Melbourne Cup Betting

With nearly 80% of Australia’s adult population placing bets on the Melbourne Cup every year, Melbourne Cup betting markets are easily some of the biggest in the world.

The fact that this great race is a handicap means that picking a winner can be quite tough, and the majority of money swelling the Melbourne Cup betting markets is the product of uneducated bets made by inexperienced punters.

To make the most of Melbourne Cup betting you’ll need to have some insight into the trends and factors that influence the results of the race year after year. Here are some simple 2008 Melbourne Cup betting tips to help you narrow down the horses likely to pick up a win in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup Betting Tips

• Pay attention to weight: As is the case with any handicap event you’ll need to keep a close eye on the weights allocated to the Melbourne Cup runners when doing your Melbourne Cup betting. The last time a horse carrying top weight won the Melbourne Cup was in 1951, and only one horse has ever won the Melbourne Cup carrying over 10st 5lb.
• Keep an eye on age: Because the Melbourne Cup is open to a wide variety of age groups its good to keep tabs on the ages of the runners. The majority of Melbourne Cup winners have been between the ages of four and six. Although older horses have dominated the Melbourne Cup betting markets and gone on to take the cup, this has been relatively rare with only 34 horses achieving this feat in the race’s long history.
• Pay attention to previous Melbourne Cup results: Over the past decade it has become almost routine for horses who finish the Melbourne Cup in second place one year to go on and take first place the following year. You can also never discount Melbourne Cup winners from the previous year, as past winners are become more consistent in taking consecutive titles.
• Watch the preliminary races: If you’re looking to make the most from your 2008 Melbourne Cup betting you’ll need to pay close attention to two important races. The Caulfield Cup and McKinnon Stakes are often proving grounds for the Melbourne Cup and horses that manage to show in either of these races have a good record of going on to perform well in the Melbourne Cup.