The 163rd edition of the Melbourne Cup ran on Tuesday November 7, 2023 as Flemington Race 7 and saw Without A Fight ($8) complete the Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double – the 12th horse to do so – with Mark Zahra in the saddle.
2023 Melbourne Cup Results
- 1st: #3 Without A Fight
2023 Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight was excellent charging home by over two lengths off a lead-up win in the Caulfield Cup. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 2nd: #6 Soulcombe
- 3rd: #14 Sheraz
- 4th: #11 Ashrun
The official Melbourne Cup 2023 results revealing the 2023 Melbourne Cup winner will be published right here once the race is run and won on Tuesday November 7, 2023.
The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight was given a perfectly-timed ride by Mark Zahra, who opted to come off last year’s champ Gold Trip, to become the 12th horse in history to complete the Spring Cups double.
Zahra made up ground from the back hitting the front on the eventual 2023 Melbourne Cup winner the closing stages as Without a Fight charged strongly down the middle before drawing clear for an impressive two length victory over the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe who missed the kick by three lengths.
Waller also prepared the third place-getter Sheraz who ran out of his skin as a triple-figure roughie to complete the Melbourne Cup trifecta.
Melbourne Cup tips on which horses in the field for the world’s richest handicap to back in Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDT) on the first Tuesday of November are highly sought after.
Each year punters are keen to get the insider Melbourne Cup tips to sort the pretenders from the genuine contenders in the $8 million Group 1 showdown.
Bet on the Melbourne Cup 2023
Early market betting odds on the 2023 Melbourne Cup will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit ladbrokes.com.au.
Melbourne Cup Tips 2023
Our insider Melbourne Cup betting tips including the horses to back for the Melbourne Cup Trifecta on the first Tuesday of November will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned.
Early Melbourne Cup Tips are to watch the international stayers contending Royal Ascot races over the winter and the lead-up spring racing form of horses that performed well over the autumn carnival.
Punters can lock in their Melbourne Cup race selections at juicy all-in prices online right now with Ladbrokes, with big Flemington odds on offer for horses tipped to run in the Melbourne Cup field.
To Win: #5 Vauban ($4.20 at time of publish)
He’s been a dominant favourite in Melbourne Cup betting for a long time now and while we’d like to find some value or be cheering home a local this Willie Mullins-trained raider really does look hard to beat. The classy Galiway gelding is out to be the fifth Irish-trained Melbourne Cup winner in history and Mullins had him pegged for this a long way out with confidence. No horse has jumped under $3.50 in Melbourne Cup betting and won since Makybe Diva for her second in 2004 so the fact he is now out over $4 for the win at time of publish is a plus for the deserving favourite. A seven-time winner from 14 starts his latest was a gutsy effort in a Group 3 at a mile and a half in August. Before that he floored them putting an easy 7.5 lengths on his rivals with a hefty 61kg on his back. He looks extremely well weighted for the Cup with 55kg. It has been a while between runs but his outstanding lead-up work at Flemington suggests he is fit and ready to fire. He has winning form up to 3382m so the Melbourne Cup distance is no stress and he’ll appreciate the room at the course. Carries big weights to victory in the hurdle races at home but does need to break his Group 1 flat racing duck here. Will take some beating especially with one of the best riders in the world in Ryan Moore on his back.
To Challenge: #4 Breakup ($17 at time of publish)
Cannot believe you can get this gun Japanese galloper at $17 at time of publish. That is a huge price for a dour stayer that should run out the two miles. Odds went out when he drew barrier 18. Yes, that is wide but there is time to overcome the alley, and let’s not forget that Verry Elleegant (2021) broke the gate 18 hoodoo winning from this gate a couple of years back. Fitter second-up after a Caulfield Cup eighth that was better than it looks on paper and predicting sharp improvement. Gets Japanese hoop Kohei Matsuyama on now in a plus. A nicely-bred Novellist stallion who was good in April’s coveted Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) finishing fourth at a big price with 58kg. Back to 55kg here. Definitely one of the forgotten dark horse international Melbourne Cup contenders.
To Feature: Gold Trip ($7 at time of publish)
Can Gold Trip go back-to-back and salute in the 2023 Melbourne Cup? Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Is Gold Trip an outright champion? We’re about to find out! Just looking at what this Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import has done in the majors over the past two years already suggests he’s a very good horse. Won the race last year with 57.5kg after runs in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. Same lead-up this year with equally impressive performances. That said, they were tougher runs than last year on firmer going so he’s got to be feeling it. Carries the 58.5kg top-weight and Think Big (1975 for his second) was the last to cart those kilos to a Melbourne Cup win. Mark Zahra coming off could be a worrying sign, but I think he might be reading too much into the weight. James McDonald is a star and won the Cox Plate on Romantic Warrior so makes a perfectly fine replacement. In a Cup field where a lot of the big players still have a 3200m question mark, this dour former French galloper has that over his rivals. Drawn to win with the class to back him up. Back-to-back?
To Improve: #7 Absurde ($12 at time of publish)
We’ve got money coming in for the stablemate to the favourite with Mullins’ other runner heavily backed since final acceptances on Saturday afternoon. Was as long as $23 but since drawing a treat in gate eight his quote has halved. Zac Purton is over from Hong Kong and takes the ride on 53kg. Was brained by Absurde eight lengths beaten at home in a recent run but think he’ll be improving notable on that. Subsequent win last start in the Ebor Handicap (2816m) at York in late August to win his spot in the Melbourne Cup field. Did that with 60.5kg from barrier 22. Gets a better barrier and will be airborne dropping so many kilos here. Two-miles? No worries! He has won up to 4023m so is one of the genuine stayers in the race. Rarely misses a spot in the top three and he’ll relish the firm going with an outstanding dry track record. Look out!
To Surprise: #15 Lastotchka ($21) and #21 Future History ($18)
Future History looks potential value in 2023 Melbourne Cup exotic betting for Tuesday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A couple of light weights at good prices for exotics for those chasing the value. Lastotchka looks a little pocket rocket. She’s a French import now with Price & Kent Jnr. racing first-up down under with Craig Williams aboard. A bit of a tough one to gauge the form lines, but she’ll get the 3200m as a last start Group 3 winner with 56kg at Longchamp over 3100m. Needs to be good, but can surprise a few. Future History has a more proven lead-up down under and is one in the Maher/Eustace contingent down in weight and coming off a Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup third. Flemington winner in The Bart Cummings before that. Let’s see how Hollie Doyle goes!