The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s biggest and most famous thoroughbred horse race. It’s also known as the race that stops the nation because race day is a public holiday across Victoria.
According to ABC news, it’s Australia’s most significant day betting event, with Australian punters wagering more than AUD$200 million on the race in 2021, all eyeing a share of the AUD$8 million prizes. The race is set to take place on the first Tuesday of November every year and is run over 3,200 meters on the Flemington racecourse. Also, only horses aged three years and above participate.
That said, here are four expert tips for the Melbourne Cup 2022:
- Follow the Melbourne Cup order of entry
The Melbourne Cup order of entry is a record positioning all the contenders in order of their qualifications for entry. Usually, only 24 horses participate in the great day, and the order of entry provides essential information on the horses heading up the queue for the start of the great race. After the release of the first order, changes are made weekly until the last declaration is made on the Saturday night before race day.
Usually, the handicappers make four declarations before producing the final list. Almost two months to the great day, the chief handicapper of Racing Victoria releases the weight and the first acceptance list. As of September 15, 2022, the first order of entry for the Melbourne Cup 2022 contained 55 horses. The second declaration will be on September 27, the third on October 11, and the last on October 29, 2022.
There are exemptions to the Melbourne Cup order of entry ballot. The horses that win Lexus Stakes, Bart Cummings, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Andrew Ramsden are exempt. If their owners choose the horses to participate, they’re automatically granted a start in the race.
- Watch out for the barrier draws
Undoubtedly, barrier draws play a significant role in determining the winner of a Melbourne Cup race. The barrier draw is typically announced on the last Saturday to the derby day of the race that stops the nation. This year, it’ll be held on October 30. The Melbourne Cup barrier can be conducted live on TV, where owners turn up and choose a random paper that contains a number, which eventually is the barrier their horse will emerge from in the race.
According to a historical evaluation of the Melbourne Cup, some barriers have a higher potential of producing a winner. For instance, barrier 5 made eight wins, 11 had seven wins, and 10 produced six wins. Thus, you may want to bet on horses drawing these barriers for a higher chance of winning.
- Look beyond the favorites
Favorites in horse racing are the horses predicted to win the race. Usually, bookmakers suggest a horse that’s likely going to win based on the horse’s previous performance and popularity. You can quickly identify a favorite since they have the lowest odds. You may be tempted to bet on these horses simply because you don’t have enough time to analyze them or because you’re a beginner. Fortunately, watching channels like https://www.youtube.com/c/PuntersAustralia can help you make enlightened forecasts.
However, the favorites won’t always emerge winners. According to past results, favorites win approximately 35% of horse races. It’s often influenced by racing surfaces, class, race distance, etc. Therefore, you can do more profound research on the rest of the horses instead of relying on the favorites to win your bet.
- Try some exotic wagers
Exotic bets can be very profitable if you get them right. Here, you need to wager on at least two horses. Unlike straight wagers such as win and place, exotic bets are more complicated. It’d help if you did a more profound analysis to make the correct predictions. The good thing is that the outcome is worth your time researching and examining horses. The most common types of exotic bets are:
- Quinella: In Quinella bet, you must select two horses to finish the race in the first and second positions. The order doesn’t matter. Your bet wins if the horses you choose become the first two in any order.
- Exacta: This is almost the same as Quinella bets, but the two horses you select must finish in the exact order. This means the horse you choose for the first position must win, and the second one must come second for your bet to win.
- Trifecta: Betting on Trifecta requires you to select three horses to finish the race in the exact order.
- First four: As the name suggests, you must select the first four horses to finish the race in that order.
Conclusion
A better way of making your Melbourne Cup Day enjoyable is to participate by betting on your favorite horse, jockey, or trainer. However, you’d want to know the various tips to make more enlightened predictions. You can develop the best sports betting strategies with expert tips and individual analysis. Ultimately, you’ll enjoy the thrill and potentially win big.
