The 2009 Melbourne Cup: Tuesday, 3rd November 2009

The 2009 Melbourne Cup has come and gone, with Mark Kavanagh’s Shocking coming in first. Read about the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner here: A Shocking Win: 2009 Melbourne Cup Results.

The jump at Flemington Racecourse has been at 3:00pm Melbourne time (GMT+10) for the past few years and is now recognised as the traditional starting time. Due to daylight saving and time zone differences, the start time may differ from 3:00pm in your city. When does the Melbourne Cup start in your state, territory or city? Below is a table listing when the race is due to start for each state and territory of Australia (with capital city in brackets).

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The Melbourne Cup Carnival is a popular pure-bred horse race held annually in Australia.  Considered as a major competition that can actually stop a nation from whatever it is doing, this 3200 meter race became a big part of Australian culture.  Because it is very challenging to win, it became the richest and most prominent two-mile handicap in the world today.

This Australian horse race is held every year on the first Tuesday of November at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.  It is organized by the Victoria Racing Club.  Because of the competition’s popularity, the Melbourne Cup day is observed as a holiday in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Melbourne Cup has been very popular since its outset in 1861.  The idea of this contest came from Captain Frederick Standish, a former Chief of Commissioner of Police in Victoria and a former member of the Victoria Turf Club.  Standish created the horse race with the objective of offering simple prize money and a gold watch.   The original condition of the horse race was to have “a sweepstakes of 20 sovereigns, 10 sovereigns forfeit or 5 sovereigns if declared, with 200 sovereigns added money”.

Through the years, the prize money evolved into something that made every contender look forward to every race.  The prize money and the trophies were what made the Melbourne Cup Carnival even more popular.  In 2008, the total prize money released was AUD $ 5.5. Million and the trophies amounted to $125,000.  The 1st place winner was given $ 3.3 million, and the 10th placer received $115,000. The Prize money in every race is dealt out in this proportion:  85% to the owner, 10% to the trainer and 5% to the jockey.

Rules

Aside from the great prize money and the trophies, people are excited to join the Melbourne Cup Carnival because of the rules of the race that make it even more challenging. Just like any other contests, if you want to win this race, you have to learn how to play the right way. You have to at least know the basics of Melbourne horse racing.

First of all, a race horse needs to pass certain requirements before it can be enlisted in the Melbourne Cup Carnival.  It has to be at least 3 years old or over, and must have a handicap weight of at least 49 kg.  According to the VRC Handicapper, though there is no maximum weight set, the top allotted weight of a race horse must not be below 57 kg.

Weight and age significantly matter in Melbourne Cup.  In the past, they were theoretically estimated to provide every horse with an equal chance of winning.  In this race, even the weight of the jockey and its riding gear is important.  It is adjusted with weight to a designated number.  Older horses should bear more weight than younger horses. The record of the horse’s previous race will also be considered in making any weight adjustment.  Moreover, there is a rule stating that a winner of any previous handicap race with a prize money of AUD$60,000 or more, or a handicap race by a globally known group, must carry additional weight in future races.

The Melbourne Cup collects entry fees, the initial of which should be paid before the admission closes in the first week of August.   There is an initial entry fee of $600 for every horse.  Each year, there are about 300 to 400 horses nominated, but the final list is limited to only 24 horses.  Considering the weight allocations, every owner of a horse needs to claim his horse as an acceptor and pay an acceptance fee.  The first acceptance must be paid $960, the second $1,450 and the third $2,420.  The last acceptance fee, to be paid on the Saturday preceding the race, is $45,375.  In case the horse is voted out of the final list, the final acceptance fee is given back to the owner.

Types of Horse Bets

Just like other forms of betting, betting on the Melbourne Cup Carnival has different types.  The common types of horse betting are the win, place, show and across the board.   You must know these basic betting types if you want to have a good chance of winning a Melbourne Cup bet.

WIN - Betting to win is the one of the popular betting types among certified bettors.  Placing a bet to win means your backing on a certain horse to win the race.  In order for your bet to win, the horse of your choice must be the first to cross the finish line.

PLACE -  Place is the type of horse bet you make when you want to bet on a horse to be either the first or the second to finish the race. This is an easier bet compared to the win because you have two chances in order to collect.

SHOW – When you bet on a show, the horse you backed on should be among the first three to finish the race.  Your bet will only pay out if the horse you chose to bet on wins the first, second or third place.

ACROSS THE BOARD – Betting across the board is similar to the show bet in the sense that in both bets, the horse you bet on should finish first, second or third.  The difference lies on your collection.  In across the board, if the horse you chose finishes third, you can collect only on the show bet.  If it lands on the second place, you collect on both the place bet and the show bet.  If it is the first to finish the race, you collect on all three bets.

Melbourne Cup Betting Tips

Betting on the Melbourne Cup Carnival is a rewarding activity.  The prize money is definitely something really worth the risk you take.  If you really want to have a better chance of winning, you need to follow some tips in horse race betting.  Here are some:

One important reminder in betting is to follow the tiers.  Following the tiers is the most vital concept when it comes to reading handicapping picks.  Horses are grouped into tiers that are colour coded.  The colour codes of the tiers signify something.  Ach tier colour determines the rank of a horse, from best to worse.  For single race bets, it is safe to back a horse in the dark green tier.  For multi-leg bets, all horses in the top tier are a good choice.

Another thing to remember is to be always prepared with enough money.  Be ready to hand over enough money to make a good bet. In bets such as the Pick 4s, Pick 6s and superfectas, for instance, you need to risk a great amount in order to have a reasonable chance of betting on the right horse.  If your funds are low, be practical enough to choose the simple types of bet like the win, place and show.

Remember also to check on the workouts.  These are the second most significant measure of the ability of a horse.  Previous performances will help you determine the basic ability of a horse. So when you choose a horse, ear in mind its past ability and its current form.