Melbourne Cup 2017: Preview, Betting Tips & Key Info

Jonathan Nixon

The Melbourne Cup is one of the finest thoroughbred horse racing events in Australia that welcomes horses above the age of three. The Victoria Racing Club plays host to the event, which is often described as the richest 2-mile race in the world. The Melbourne Cup has grown in popularity over the years and today it attracts a huge following.

Melbourne Cup History: Facts & Figures

The event began in 1861 when 17 horses competed in the event. Back then, the race had a prize money of £710, which was available as gold sovereigns, besides other novelty items. Kingston Rule holds the record for winning the race in the shortest time (3.16.30) and the record was set in 1990.

Online betting Melbourne Cup has seen four horses win the event despite being at odds of 100/1. The first foreign bred horse did not claim a victory until 1910. Women trainers and their success were finally acknowledged in 2001 when Sheila Laxon became the first woman trainer to win the race. While the first race attracted a crowd of just over 4,000, the Melbourne Cup 2005 witnessed an attendance of 100,000 spectators.

Melbourne Cup 2017 Date and Previous Winners

The Melbourne Cup 2017 will be held on November 7. As the pinnacle event when it comes to horse racing in Australia, this race witnesses a huge amount of interest from fans across the world. The prize money for the 2017 event is $6.2 million.

The past success in the competition may not have much relevance with regard to the upcoming Melbourne Cup day 2017 since only a handful of horses have managed back-to-back wins. Despite a lot of competition in the 2016 edition, Almandin managed to come out successful in the Melbourne Cup betting 2016.

Makybe Diva is regarded as one of the best Melbourne Cup winners of all time. In this race, no horse has been able to win the event three times. Yet, Makybe Diva created history in 2005 by winning the event three times in succession.

By doing so, she managed to surpass the likes of Think Big, Rain Lover, Peter Pan, and Archer – horses that have won the event twice. Bobby Lewis and Harry White are the most successful jockeys, having won the race several times.

What Do Melbourne Cup Champions Have in Common

Those who bet on the Melbourne Cup might have to keep a close eye on the age of the horse, as horses younger than five years have been crowned only three times since the turn of the century. The race appears to favour older horses much more.

It is important to learn about the Melbourne Cup 2017 runners before placing bets. Every year, there are several hundred horses looking to take part in this competition. Yet, a ballot system coupled with handicapping means that the number is reduced to 24 horses.

Discover Melbourne Cup Tips & Betting Advice

Thomas Hobson is coming into the race as one of the favourites in the Melbourne Cup betting tips. Yet, the seven-year-old has had some mixed results in some of the Class I races. This might be one of the reasons behind bookmakers not providing significantly shorter odds. One may find Hobson almost similar to the likes of Vazirabad and Almandin in terms of pure numbers.

Melbourne Cup Live Betting

Just like in the case of any sport, it is possible to go with Melbourne Cup live betting. This might be a great tool for grabbing the best odds concerning a runner if a horse lags at the start of the race. The overall distance of 3200 m tests the stamina of a horse to the maximum and it may even be beneficial to think about placing a wager coming into the last third of the race. The popularity of this event means that one can find Melbourne Cup 2017 odds in the live betting section from almost every popular bookmaker.

Melbourne Cup Ante Post Betting - A Risky Way to Get the Best Odds

The huge amount of interest in the Melbourne Cup 2017 winner exists not just among the fans. The punters from around the world can get odds for the event well before the start of the race in November. There is a huge opportunity in the ante post betting system and punters are likely to receive much better odds for their favourites. In the case of 2017, last year’s winner Almandin is at odds of 20/1 in the ante post system.

Melbourne Cup 2017: Betting Predictions on the Outright Winner

Bet Melbourne Cup has become much more difficult due to the lack of repeat winners. For those who may think that the live betting options are risky, there is an option to go with Melbourne Cup race betting. A popular choice would be to go with the each way system, which can significantly reduce the risk. Among the three Melbourne Cup 2017 favourites to win the event are:

• Red Cardinal – The five-year-old bay gelding has managed to win four out of his last five starts. His prestigious victory came at the Belmont Park stakes when he managed to win the race even with a starting price of 7/2. For the upcoming 2017 addition, it is possible to get the best odds at an aggregator like OddsDigger.
• Thomas Hobson – This seven-year-old bay gelding has been running with a lower weight in the last few races and this immediately had a result at the Ascot Stakes after he managed to come out successful after starting at 4/1. He remains one of the Melbourne Cup 2017 favourites.
• Almandin – The six-year-old bay gelding, Almandin has not been in the racing scenario since winning the Melbourne Cup 2016 in an incredible fashion. He was carrying a weight of just 8-3 in the run up to this victory. Of course, it is possible to find Melbourne Cup 2017 tips that make him the clear favourite when it comes to the race, but one should not forget about his competition.

It becomes clear why the Melbourne Cup attracts such an enormous amount of interest. The incredible quality of the field makes it almost impossible to choose a winner without the assistance of betting tips and predictions. OddsDigger provides a way to compare the odds and make better decisions.