2026 Melbourne Cup Best Bets + Tips for Trifecta & First Four

The Group 1 Melbourne Cup is the biggest race of the year, and it all goes down on Tuesday at Flemington. It’s a quality field of local and international stayers, where the current favourite is $6.50, so there is value with most runners in the field for the race that stops a nation.

Best Bet

Best Each Way

Best Roughie

Melbourne Cup Tips for Trifecta

Punters should have six runners on their ticket for the Melbourne Cup trifecta. 

• Point of Low 
• Trustyourinstinct 
• Goodie Two Shoes 
• Wine Dark Sea 
• James J Braddock 
• Enfjaar 

Melbourne Cup First-Four Tips

We have included nine runners for our Melbourne Cup first-four. Boxing all nine selections gives punters a good chance of collecting the first four dividends. 

• Point of Law 
• Trustyourinstinct 
• Goodie Two Shoes 
• Wine Dark Sea 
• James J Braddock 
• Enfjaar 
• Juja Kibo
• So You Are
• Shockletz

Melbourne Cup Runner-By-Runner Guide

Joseph O’Brien has a good Melbourne Cup record, and although carrying 57.5kg, he has a chance to win this race. 

Second in Ireland last time out, but that came at Group 3 level, so he’s a second-string runner. O’Brien runners are always a chance, but there are better international hopes in the 2026 Melbourne Cup this year. 

Another O’Brien-trained runner and this is his best chance. He comes off a fourth behind one of the best stayers in the world, and that’s great form for the Melbourne Cup. 

He runs best on good tracks, which he should get on Tuesday, and the addition of James McDonald makes him a good bet at $8. 

We expect him to run a good race, so take the each-way odds. 

A former Melbourne Cup winner, so he’s got that going for him. A good third placing two back, but he didn’t fire last time out. 

Repeating the heroics of 2024 could be tough, and we can’t see him figuring in the finish this time around. 

There has been some money for him, despite not running well this preparation. It’s tough to make a case for him, despite running well last year. 

He’s not weighted nearly as well this time around, and we could only entertain his chances if he drifts to around $23. 

Having only one run under his belt this preparation makes it tough for a horse like Vauban, and it was only a fair effort for ninth. 

He needs to improve to have any chance of winning the Melbourne Cup. 

He is a European who could be sneaking under the radar. Won two back in Europe before finishing third in the Caulfield Cup. 

That was an excellent first-up run in Australia, and he’ll only improve with that under his belt. He’s a live chance of winning, so include him in Melbourne Cup predictions. 

We liked him in the Caulfield Cup, but he had pressure on, and that’s going to make it tough on Tuesday if the same thing happens. 

He wants an uncontested lead, but this is a high-pressure race, and he could struggle to maintain the gallop. 

He got a pass mark in his first Australian start. It didn’t look good on paper, but a bounce back effort is on the cards. 

He’s a four-time winner from 10 starts in Europe, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him win the Melbourne Cup, so he goes into our trifecta and first-four picks. 

The former Kiwi will see out the distance, but we question his top-level speed. He’s a battler, and he might need to find a few lengths to win. 

She ran second in the 2025 Melbourne Cup, and although it’s tough to repeat that effort, she should be right in the mix. 

It pays to forgive her most recent run in Europe, when the race wasn’t run to suit, so the $26 is a good price for a horse who has proven that she can measure up at Flemington. 

The only reason Juja Kibo wasn’t our best each-way is because he’ coming off a tough campaign, and although he’s winning, it won’t be easy on Tuesday. 

He won the Metropolitan before winning at Flemington last start. That’s good form, so we’re not leaving him out, but getting up for another big staying race won’t be easy. However, Ciaron Maher is training well, and he could get it done. 

Come off a class 2 placing in Europe, and that’s a tough form guide to line up. He’s a five-year-old, so that’s a positive, but at $11, we don’t see too much value. 

However, he finished ahead of Small Fry two starts ago, and Small Fry has since run well in the Geelong Cup behind our top pick, so he could squeeze into multiples, but we want a better price on race day. 

We give him little chance of winning. His form isn’t good this season, and improvement could be tough to come by. 

The Chris Waller-trained runner can be dour at times, and although he’ll see out the distance, he might be battling to finish in the first half of the field. 

He looked like a potential winner earlier this preparation, but his last two starts have been only fair. 

Track conditions will help, but there are better bets, and we can’t see him improving enough to figure in the finish. 

It’s tough to rule out a runner with winning form. He won the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday, which was a tidy win. However, the race was run to suit, and he pulled in the run, which is a concern when trying to settle over 3200m. 

We can’t leave him out, but he’s another runner who should drift to a more backable price on the day. 

It would be a surprise if he won the 2026 Melbourne Cup. He showed form earlier this prep, but winning races has always been tough for him. 

We love a four-year-old European, and he fits the bill. Another O’Brien-trained runner, and because of that, he can’t be left out. 

He’s only a two-time winner from seven starts, but getting in with 53.5kg is a big difference, so he should run a good race.

Only fair at Flemington last time out, and he’ll need to improve a lot on that effort. Second in a Group 3 prior to that in Europe, but there are better bets.

He couldn’t have been more impressive when winning the Geelong Cup. He sat on a hot speed set by The Euphrates, who finished a long way behind him.

That was a super impressive victory, and it’s why he goes on top. He’s a European four-year-old, which we love backing in this race, and getting in with 53kg makes him tough to beat.

We’re backing him with confidence, and he could be a nice horse in the making.

Her form this prep has been very average, and we can’t see her getting close to them at any stage in the run. 

Third behind Juja Kibo in the Moonee Valley Cup, which was a tidy effort. He’s a tough runner to judge, but we’re leaving him out.

If rain comes and the track gets to soft, he could figure.

Disappointing last time out and turning that form around could be too tough. We rated him at $40, so we’re not interested in the price.

She loves Flemington as a three-time winner, and she comes off a second placing behind Soverato.

She will need to improve to win the Melbourne Cup, but carrying 51kg will feel like carrying nothing for her, and that could be enough to take her close. 

Include in first fours.

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