2025 Melbourne Cup Day Preview

Typically, only a small handful of acceptors in the 2025 Maribyrnong Plate have previous race day experience and it looms as a fascinating contest.

FREE FLYING is one of those horses and I think she can convert her first race win.

Having shown some ability at the trials prior to her debut performance, the Snitzel filly was only half a length behind Torture in the Listed Debutant Stakes earlier this month.

With natural improvement on Tuesday, she looks well placed to kick off Melbourne Cup Day with a win.

I’m happy to give PARTY CRASHER another chance second up from a spell.

Party Crasher was a strong and consistent performer during his debut preparation and winning three of five starts and finishing the runner up on the other two occasions.

He clearly needed his first run back at Murray Bridge when finishing a little over two and a half lengths behind his rivals, while he was a race day scratching from last Saturday’s Morphettville program.

Second up on the big Flemington track and out to the 2000m under Mark Zahra, he gets plenty of ticks here in my opinion.

DIFFERENT GRAVY looks well placed over 1800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.

Having run into a couple of good ones over 1300m at Sandown first up from a spell, Different Gravy was sent out to Swan Hill for a smart victory in maiden company, relishing the rise to 1600m with improved fitness.

Having since been tested in Listed company over the 1800m at Morphettville and only just being denied in a photo, he gets back to Victoria on Tuesday and is another one that looks ideally suited to racing at Flemington.

With luck in the run from a wide barrier, this looks a lovely race for him.

PALLATON finds himself in a nice and winnable race on Melbourne Cup Day 2025.

He showed plenty of promise during his two-year-old season and found form around some good horses, and while Pallaton is yet to win a race this time in, placings in races like The Rosebud and the Listed Brian Crowley put him in good stead around some of Tuesday’s rivals.

He’s hard fit this week and can tuck in behind the early pace before calling on his smart turn of foot.

Some classy stayers will step out in the Benchmark 96 test including DON DIEGO DE VEGA on the quick back up.

He’s yet to strike in four runs back this season, but there’s no denying that Don Diego De Vega has continued to improve with fitness and as he’s gotten further out in trip, and I thought he was tough in last Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup when fourth behind the likes of Sayedaty Sedaty and Quietness.

He does carry a decent amount of weight today but there’s no denying that he is just one of the best horses in the field, and I love that Annabel & Rob Archibald and connections are electing to back him up in this.

ATHANATOS has been low flying this time in, and I think he finds his race on 2025 Melbourne Cup Day.

He was a model of consistency last time in and was rewarded with victories in races like the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes over 2000m at Morphettville most notably.

While yet to win in four runs back this spring, has hasn’t been far away from the winner on any occasion, and after running third behind the talented Evaporate in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes, he was excellent when fourth in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap last time out.

That form reads extremely well for a race like this one, while getting out to 1800m at Flemington also looks to suit.

You’re in the right place for our 2025 Melbourne Cup Tips! The field is set, barrier draw complete, and it’s full steam ahead to Tuesday afternoon.

2025 Melbourne Cup betting is full of value and with a case to be made for some many of them, we’re getting a great price for every galloper, and I am going to have a couple of bets.

On top, I’ve landed on the French raider, PRESAGE NOCTURE.

This horse doesn’t know how to run a bad race, and he won the Group 3 De Barberville over 3000m at Longchamp back in April before placed efforts in both the Group 1 Vtesse Vigier (3100m) and the famed Group 3 Prix Kergorlay (3000m).

He kept his best work for late when fourth, beaten a little under two lengths in the Caulfield Cup on debut in Australia and I’m expecting he’ll only improve for that run, and getting out to the two miles. Barrier 9 looks ideal.

I’m also going to have an each way bet on one at huge odds that also came through the Caulfield Cup, ABSURDE.

This will be Absurde’s third crack at a Melbourne Cup, having finished seventh and fifth in the last two editions of the race respectively.

He is an eight-year-old but retains his zest for racing, and he has continued to perform in strong and consistent form around some star stayers this year, while finishing a credible seventh in the Caulfield Cup. He has drawn low in barrier 4.

The Amanda Elliot looks a nice bit of black type for BURMA STAR.

Burma Star has always hinted at ability, but he has really started to put it all together this time in, and after a dominant victory in maiden company up in Sydney in August, he returned from a freshen up to only just miss in BM72 grade at Rosehill.

He has trialled again since that race and the 1400m this time looks to suit.

I’m confident that Gai Waterhouse can saddle another Melbourne Cup Day winner when SURFIN’ BIRD steps out in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.

Surfin’ Bird has only had five appearances at the races since debuting, but she’s won four of those, including an utterly dominant effort in BM70 company at Caulfield last time out.

I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again and she is my best bet on the program.

NDOLA was scratched on Derby Day to instead run here, and I think that it will prove to be the correct decision.

Having returned to action with a fine performance to strike in BM80 company down at Morphettville, he franked that effort by winning again at Caulfield last time out.

This is another rise in class but he’s another one that gets into his race well under the conditions, and I think he looks a great chance of the hat-trick.