Melbourne Cup Horses 2025: Complete Field and Key Contenders

The first Tuesday in November means one thing in Australian sport: 24 horses lining up at Flemington for the race that stops a nation. This year’s Melbourne Cup field mixes proven Aussie stayers with a strong contingent of international raiders, and the betting markets reflect exactly how tough this handicap is to call.

Number of Runners: 24 · Field Announcement: 1 Nov 2025 · Race Date Reference: 4 Nov 2025 · Key Horses Listed: Al Riffa, Buckaroo, Vauban · Official Source: Victoria Racing Club

The table below consolidates barrier positions, TAB odds, and confirmed finishing positions for the key runners in the 2025 Melbourne Cup field.

Who is the favourite to win the Melbourne Cup in 2025?

The pre-race betting market had two clear frontrunners heading into Melbourne Cup day 2025. Al Riffa, carrying topweight of 59kg, started at TAB odds of $8.50 and was a serious contender for jockey Mark Zahra, who was chasing a historic third consecutive win after his victories aboard Gold Trip (2022) and Without A Fight (2023) (Races.com.au). The Irish raider had already announced his class by winning the 2025 G1 Irish St Leger by four lengths that September (Races.com.au).

But the early favourite in the market was actually Half Yours, the Caulfield Cup winner who went to post at $8 on TAB fixed odds. Ridden by Jamie Melham and trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Half Yours arrived at Flemington with a proven winning staying record (ESPN). The Caulfield Cup winner has historically been a strong form line for Melbourne Cup contenders, and the betting public backed that trend.

Presage Nocturne also commanded serious respect at $7 TAB odds, having finished 4th in the Caulfield Cup before the Melbourne Cup field was finalised. The 2025 market reflected a genuinely open handicap with no clear standout, making barrier draws and late scratching developments particularly significant (ESPN Australia).

Form analysis of top picks

Al Riffa’s profile ticked every box for a Melbourne Cup chance: proven stamina (career record 17:5-6-1), international Group 1 credentials, and the peak weight of 59kg that historically correlates with high finishes at Flemington. His barrier 19 draw from the outside half of the draw was a legitimate concern, requiring Zahra to position the horse strategically early in the 3200m journey.

Buckaroo offered an interesting each-way case at $12. The British raider finished second to Via Sistina in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, a performance that proved his current fitness and class against top opposition. With Craig Williams in the saddle from barrier 12, Buckaroo had a more favourable gate than the market perhaps credited, though his 24th-place finish ultimately did not reflect that promise.

The pattern suggests that early market confidence does not always translate to race-day results when international raiders face Australian staying conditions for the first time.

What are the names of the horses in the Melbourne Cup?

The 2025 Melbourne Cup final field consisted of 24 horses running 3200m at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November. Beyond the headline entries, the complete list included international raiders alongside Australian-based stayers, with trainers strategically positioning their horses for the world’s richest handicap race.

The confirmed entries spanned five nations: Ireland produced entries like Al Riffa, Presage Nocturne, Meydaan, and Changingoftheguard; France contributed Vauban, Arapaho, Absurde, Flatten The Curve, and Land Legend; Japan sent Chevalier Rose; Britain had Buckaroo and Middle Earth; and New Zealand was represented by Smokin’ Romans. Australian trainers filled the remaining spots with their established staying contingents (Races.com.au).

Full 24-runner field

• Al Riffa (IRE) — Joseph O’Brien / Mark Zahra — Barrier 19
• Buckaroo (GB) — Chris Waller / Craig Williams — Barrier 12
• Vauban (FR) — Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Blake Shinn — Barrier 2
• Middle Earth (GB) — Ciaron Maher / Ethan Brown — Barrier 13
• Half Yours — Tony & Calvin McEvoy / Jamie Melham
• Arapaho (FR) — Bjorn Baker / Rachel King — Barrier 15
• Presage Nocturne (IRE) — Alessandro Botti / Stephane Pasquier — Barrier 9
• Absurde (FR) — Willie Mullins / Kerrin McEvoy — Barrier 4
• Meydaan (IRE) — Simon & Ed Crisford / James McDonald — Barrier 22
• Chevalier Rose (JPN) — Hisashi Shimizu / Damian Lane — Barrier 5
• Flatten The Curve (FR) — Henk Grewe / Thore Hammer-Hansen — Barrier 17
• Land Legend (FR) — Chris Waller / Joao Moreira — Barrier 16
• Smokin’ Romans (NZ) — Ciaron Maher / Ben Melham — Barrier 11
• Changingoftheguard (IRE) — Kris Lees / Tim Clark
• Goodie Two Shoes — Joseph O’Brien / Wayne Lordan
• Plus remaining runners to complete the 24-horse field

Jockeys and trainers

The trainer ranks featured several high-profile operators with multiple chances. Chris Waller lined up both Buckaroo and Land Legend from his Flemington base, while Ciaron Maher partnered with Middle Earth and Smokin’ Romans. Joseph O’Brien’s international operation delivered Al Riffa alongside his Australian-based entry Goodie Two Shoes (Wikipedia).

The jockey colony brought together interstate and international riders. Mark Zahra’s bid for a historic third consecutive Melbourne Cup win was the standout narrative, while James McDonald (G1-winning jockey with Meydaan), Blake Shinn (Vauban barrier 2), and Kerrin McEvoy (Absurde) represented the elite tier of Australian riding talent.

The implication is that the concentration of elite trainers and jockeys on multiple runners creates compound advantages for those stables in race-day execution.

Is there an Irish horse in the Melbourne Cup 2025?

Yes — multiple Irish horses featured in the 2025 Melbourne Cup field, with Al Riffa standing out as the most significant Irish entry. The Joseph O’Brien-trained entire won the 2025 G1 Irish St Leger by four lengths before travelling to Melbourne, establishing himself as both the topweight at 59kg and one of the pre-race favourites (Races.com.au).

Irish horse details

Al Riffa’s credentials were impeccable heading into the race: a 17-start career yielding five wins and six placings, the highest rating in the field, and a Group 1 victory over middle distances that suggested 3200m would be within his range. His barrier 19 draw complicated his tactical options, requiring jockey Mark Zahra to either sacrifice position early or risk being too far back in a slowly-run race.

Other Irish entries included Presage Nocturne (Alessandro Botti trainer), Meydaan (Simon & Ed Crisford), Changingoftheguard (Kris Lees), and several others who targeted the Melbourne Cup as their major spring objective. The Irish influence on Australian staying races has grown substantially over the past decade, with European-bred horses now regularly contesting the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Irish jockey Robbie Dolan

Robbie Dolan, the Irish-born jockey who has built a successful career in Australian racing, was not listed among the confirmed Melbourne Cup jockeys for the 2025 field. Dolan has ridden at Flemington and won races at Victorian metropolitan meetings, though his 2025 Melbourne Cup representation was not confirmed in the final field announcements. His previous Australian rides included country and provincial meetings where he built his Victorianbook.

What this means is that the Irish involvement in 2025 extended to horses rather than jockeys, with European-trained runners dominating the upper echelon of the market.

Why has Jamie Melham been suspended?

Jamie Melham, the jockey riding early favourite Half Yours in the 2025 Melbourne Cup, faced a 30-race suspension from the Racing Appeals Disciplinary Board. The suspension related to riding infractions incurred prior to Melbourne Cup day, creating uncertainty about whether Melham would retain the mount on the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Caulfield Cup winner.

Suspension details

Melham had built a reputation as a capable Melbourne Cup jockey, having previously ridden in the race and understood the unique demands of the Flemington circuit. His suspension meant that even with Half Yours confirmed as the early market favourite, there was a legitimate question about whether the horse would carry the intended jockey into the stalls on race morning.

Impact on Melbourne Cup

The situation placed the McEvoy team in a difficult position: their $8 favourite potentially needed a replacement rider days before the world’s richest handicap race. Melbourne Cup trainers routinely plan for contingencies, but swapping a winning jockey on a short-priced favourite introduces variables that could affect both betting markets and race preparation.

The catch is that pre-race disciplinary outcomes can disrupt the most straightforward betting narratives, leaving connections and punters alike operating with incomplete information at a critical juncture.

What is the best horse in the Melbourne Cup?

Determining the “best” horse in the 2025 Melbourne Cup requires separating the competing factors: class (peak performance), current form (fitness and recent results), and suitability for the 3200m staying distance. By those measures, several horses made compelling cases, with the race result ultimately confirming Middle Earth as the standout performer in terms of finishing position.

Top form horses

Middle Earth (GB) emerged as the class act of the 2025 Melbourne Cup, finishing 3rd and confirming the promise that Ciaron Maher had seen in the British import. With TAB odds of $19 before the race, Middle Earth significantly outran his market price, showing the kind of staying effort that has historically characterised the best Melbourne Cup performers.

Vauban (FR), from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, finished 6th and confirmed his credentials as a genuine Melbourne Cup chance for future years. The French import has been building toward this standard, and his barrier 2 position gave Blake Shinn the option to race conservatively before the tempo lifted at halfway.

Historical stats context

The 2025 Melbourne Cup followed historical patterns that suggest certain profiles excel at Flemington: international raiders with Group 1 form (Al Riffa, Middle Earth), horses with prior staying race experience, and those carrying peak weights in the 57-59kg range. The race result validated these trends while also confirming that barrier draws and tactical races can disrupt even the most talented horses.

By career achievement and international credentials, Al Riffa represented the highest-rated horse in the field. His G1 Irish St Leger victory and 59kg topweight assignment marked him as the benchmark individual, even if his 7th-place finish fell short of that billing on the day.

Zahra famously went back-to-back on Gold Trip (2022) and Without A Fight (2023) and gets a chance to partner one of the best in betting in 2025.

— Races.com.au (Racing News Outlet)

The Caulfield Cup winner is the early favourite to win this year’s Melbourne Cup.

— ESPN (Sports Media)

If there is any horse this year that is going to get attention based solely on names, it will be Flatten The Curve and his rider Thore Hammer-Hansen.

— Andrew Hawkins (Racing Expert, Idol Horse)

The 2025 Melbourne Cup ultimately showcased the depth of international staying talent available to Australian race planners while reinforcing that Flemington’s 3200m presents unique challenges that no pre-race assessment can fully predict. Middle Earth’s 3rd-place finish validated Ciaron Maher’s campaign, while Al Riffa’s 7th-place run confirmed that even G1 winners can struggle to transfer their class across hemispheres under handicap conditions.

Related reading: AFL Live Scores 2025 – Results, Ladder & 2026 Fixtures

Favourites including Al Riffa at $8.50 and Buckaroo draw attention in the 2025 field runners and odds, alongside full barriers and trainer insights for the big race.

Frequently asked questions