2009 Melbourne Cup Betting

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 06: Jockey Nash Rawiller riding Red Lord wins the Lavazza Long Black during The Melbourne Cup Carnival meeting at Flemington Racecourse November 6, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images) The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s biggest horseracing event, and the best attended horserace in the world. Run in early November every year, the Melbourne Cup brings the whole of Australia to a standstill as people throughout the country tune into the race to watch some of the greatest racehorses in the world compete in front of massive crowds.

Open to three year old and above thoroughbred racehorses, the 2009 Melbourne Cup will see contestants take on a two mile course on Flemington Racecourse under weights. As easily the most prestigious two mile handicap run anywhere in the world the Melbourne Cup offers Australia’s biggest prize fund, with the winner taking home A$3,000,000.

Melbourne Cup History

The Melbourne Cup dates back to 1861, when 17 horses contested the first race for the prize of a gold watch and A$170 in cash. From the outset the race drew a big crowd, with 4000 Melbourne locals witnessing Archer take the first Melbourne Cup title.

In more than a century of racing at Flemington Racecourse, the Melbourne Cup has witnessed some great horseracing moments. Highlights included the performances of the legendary Phar Lap, and the win of Comedy King in 1910 which marked the Melbourne Cup transition into a race of international importance.

In recent years the Melbourne Cup has managed to sustain the interest of punters and racing fans, and for several decades has annually hosted crowds in excess of 100,000 people for the big race. Massive public interest in the event led to the race day being designated an official public holiday in the host state of Victoria.

2009 Melbourne Cup Betting

Approximately three quarters of Australia’s adult population bet on the Melbourne cup each year. This massive interest and investment in Melbourne Cup betting means that the race can lay claim to some of the largest betting markets in international horseracing.

Unlike the equally famous Ascot Gold Cup, the Melbourne Gold Cup is a handicap race, which sees additional weight added to form horses in order to even the field. This transforms 2009 Melbourne Cup betting into a challenging undertaking, and punters need to understand the history of the race and pay attention to race trends to earn good dividends.

Bookmark Melbourne Cup betting for all the information you’ll need to make the most of your 2009 Melbourne Cup betting opportunities.