Footscray or Moonee Ponds to Smithfield Road, where you can enter the racecourse through the Stables Drive entrance.

Taxi's

There are three taxi ranks in operation during the Melbourne Cup Carnival:

Main Rank - enter via Stables Drive off Smithfield Road
Riverbank Rank - access via a one-way road from Smithfield Road at Riverbank Entrance (Lynches Bridge)
Hill Gate Rank - access from Leonard Crescent

All three ranks operate for both drop-off and pick-up, each close to a main entrance. Taxis are a quick and reliable way to leave Flemington, with a steady supply ensuring you won't have trouble finding a ride.

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Melbourne Cup History

In Melbourne, Cup Day means champagne and canapes, hats, facinators, suits and ties, where race track fashions sometimes overshadow the business of the day - horse racing.

Said American writer, Mark Twain, on a visit: "Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me."

The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861 at Flemington Racecourse, was won by Archer. It has run every year since. Through wars and depression, and the good times too, the Melbourne Cup racing carnival has been one of the stayers of Australian cultural experience.

The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's most challenging horse races, and one of the richest (AU$5million+), and picking winners is an imprecise art at best. Run over 3200 metres, it is a handicapped race which means, theoretically, that the better the horse is, the more weight it has to carry.

The Cox Plate (run between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups) is considered the race most likely to provide an insight into a horse's form and likely Melbourne Cup performance, but even this is unreliable.

The distance and the handicap ensure that the Melbourne Cup is a horse race in which the mug punter has as good a chance of picking the winner as those who follow the form.

Phar Lap, in his last Melbourne Cup campaign in 1931, carried a 10 stone (68kg) handicap. Even a horse with a heart as big as Phar Lap's couldn't overcome it. The race was won by White Nose.

Facts And Statistics

Here are some of the most interesting Melbourne Cup facts and statistics:

Most Wins - Horse: Makybe Diva, 3 wins (2003, 2004, 2005)
Most Wins - Jockey: Bobby Lewis, 4 wins (1902, 1915, 1919, 1927); Harry White, 4 wins (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)
Most Wins - Trainer: Bart Cummings, 12 wins (1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2008)
Fastest Time: Kingston Rule, 3:16.30
Slowest Time: Archer, 3:52.00
Longest Odds Winners: The Pearl, Wotan and Old Rowley all at 100 to 1
Shortest Odds to Win: Phar Lap at 8/11 (about $0.73 or so)
Percentage of favourites to win: 23%
First woman to train a winner: Sheila Laxon with Ethereal in 2001
First woman to ride a winner: Michelle Paye on Prince of Penzance in 2015