Melbourne Cup Betting 

Melbourne Cup 2012 Results - Order of finish:

Position	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Win	Place
1st	14. Green Moon (IRE)	Brett Prebble	Robert Hickmott	$20.80	$6.60
2nd	11. Fiorente (IRE)	James McDonald	Gai Waterhouse		$12.30
3rd	3. Jakkalberry (IRE)	Colm O'Donoghue	Marco Botti		$15.70
4th	24. Kelinni (IRE)	Glen Boss	Chris Waller

It's almost part of Australian culture - Everybody has a punt on Melbourne Cup Betting as this remarkable race captures the nation's attention like no other event. Workplaces across Australia run office sweeps and having a bet on the Melbourne Cup is a great tradition for many. There is tremendous excitement in seeing your horse fly down the straight to win the Great Race!

The tradition of placing a Melbourne Cup bet hasn’t changed, but the best way to do so has. Nowadays there is no need to line-up at your local betting agency during your lunch time to get your Cup bet on. Betting online has made placing your punt so much easier, and offers fantastic value on odds too.

Melbourne Cup FREE $500 Bet

Featured are the leading bookmakers in Australia, including Sportsbet, Luxbet, Sportingbet, IASbet, Centrebet, Bet365 and betting exchange betfair. Make sure to check out the great free betting offers when joining one or more of the bookmakers, with up to $500 in FREE bets!   

Betting is available well before Cup day and remains open right up until the race starts. Check out our Melbourne Cup Time page to ensure you don’t miss placing your bet on Australia’s biggest race, no matter where you will be watching from.

The day attracts serious punting, with the betting pools by far the largest of any race during the year. It's also a day for many once-a-year punters, and those not familiar with having a flutter.

Below is an explanation of the popular types of betting. Along with traditional types such as 'win bets' or 'place bets', there are other options referred to as 'exotics'.  

Melbourne Cup bet types

Bet Type	Betting Explained
Win bet	The most common and popular of all bet types, you simply need your horse to be the first past the post to collect. There is no greater thrill in racing than picking the winner of the Cup!
Place bet	Involves betting on your horse to finish in the top three. The odds are obviously lower than for a win, but it gives you a better chance of a return.
Quinella	Getting the quinella requires picking the first two horses past the post, but they don’t need to be in exact order.
Exacta	Similar to the quinella in picking the first two horses, except you need to successfully pick them in exact order.
Trifecta	The trifecta is popular because it offers the potential for a big pay-out due to the large field (24 horses). It involves picking the horses that will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Below are the two types.
Straight Trifecta	A straight trifecta requires picking the first three horses past the winning post in the correct order.
Boxed Trifecta	The boxed trifecta allows you to pick the first three horses in any order. The bet costs more than a straight trifecta due to the multiple combinations.

If struggling to choose a winner see the Melbourne Cup tips page, with picks available for purchase from expert tipsters. For Free tips by knowledgeable punters, visit the Melbourne Cup betting discussion.

To find the best available for your selection, you can compare Melbourne Cup odds across bookmakers.

Because whether betting on a favourite such as Dunaden, Mount Athos, Americain or Red Cadeaux, or looking at a longer priced horse to cause an upset, getting good value is greatly important!