2023 Melbourne Cup Odds & Betting Favourites

In this post we take a look at the 2023 Melbourne Cup odds and breakdown the chances of each of the betting favourites ahead of the big race.

The race is held annually at Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for horses three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

It is the richest “two-mile” handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races with a prize purse of A$8,000,000 (2022).

The first iteration of the Melbourne Cup took place in 1861, 162 years ago and it has become a huge tradition in the Australian calendar and culture.

The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3:16.3.

Below you can find all the latest 2023 Melbourne Cup odds and everything you need to know about the favourites for this year’s edition of this prestigious race.

2023 Melbourne Cup Odds

2023 Melbourne Cup Betting Favourites

Vauban

The favourite to win the 2023 Melbourne Cup is Vauban at odds of 9/4. Those odds imply that Vauban has a 30.8% chance of winning this year’s Melbourne Cup.

The five-year-old W-P Mullins trained gelding is a son of Galiway and Waldfest who has become known as a consistent scorer around the track with seven victories, three runner-up finishes and one-third place from fourteen starts.

Vauban is on a two-race winning streak after most recently winning on the 7th of August at Naas in the Ballyroan Stakes. On that occasion, he finished 1.5 lengths ahead of Valiant King in second place to win the eight-horse field. Jockey Colin King became the fourth rider to have won a race on the back of Vauban.

The horse is a character too, in the lead-up to the race assistant trainer to Mullins, David Casey had this to say to the media about the horse: “Outside on track, he’s very laid back,” but that’s not the case in the stables! “In the stable, he doesn’t like being brushed; I’ve got a couple of war wounds where he’s bitten me and tried to kick me.”

Vauban has the chance to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup since Twilight Payment won for Joseph O’Brien in 2020.

Gold Trip

The second favourite for the 2023 Melbourne Cup is Gold Trip at odds of 11/2. Those odds imply that Gold Trip has a 15.4% chance of finishing first in this big race.

The six-year-old colt trained by Ciaron Maher & David Eustace is the defending champion after his 2022 Melbourne Cup success. He is the son of Outstrip and Sarvana.

The horse has a lifetime record of three wins, five second-place finishes and five third-place finishes.

The highlight of course was that 2022 Melbourne Cup victory which came by a margin of 2 lengths at odds of 20/1. However, last time out on track the horse came a fifth in a twelve-horse field 1.5 lengths off winner Romantic Warrior.

Victory for Gold Trip in this one would mean the horse would become only the sixth horse to win the event multiple times and the first horse to successfully defend the Melbourne Cup since Makybe Diva in 2005.

Without A Fight

Third favourite for the 2023 Melbourne Cup is Without A Fight at 6/1 odds.

The Anthony & Sam Freedman trained gelding is a son of Teaofilo and Khor Sheed.

Without A Fight’s lifetime record from twenty-two outings on flat turf is an impressive ten victories, three runner-up finishes and four third-place finishes.

Last time on track, the horse was an impressive winner in Caulfield, Australia when he won the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup against an eighteen-horse field.

That victory meant the horse pocketed $5 million but most impressively beat rivals West Wind Blows and second favourite Gold Trip in the process.

Soulcombe

Next up in the betting to win the 2023 Melbourne Cup is Soulcombe at odds of 10/1.

The four-year-old gelding is trained by Chris Waller, and a son of the famous Frankel and Ribbons. Soulcombe has been clinical on track in his career with five wins, one runner-up finish and a third place from thirteen outings.

His last showing on track was also in the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup where he came 5.5 lengths back from the winner Without A Fight. The horse’s card comments read “Missed break, raced towards rear on inner, ridden 4f out, switched right and progress between horses 3f out, driven and stayed on inside final furlong, not pace of leaders”.

Soulcombe will need a better run in this year’s Melbourne Cup if he is to stand a chance of crossing the line first.

Breakup

Further out in the betting for the 2023 Melbourne Cup is Breakup who is rated as a 14/1 shot to win this race.

The five-year-old trained by Tatsuya Yoshioka and progeny of Novellist and Little Jun has two victories, one runner-up finish and three third-placed finishes from eleven outings on track.

Breakup last ran in Caulfield on the 21st of October where he came eighth in an eighteen-horse field and 5.75 lengths off winner Without A Fight.

While this is a horse of considerable talent, it has struggled on track for some time with its last victory coming in Tokyo a year ago.

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Previous Melbourne Cup Winners

*Prices subject to fluctuation

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