Melbourne Cup 2026 – An Early Guide

Track: Flemington.

Distance/type: 3200m. Handicap.

Date: Tuesday, 3 November.

Total prize money: $10,200,000.

First prize: $4,500,000.

Race and Time: Race 7 (3.00 pm).

Melbourne Cup – EntriesThe 2026 Melbourne Cup entries closed on 1 September. 101 horses were paid up to contest the 166th running of Australia’s great race. Of those, 23 are trained in the northern hemisphere, with entries from Ireland, England, Japan and the USA.

Last year’s winner Half Yours and the runner-up, the Irish mare Goodie Two Shoes, and the 2026 Epsom Derby winner, Christmas Day, head the entries in 2026.

The leading trainers with multiple entries are: Ciaron Maher (14), Chris Waller (12), Joseph O’Brien (11), John O’Shea & Tom Charlton (5), Aidan O’Brien (5), Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott (4) and Bjorn Baker (3).Melbourne Cup – Key Dates

The following are the important dates to come for the 2026 Melbourne Cup: 

Late entries: 15 SeptemberHandicaps (weights): 17 September

First Declarations: 29 SeptemberSecond Declarations: 13 October

Third Declarations: 26 October

Final Declarations: The VRC committee will meet to select the 24-horse field after the final declarations close at 4.30 pm, Saturday, 31 October (Derby Day).

Barrier draw: The owners or their representatives will hold the all-important “draw of barriers” in the Flemington racecourse mounting yard at around 6.30 pm.

Melbourne Cup – Latest News

The Irish O’Briens Attack the Melbourne Cup

Dynamic father-son trainer pair, Aidan and Joseph O’Brien, have entered a combined 16 horses for the 2026 Melbourne Cup. 

Aidan, who is currently rated the world’s best trainer, is chasing his first Melbourne Cup after three placings since 2008. 

However, Joseph, who has two Melbourne Cup wins to his name – Rekindling in 2016 and Twilight Payment in 2020 – has a greater passion for the Melbourne Cup, and this year he plans to attack the race with up to six horses in the Melbourne Cup field.

Champion English Jumper in the Melbourne Cup Entries

England’s brilliant jumper Constitution Hill has been entered for the 2026 Melbourne Cup by his trainer Nicky Henderson. 

Constitution Hill was generally regarded as one of the great hurdlers before he lost his confidence tackling the obstacles. He has more than made up for it with some outstanding performances on the flat.

The first northern hemisphere-trained winner, Vintage Crop (1993), was a talented jumper in Ireland.

Melbourne Cup – The Trainers

Of course, no trainer has come close to the legendary Bart Cummings’s 12 Melbourne Cups. The nearest are the recently retired Lee Freedman and the pioneer trainer of Archer, Etienne de Mestre, with five Cups.

Past winning Melbourne Cup trainers with entries in the 2026 Melbourne Cup include young Irishman Joseph O’Brien (11 entries), who won with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020. 

O’Brien’s entries include the Epsom Derby placegetter James J. Braddock, the exciting recent French winner, Defiantly, the promising Small Fry, the up-and-comer Trustyourinstinct and last year’s runner-up Goodie Two Shoes.

Chris Waller (12) and Ciaron Maher (14) have been the dominant trainers in the past decades, especially with stayers. They each have a win. 

Maher won with Gold Trip in 2023 (when in partnership with David Eustace), and Waller’s came in 2021 with Verry Elleegant. 

Maher has last year’s placegetter Middle Earth as his top entry, and Waller is hoping his star mare Aeliana can win him a second Melbourne Cup.

Gai Waterhouse’s only Cup win was with Fiorente in 2013. She now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott. Their entries include the imported galloper The Euphrates.

Last year’s Cup was won by father-son combination Tony and Calvin McEvoy with Half Yours. The gelding has been set for a second Cup, along with the promising Nearco Prod.

In 2024, the partnership of Sheila Laxon and John Symons shocked the world when Knight’s Choice won at triple-figure odds. Laxon also won in 2001 with Ethereal. Knight’s Choice is back for another tilt at the great race.

Danny O’Brien rarely is without a good stayer in his stable. He won in 2019 with Vow And Declare. He is heading to the 2026 Cup with Litzdeel.

Melbourne Cup – The Jockeys

Australia’s champion jockey James McDonald won his only Melbourne Cup on Verry Elleegant in 2021. 

As usual, he’s expected to get the pick of the horses from the Chris Waller stable, including the early Melbourne Cup favourite, Aeliana.

Kerrin McEvoy will be attempting history in becoming only the third jockey to win four Melbourne Cups, joining greats Bobby Lewis and Harry White. McEvoy has won on Brew (2000), Almandin (2016) and Cross Counter (2018). 

Another multiple Melbourne Cup-winning jockey is Mark Zahra, who won on Gold Trip (2022) and Without A Fight (2023). 

Craig Williams produced a peach of a ride to win on Vow And Declare in 2019. He will be in demand because he rides so light.

Blake Shinn was only a kid when he won on Viewed in 2008. He has returned from injury and will be looking for a Cup mount. 

The 2024 winning rider (on Knights Choice), the singing jockey Robbie Dolan, will be hoping for another lightweight ride.

Other Cup-winning jockeys who are likely to be in Melbourne are Englishman Ryan Moore (won on Protectionist in 2013) and Jye McNeil (Twilight Payment).

Melbourne Cup – The Lead-up Races

The winners of the following races run in 2026 are exempt from the ballot and are guaranteed a start in the 2026 Melbourne Cup:

The Roy Higgins – won by Whisky On The Hill

The Andrew Ramsden – won by Zakouma

USA Belmont Gold Cup – won by Tawny Port

Archer Stakes – to be held on 12 September

The Bart Cummings – 3 October

Caulfield Cup – 17 October

Geelong – 21 October

Moonee Valley Cup – 23 October

Cox Plate – 24 October

Melbourne Cup – The Early Horses to Follow

Half Yours: He won the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double last season with Jamie Melham in the saddle. He hasn’t won since, but spring in Melbourne is his time. Aiming to be only the sixth horse to win more than one Melbourne Cup..

Defiantly: Trained by Joseph O’Brien. He is a fast-running stayer who won the Prix Kergolay at Deauville in France. It’s a race that Cup winners Americain, Dunaden and Protectionist used as a lead-up to winning the Melbourne Cup.

Aeliana: Trainer Chris Waller has set her for a Cox Plate and a Melbourne Cup. He will be training her to stay the 3200m. She’s too talented to ignore.

Hopewell Rock: Trained in England by George Boughey. This gelding ran a terrific second in The Ebor – England’s most important handicap – and he has the profile of a Melbourne Cup winner.

Goodie Two Shoes: Almost gave trainer Joseph O’Brien his third Melbourne Cup last year when second behind Half Yours. The most recent horse to win the Cup after a placing was Fiorente in 2012.

Trustyourinstinct: Another trainer by Joseph O’Brien. He won the Curragh Cup, and he’s a genuine stayer.

Small Fry: A lightweight in the Joseph O’Brien stable. There has been solid early money for this horse, who may need to win a Geelong Cup to get into the Cup field.

Zakouma: He is guaranteed a Cup start after winning the Ramsden in May. Genuine stayer who will have a lightweight on his back.

Middle Earth: Trainer Ciaron Maher says last year’s third placegetter is his best chance of winning the 2026 Melbourne Cup.

Ohope Wins: The NZ and Australian Oaks winner in the Waller stable. She has the class.

Green Spaces: Phar Lap (1930) is the most recent Australian Derby winner to win the Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old, so he faces a daunting task. However, he’s very good.

Stinger Glass: The sole Japanese entry. He has a similar profile to Japanese horses who have run well in the Cup.

Thebudgiesmugla: He’ll be a cult horse with this name. Trained by the effervescent Bjorn Baker, who has given this ex-Kiwi a solid winter grounding to be competitive in a Melbourne Cup. 

Melbourne Cup – The Early Tips

1 Defiantly (Joseph O’Brien)

2 Aeliana (Chris Waller)

3 Trustyourinstinct (Joseph O’Brien)

The Roughies: Small Fry, Zakouma, Hopewell Rock, Thebudgiesmugla.