2024 Melbourne Cup tips: Predictions, best bets and odds for the race Down Under

Free Melbourne Cup betting tips ahead of Tuesday’s race at Fleminginton Racecourse

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Melbourne Cup betting tips

• Absurde - 9/1 each-way Betfred

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Melbourne Cup betting preview

The Melbourne Cup returns to Flemington on Tuesday, 5 November as the so-called ‘Race that stops a nation’ is run for the 164th time.

This 3,200m, Group 1 thoroughbred feature makes up part of Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival and takes place at 3pm local time (4am GMT, Sky Sports Racing).

And as with every edition, this year’s race holds plenty of intrigue, even aside from the $8.5m AUD prize pot, which makes it the richest two-mile handicap in the world.

A record four female jockeys will ride in 2024, with six female trainers involved and a truly international field that features jockeys and trainers from Japan, Norway, Britain, Ireland and the home nation.

Willie Mullins’ Vauban had been the market leader on horse racing betting sites but his price has drifted out to 6/1 in place.

That’s despite the fact he comes into the race in positive form having finished first, second and third over his last three races at York and the Curragh. He came a disappointing 14th in this race last year, but the French horse should be able to improve on that with previous experience.

Chris Wallis’ Buckaroo is the consensus favourite at 11/2 on betting apps, with the five-year-old having come second in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in early October, though it is unknown how he’ll perform over a greater distance, having never run beyond 2400m.

Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator is priced around 7/1 on most betting sites, and though he came seventh in a key Melbourne Cup pointer – the Ebor Handicap at York – he also won the Geelong Cup last month in his debut Down Under.

At 11/1 are Land Legend and Zardozi, with the former struggling at this sort of distance in the past despite finishes of first and third at Randwick and Cauldfield last month. Home hope Zardozi has had mixed form in the final quarter of 2024, coming second, fourth, fifth and sixth, though that fifth place at Flemington during the last run did catch the eye.

Another Mullins horse, Absurde, is dividing opinion among bookmakers and punters with prices ranging from 9/1 to 7/1. The French horse has six wins and eight placing from 21 starts, though the six-year-old has only run two races in 2024 – a fourth place in the  Irish St. Leger Trial Stakes at Curragh, and a win in the Virgin Bet Chester Stakes over 2916m (both in October).

He has shown his toughness in wins on both hurdle and flat marathons, and he finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup last year. He looks primed to take a step forward this time around and could prove a strong each-way contender.

He’s available at 9/1 with a couple of online bookmakers, but Betfred offer the best each-way terms of those betting sites, paying out on five places at 1/5 the odds.

Melbourne Cup prediction: Absurde - 9/1 each-way Betfred

Responsible gambling

The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest races of the year and plenty of punters will be looking to have a bet on the action at Flemington. However, it’s important to remember to bet responsibly.

Betting on any sport can become addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, even when using free bets, and never bet more than you can afford. When the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

If you ever feel like you need help or want some more information on safer gambling, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

• NHS Help
• GambleAware
• Gamblers Anonymous

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