Melbourne Cup Results and Winners

Come November, the temperature rises in the land down under, and the action heats up on Australia’s racetracks. Every year, the Melbourne Cup steps up to show the world why it’s the cornerstone of the Australian horse racing calendar and is an event that’s not to miss. And, 2018 was absolutely no exception to the rule, as it was once again a thrill a minute affair.

After more than 20 years and countless attempts, the Godolphin Racing stable finally saw its first Melbourne Cup win. To say that this day had been a long time in the making would be an understatement, but with all the stable trainers entering horses into the race, you could say that they stacked the deck. Three horses from Godolphin had the chance to win it, but it was 4-year-old Cross Counter, trained by Charlie Appleby, who rode home to victory.

In many ways, this was Cross Counter and jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s race to lose. After establishing a lengthy lead, the chasing pack struggled to keep the pace. In the end, Cross Counter beat Hughie Morrison’s Marmelo by nearly three lengths, with Charlie Fellowes’ A Prince of Arran even further behind in third. While Cross Counter and Godolphin Racing made the headlines, the finishing three made a small piece of history because it made for a clean-sweep of the first three placings by British trainers.

Always exciting and sometimes controversial, history is guaranteed to be made at the Melbourne Cup. 

The following is a full rundown of the winner and almost-rans that crossed the line at the 2018 race:

Melbourne Cup payouts

Two things flow at the Melbourne Cup every year: drinks and cash. 

The betting counter is buzzing, and so is the bar. Therefore, understanding the payouts before the event kicks off can undoubtedly be of benefit. While we don’t have a crystal ball close by that will help you predict the next winner, we can use last year’s race to help you get a grip on what potential payouts you’ll see this year.

Looking at many of the available bet types, should you have your eyes on the Melbourne Cup 2020 field, make sure you cast your eyes over this table first. 

That way, you’ll know where you can get the most bang for your buck:

Melbourne Cup past winners

The Melbourne Cup might not be known for its glamour, but it’s certainly not a race that’s short on history. 

Dating to 1861, the race has produced many a single winner in the past. Still, there have been several horses that have dominated the track at Flemington Race Course.

Setting the tone for the many decades that would follow, the same horse won the first two Melbourne Cup races. Archer, ridden by John Cutts, romped home to win in back to back years, as the horse proved to be too quick and too strong for the rest of the field. Even during its second year at the event and coming in at a much heavier weight, Archer proved that his first win was certainly no fluke. Cutts made a piece of history, too; if the rumor is to be believed, he was the first aboriginal winner, but horse racing historians debate this. However, many feel that such honor belongs to Frank Reys, who rode Gala Supreme to victory in 1973, so the matter is still up for debate.

What Archer was able to do was phenomenal, but fast-forward nearly 150 years, and a horse channeling his spirit was able to go one better. The conversation about legendary winners at the Melbourne Cup isn’t complete without talking about Makybe Diva, who won the race in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Each win came in at a vastly different weight; there is no denying that this famous hat-trick-made jockey Glenn Boss is a superstar in the horse racing stratosphere.

These are just a few of the legendary winners associated with the Melbourne Cup. 

For a full list of winners check out the table below:

Make time for the Melbourne Gold Cup

Horse racing is certainly a big deal on British shores, but while there are plenty of big races on the calendar, there is only one Melbourne Cup. Never failing to bring together a super competitive field, we expect Melbourne Cup 2020 to be the biggest race in the event’s history arguably. Hold your horses before you place a bet, though.

We’ve got the Melbourne Cup 2020 covered. Therefore, before you part with your money, remember what we said above and be sure to check out our full race guide before post-time.