Melbourne Cup 2026: Date, Field, Odds & Every Key Date
The 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup will be run at Flemington on Tuesday 3 November 2026 — a Group 1 handicap over 3,200 metres with a maximum field of 24. Nominations close in early September, weights are declared mid-September, and the final field and barrier draw land on Derby Day, Saturday 31 October. This page tracks every stage as it happens.
The key dates for 2026
The Cup is the end of a two-month build, and each milestone reshapes the market. Nominations close in early September — typically several hundred horses, most of which will never make the field. Weights are declared mid-September: the handicapper's assessment of every nominated horse, and the single biggest market event before the race itself. From there the order of entry narrows the field through October's lead-up races.
The spring's headline dates around the Cup: Caulfield Cup and The Everest share Saturday 17 October; the Cox Plate runs Saturday 24 October — at Flemington in 2026 while Moonee Valley is redeveloped; Derby Day on Saturday 31 October brings the final field and barrier draw; the Call of the Card is held on Cup eve, Monday 2 November; and the Cup itself jumps Tuesday 3 November, traditionally at 3:00pm Melbourne time.
How the field of 24 forms
A maximum of 24 horses run. Entry is decided by the order of entry — a ranking built from handicap weight, prize money and performance in designated lead-up races. Several races carry a 'win and you're in' exemption (a ballot exemption), which is why October form lines matter so much: a Caulfield Cup or Geelong Cup performance can change a horse's Cup status overnight.
Because the Cup is a handicap, the weights are the great equaliser: better-performed horses carry more. Reading how a horse's weight relates to its class — and how the 3,200-metre trip tests stamina that most Australian racing never asks for — is the core of Cup form analysis. Our guides on weight-for-age and reading a form guide cover the mechanics.
Following the race with The King Zone
Kingsley Bartholomew covers the entire spring on The King Zone — speed maps, ratings and selections for members on every race day, and the Million Dollar Cup Challenge on YouTube through the carnival. The guides linked below cover the craft: how to pick the Cup winner, how the Call of the Card works, how to run an office sweep, and how exotic bets work on a 24-horse field.
This page is updated at each milestone — nominations, weights, order of entry, final field and barrier draw — so the information here reflects the current state of the race, not last year's.
Common questions
Tuesday 3 November 2026 at Flemington Racecourse, traditionally jumping at 3:00pm Melbourne time (AEDT). It is always run on the first Tuesday of November.
Markets before the final field are speculative — the picture firms materially at the weights declaration in mid-September and again after the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate in October. Our 'Who will win' guide tracks how the contenders stack up at each stage.
A maximum of 24, decided by the order of entry. The final field and barrier draw are declared on Derby Day, Saturday 31 October 2026.
The 2025 edition carried A$10 million in prize money. The Victoria Racing Club confirms the 2026 purse closer to the race.
Guides teach the method. On race day, members see it applied: Kingsley's selections, ratings and maps on every card.
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