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2023 Melbourne Cup Results

 

• 1st: #3 Without A Fight ($8)
• 2nd: #6 Soulcombe
• 3rd: #14 Sheraz
• 4th: #11 Ashrun

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight was given a perfectly-timed ride by Mark Zahra, who opted to come off last year’s champ Gold Trip, to become the 12th horse in history to complete the Spring Cups double.

Zahra made up ground from the back hitting the front on the eventual 2023 Melbourne Cup winner the closing stages as Without a Fight charged strongly down the middle before drawing clear for an impressive two length victory over the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe who missed the kick by three lengths.

Waller also prepared the third place-getter Sheraz who ran out of his skin as a triple-figure roughie to complete the Melbourne Cup trifecta.

Click here for the full story and to view the complete 2023 Melbourne Cup finishing order.

2023 Melbourne Cup Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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The best Melbourne Cup Tips on the ‘race that stops a nation’ every year are those based on the form and statistics of the 24-horse Melbourne Cup field.

It’s not only the Group 1 $8.41 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) to enjoy a punt on at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November. Punters are treated to a full program of 10 Melbourne Cup Day races so make it a full day of racing and betting action.

2023 Melbourne Cup Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Melbourne Cup 2023 Tips & Best Bets to be published leading-up to the event.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2023 MELBOURNE CUP TIPS & BEST BETS ON THE CUP

To Win: #5 Vauban ($4.20 at time of publish) 

He’s been a dominant favourite in Melbourne Cup betting for a long time now and while we’d like to find some value or be cheering home a local this Willie Mullins-trained raider really does look hard to beat. The classy Galiway gelding is out to be the fifth Irish-trained Melbourne Cup winner in history and Mullins had him pegged for this a long way out with confidence. No horse has jumped under $3.50 in Melbourne Cup betting and won since Makybe Diva for her second in 2004 so the fact he is now out over $4 for the win at time of publish is a plus for the deserving favourite. A seven-time winner from 14 starts his latest was a gutsy effort in a Group 3 at a mile and a half in August. Before that he floored them putting an easy 7.5 lengths on his rivals with a hefty 61kg on his back. He looks extremely well weighted for the Cup with 55kg.  It has been a while between runs but his outstanding lead-up work at Flemington suggests he is fit and ready to fire. He has winning form up to 3382m so the Melbourne Cup distance is no stress and he’ll appreciate the room at the course. Carries big weights to victory in the hurdle races at home but does need to break his Group 1 flat racing duck here. Will take some beating especially with one of the best riders in the world in Ryan Moore on his back.

To Challenge: #4 Breakup ($17 at time of publish)

Cannot believe you can get this gun Japanese galloper at $17 at time of publish. That is a huge price for a dour stayer that should run out the two miles. Odds went out when he drew barrier 18. Yes, that is wide but there is time to overcome the alley, and let’s not forget that Verry Elleegant (2021) broke the gate 18 hoodoo winning from this gate a couple of years back. Fitter second-up after a Caulfield Cup eighth that was better than it looks on paper and predicting sharp improvement. Gets Japanese hoop Kohei Matsuyama on now in a plus. A nicely-bred Novellist stallion who was good in April’s coveted Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) finishing fourth at a big price with 58kg. Back to 55kg here. Definitely one of the forgotten dark horse international Melbourne Cup contenders.

To Feature: Gold Trip ($7 at time of publish) 

Is Gold Trip an outright champion? We’re about to find out! Just looking at what this Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import has done in the majors over the past two years already suggests he’s a very good horse. Won the race last year with 57.5kg after runs in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. Same lead-up this year with equally impressive performances. That said, they were tougher runs than last year on firmer going so he’s got to be feeling it. Carries the 58.5kg top-weight and Think Big (1975 for his second) was the last to cart those kilos to a Melbourne Cup win. Mark Zahra coming off could be a worrying sign, but I think he might be reading too much into the weight. James McDonald is a star and won the Cox Plate on Romantic Warrior so makes a perfectly fine replacement. In a Cup field where a lot of the big players still have a 3200m question mark, this dour former French galloper has that over his rivals. Drawn to win with the class to back him up. Back-to-back?

To Improve: #7 Absurde ($12 at time of publish) 

We’ve got money coming in for the stablemate to the favourite with Mullins’ other runner heavily backed since final acceptances on Saturday afternoon. Was as long as $23 but since drawing a treat in gate eight his quote has halved. Zac Purton is over from Hong Kong and takes the ride on 53kg. Was brained by Absurde eight lengths beaten at home in a recent run but think he’ll be improving notable on that. Subsequent win last start in the Ebor Handicap (2816m) at York in late August to win his spot in the Melbourne Cup field. Did that with 60.5kg from barrier 22. Gets a better barrier and will be airborne dropping so many kilos here. Two-miles? No worries!  He has won up to 4023m so is one of the genuine stayers in the race. Rarely misses a spot in the top three and he’ll relish the firm going with an outstanding dry track record. Look out!

To Surprise: #15 Lastotchka ($21) and #21 Future History ($18) 

A couple of light weights at good prices for exotics for those chasing the value. Lastotchka looks a little pocket rocket. She’s a French import now with Price & Kent Jnr. racing first-up down under with Craig Williams aboard. A bit of a tough one to gauge the form lines, but she’ll get the 3200m as a last start Group 3 winner with 56kg at Longchamp over 3100m. Needs to be good, but can surprise a few. Future History has a more proven lead-up down under and is one in the Maher/Eustace contingent down in weight and coming off a Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup third. Flemington winner in The Bart Cummings before that. Let’s see how Hollie Doyle goes!

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Melbourne Cup tips range from the stayer experts think will become the Melbourne Cup winner, to exotic Melbourne Cup tips predicting the first four over the line at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.

Every year the team at Races.com.au team provide our readers with our exclusive, insider Melbourne Cup picks and best bets.

Our expert team of tipsters will look over the full 2023 Melbourne Cup field and Melbourne Cup 2023 form guide on the 24 stayers engaged for the $8.41 million showdown to formulate our first four selections to back in the Melbourne Cup Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta and First Four markets at Australia’s leading bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au.

Once the Melbourne Cup tips are out you will want to lock in your Melbourne Cup bets at the best prices, so head to the best bookie, and that’s Ladbrokes.com.au.

If you are keen to lock in your own Melbourne Cup predictions and selections in the generous futures Melbourne Cup odds open now at Ladbrokes.com.au, then read over our general Melbourne Cup tipping guide below to help you back a winner!

1.) Melbourne Cup Tips: Lead-Up Races

• From 2010 – 2016 the Geelong Cup provided two Melbourne Cup winners with French raiders Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) both completing the double. In 2022 the Geelong Cup Emissary ran a brave second in the Melbourne Cup.
• Shocking (2009) was the last horse to win the Lexus Stakes and back-up to salute in the Melbourne Cup results.
• Two Melbourne Cup winners between 2012 – 2016 came off a lead-up run in the Cox Plate with Green Moon (7th in 2012) and Fiorente (3d in 2013). Verry Elleegant (3rd in 2021) and Gold Trip (9th in 2022) are the last Melbourne Cup winners out of the Cox Plate.

There are several races that are considered good guides for Melbourne Cup performance. These include the:

• Lexus Stakes
• Moonee Valley Cup
• Cox Plate
• Caulfield Cup

You will get a lot of good Melbourne Cup tips based on how runners perform in this year’s lead up races. You should also track the odds for these races at sites like Ladbrokes.com.au.

2.) Melbourne Cup Tips: The Favourite

• Fiorente ($7 in 2013) was the last Melbourne Cup favourite to salute.
• The last time Melbourne Cup favourites went back-to-back was when Makybe Diva saluted in her second and record third Melbourne Cups in 2004 and 2005.
• Longer-priced runners make the best Melbourne Cup tips with plenty of recent upsets including Prince Of Penzance who saluted at $101 in 2015!

There is no need to simply go with the crowd when betting on the 2023 Melbourne Cup, as outside chances have historically performed quite well. While you should stick to runners on the day that have a price below $20, the favourites aren’t always the way to go.

If you follow the same Melbourne Cup tips as everyone else this year and end up betting on the favourite, you can only expect a tiny pay-out if you win. Don’t you want a chance to win big? Well, find an unappreciated runner with good odds, and a win will be much more rewarding.

3.) Melbourne Cup Tips: Exotic Bets

Outside of just Melbourne Cup Win and Place Tips the exotic Melbourne Cup betting selections are a great way to clean-up.

Picking the Melbourne Cup trifecta does not just pay extremely well – it’s also something you can brag about for years! In 2003, a man accidentally won $2.6 million by correctly picking the Melbourne Cup trifecta when he entered his bet multiple times. That’s a huge payday AND a story that will buy you drinks for years to come. Don’t ignore those 2023 Melbourne Cup trifecta tips. In fact, seek them out more than you would tips for the winner.

4.) Melbourne Cup Tips: All-In Betting

Don’t wait to act on good 2023 Melbourne Cup tips – place your bet now! Fixed odds at sites like Ladbrokes.com.au are open right now in the futures betting section, so there is no reason you can’t bet as soon as you have your picks. The earlier you bet, the better the Melbourne Cup odds you can take advantage of. The later you bet, the shorter those odds and the smaller the potential payout.

5.) Melbourne Cup Tips: Bet Online

If you aren’t already betting online, then there is no better tip than to sign up for an account at trusted online bookie like Ladbrokes.com.au. Online betting is the way to go these days, as you can get better odds than your local in-store bookie while benefiting from special promotional offers that help your betting dollar go further.

We strongly recommend starting an account with Ladbrokes.com.au, as the 2023 Melbourne Cup Tips we feature in our news section rely on the odds there. We think Ladbrokes.com.au offers a great experience for new punters as well as the old hands, so why not give Ladbrokes.com.au a try?