The biggest overall bet on the Melbourne Cup is a $10,000 wager at $26 on Surprise Baby – now $15 – which was placed on October 4. Surprise Baby secured an automatic berth in the 2019 Melbourne Cup Field the next day by winning The Bart Cummings at Flemington. Melbourne Cup betting online Without doubt the best way to get a finger into the Melbourne Cup pie is to go with a Melbourne Cup betting online site recommended by BettingOnline.nz. This allows you to skip the queues, the crowds, the litter and the waiting times. Tabcorp’s thousands of retail outlets have long served the punting public, but online betting is by far the most convenient and efficient way to place a wager with TAB. No queues to wait in, no fiddly tickets to fill out or dirty touch screens to navigate, just the punter and a few quick clicks/taps on phone, tablet or PC, and your bet is placed.

They don’t call it “The Race That Stops a Nation” for nothing. The Melbourne Cup, is, by far and away, the most famous thoroughbred horse race in Australia. To get you prepared for it, we’ve made a list of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites which would be ideal for you to make your wagers on this one-of-a-kind event.

For those looking to jump straight into the betting action for the Melbourne Cup, here are the top sites we recommend:

It actually might be more correct to say that two nations stop everything that they’re doing when the Melbourne Cup takes place. After all, it isn’t just Australia that treats the race day like a national holiday. New Zealand’s citizens also break their daily routine to watch the race, either in person, on television, or via the internet.

This year’s event, which takes place this coming Tuesday, November 6, should make for a particularly entertaining race. That’s because there are many possible contenders for the Melbourne Cup this year. As a result, there should be plenty of action at the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites for sure.

Many fans who aren’t from the region of Australia or New Zealand might be at a loss to what makes this race so special. That’s why it’s important that we give you a crash course on the Melbourne Cup to show you just what an incredible part of the international racing schedule it is. Once we do, we’re guessing that you’ll be wondering how you can be a “punter,” or gambler, on this day, just like almost everybody in Australia and New Zealand will be.

With that in mind, we’ve diligently scoured the internet for the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites. We’ll also explain a little about the particulars of the race, and we’ll give some betting tips to show you how to handicap what is usually a very full field of horses. In addition, we’ll take a look at some of the top competitors for this year’s Melbourne Cup, as well as showing you how you can pick out a top, legitimate site to bet on the event on your own.

The Specifics Of The Melbourne Cup

So why has the Melbourne Cup so captured not just the imagination of Australian and New Zealand fans, but also the attention of horse racing fans and gamblers alike for over 150 years? Well, the question is partially answered by that final fact. This race has been in existence since 1861, lending it incredible tradition that few horse races around the world can match.

It is also unique because there are few horse racing events that can claim the monopoly of a public’s attention like the Melbourne Cup. And part of the reason for that is when on the calendar it is held. It comes in the Australian spring season, at a time when the public is craving some kind of sporting event.

For most of the calendar year in Australia, two sports dominate the scene: cricket and football. The Melbourne Cup settles into a window right between the seasons for those two sports. That means there is nothing else vying for the public attention at that time.

On top of that, it also comes at a time when most other horse racing events around the world have already taken place during the year. As a result, it gives horse racing bettors something to grasp onto, in terms of meaty betting opportunities, even this late in the year. And the setup of the Melbourne Cup makes bettors really excited because it is meant to ensure that no horse stands above the rest.

Quality Handicap Conditions

The Melbourne Cup is what’s known as a quality handicap. What that means is that the people in charge of the race attempt to keep one or a few horses from dominating the betting. Anyone who has ever been a horse racing fan knows that there isn’t much skill or value in betting a race where a horse is a prohibitive, odds-on (meaning less than even-money) favorite.

The handicap conditions usually prevent the Melbourne Cup from falling into that kind of rut. Each horse is assigned a specific weight that it must carry during the race. This weight is assigned to each horse based on certain criteria, such as age (younger horses are assigned less weight than older) and skill level (horses who have performed better are usually asked to carry more weight than their less-successful foes in the race.)

In past years, the Melbourne Cup used to be extremely strict about weight assignations. They have softened the stringency of the weight requirements, in part because many international owners of classy horses didn’t want to put their competitors through that burden. In an effort to strengthen the fields, changes were made.

Yet there will still be horses who will be forced to carry significantly more weight than some their lesser-regarded foes. What that means is that the Melbourne Cup is one of the few major horse races where every horse, on paper, can be seen as having a decent shot to win the race. And that fact is why the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites will be humming leading into Tuesday’s race, since every bettor loves a value.

Long-Distance Running

The other major factor that comes into play each year in the Melbourne Cup is the distance of the race. It is run at its traditional home on the Flemington Race Course at a distance of 3,200 metres, or approximately two miles. Immediately, horse racing fans should be taking notice of this distance as something out of the ordinary.

For example, American fans who are used to the Triple Crown racing series might know that the Kentucky Derby is run at 1 ¼ miles, the Preakness Stakes at 1 3/16 miles, and the Belmont Stakes at 1 ½ miles. They even call the Belmont Stakes the test, since its distance seems so foreboding for three-year-old horses. Even races for older horses such as the Breeders’ Cup Classic tend to top out at 1 ½ miles.

Yet the Melbourne Cup sits at two miles and is contested under handicap conditions. That is what you call a true test. And that’s why the horses who do the best in a race like it are called “stayers,” for their ability to stay in the race for such a long distance.

In many ways, the Melbourne Cup is a throwback to a different time in horse racing. Modern times often require horses to be bred for pure speed. Yet this race is the ultimate test of stamina, which is another reason why it stands out as both a true challenge for the horses competing and for the bettors trying to figure out the race.

Betting Tips For 2018 Melbourne Cup

So now that we’ve established what makes the Melbourne Cup such a unique part of the horse racing world, it’s time to get down to betting on it. As you might expect, you can find a lot of betting sites to help you take this action. The ones that we’ve listed here are legitimate and provide excellent service, and we’ll talk more in a bit about what makes the best 2018 Melbourne Cup betting sites so solid.

But first we have to get down to the particulars of betting on the race. The following tips will help you sift through the fields to perhaps find some diamonds in the rough. And that rough can get pretty thick and confusing, considering that fields for the Melbourne Cup run up to 24 horses.

Bet Online Melbourne Cup

This will also help you get started with handicapping the race, even though the fields won’t yet be finalized until the weekend. That’s because many horses might make the decision to try to race after competing over the weekend in either the Victorian Derby or Victorian Oaks. Imagine them taking on a two-mile race after being in a competitive race just a few days earlier, which is just another sign of what a throwback this race is.

Keep in mind than none of these factors are tried-and-true indicators all by themselves, and there can always be a surprise. After all, last year the Melbourne Cup was won by a 3-year-old, making it the first time in 76 years that a sophomore has taken this race. Still, if you take in all of these factors together, you can sort out the contenders from the pretenders in the massive field of pre-entries.

Weight

In most horse races, weight considerations don’t factor in too much, as the differences from race-to-race and from horse-to-horse are negligible. But the Melbourne Cup is a different animal, so to speak. The differences in weight, from top weight to bottom, can be very significant.

What that means is that you have to look at the weight assignations for each horse and then compare them to what that horse has had to carry in past races. If you see a horse who has done well carrying something close to what he’ll be toting in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, it is usually a good sign. That usually indicates that it is the kind of stayer with the ability to make the distance with that weight.

A concern could be with a horse who suddenly has to carry more weight, by a formidable margin, in the Melbourne Cup than it has ever had to before. That can easily lead to a horse being fatigued. Considering many European horses who will be competing in the event are not generally dealing with handicap conditions, they might be adversely affected by the weight.

Distance

Obviously, any horse that is going to win the Melbourne Cup will be one that can handle the distance. And that is something that often can’t really be determined till race day. After all, many horses who will compete in the 2018 Melbourne Cup will come in having never raced two miles before, and many never will again after taking on the Flemington course on Tuesday.

As a result, your handicapping for the race, no matter which of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites you utilize, has to include some sort of concession to distance. If you can find horses who have previously been in “stayer” type races and have performed well in them, you obviously have a good starting point. Horses with the muscle memory of such a long, grueling race will have a leg up on their competition.

But that doesn’t mean that you should disqualify the horses who haven’t raced at two miles before out of hand. What it does mean is that you should look at how they handled their previous distance races.

If they had been in a previous race at around 1 ½ miles or similar and were closing out the race strong, it could be an indicator that they have it in them to finish the two miles with something left to give. By contrast, horses who have barely been hanging on at the shorter distances might not be stayer material and therefore could come up short at the unforgiving distance of the Melbourne Cup.

Connections

Place Bet Online Melbourne Cup 2019

Again, when you are talking about a race with such a unique format, it is good to have a proven track record on which to fall back. And that also goes for the jockeys and trainers that surround the horses. They might have proven successful in other venues, but the Melbourne Cup requires some special talents for both jockey and trainer.

In terms of the jockey, knowing how hard to push a horse at different moments in the race is crucial, especially considering the distance. You also need to be able to navigate positioning which, with so many horses in the field, is not the easiest of tasks. Riding a winner in the Melbourne Cup requires a great blend of cunning and fearlessness.

For trainers, the task is about having your horse in top condition when the race begins. For some horses, that might mean that the horse has been resting for a long period of time, while others might be better off having competed in a recent race to bring them into top form. Trainers that know their horses inside and out and can sense what it will take to prepare them for such an unusual race are rare?

How to find them? Look at the rolls of past winners of the Melbourne Cup. That will give you a clue to which jockeys and trainers might provide an advantage to their horses.

Form and Class

This can be tricky, because, as we’ve said again and again, the Melbourne Cup presents a unique set of challenges. For example, a horse with the best form might be one who gets assigned more weight than others in the field. And class might not mean much if the horse has never raced in a quality handicap before at such a long distance.

Still, it is a good idea to study those past performances as well as possible before making your wagers on the Melbourne Cup. You should be able to find some nooks and crannies of information concerning the horse’s recent form and their class level that can help you when it comes down to placing your bet. Just don’t disregard all the factors we listed above when you make these distinctions.

Top Competitors For The 2018 Melbourne Cup

As mentioned earlier, the field won’t be set until the weekend is over and is at the discretion of race organizers. Other than horses who are guaranteed a spot because they’ve won a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup, no one is assured anything. Still, based on early wagering odds, the list below will give you a jump start at assessing the top horses in the field.

• Yucatan: This is the probably favorite and a candidate for being handed top weight. The Irish-bred horse comes from top European trainer Aidan O’Brien, who would love to add a Melbourne Cup win to his impressive trophy case. And Yucatan has the stuff to overcome the inevitable weight penalty coming his way.
• Cross Counter: He could become the second straight three-year-old winner of this race (although, by Australian thoroughbred standards, he is a four-year-old.) After all, the weight assignation will be light compared to others. And his stellar performances in Europe so far, with four wins in six, make him one of the classiest in the field, regardless of age.
• Magic Circle: If nothing else, Magic Circle should jump out at you for a single reason: the presence of jockey Corey Brown. He has won this race twice before. Add that fact onto the already impressive qualifications for this veteran gelding and you have a real threat to take it all.
• Muntahaa: A classic stayer if ever there was one. Neither the distance nor the weight should scare him off, as he has already proven able to win with a lot of both. This is a horse who could legitimately thrive in the rigorous conditions of the Melbourne Cup.
• The Cliffsofmoher: Another O’Brien trainee who could certainly factor in, perhaps at an even more beneficial price for the punters. After all, his record doesn’t immediately jump out at you. But he has amassed extensive Group One experience and has even raced already in Australia.

Choosing the Best 2018 Melbourne Cup Betting Sites

We have given you just about every piece of information you’ll need to get you started on your journey to betting the Melbourne Cup. That includes the particulars of the race, the keys to handicapping it, and the horses who should be at the top of the list when it comes to making your bets.

Just as important as all of that is where you are going to make your bets. When we provided you with the list of the best 2018 Melbourne Cup betting sites, we did so with certain criteria in mind. So that you can make your own decision, here are some of the criteria we used:

Variety Of Wagering Opportunities

Just look at the Melbourne Cup as an example of what you’ll need from a betting website. Not only will you need the site to cover horse racing, but you’ll also need it to cover it on an international level. If you picked a random betting website off the internet, you might find that it doesn’t have this kind of action available to you.

And what if you wanted to do more than bet on this single horse race? What if you also wanted exposure to other sports, or maybe even casino betting? That’s why sites with excellent variety should always be high on your list, as you never know what will come down the pike to pique your betting interest.

Strong Customer Service

You are going to be putting your money on the line when you gamble online, whether it is for the 2018 Melbourne Cup or any other event. That can be a somewhat nerve-racking experience, and questions might arise. For that reason, you’ll want a site that is expert and quick at answering those questions for you, whatever they may be.

The site in question might seem, on first glance, to be everything you need. But without checking into their customer service reputation, you run the risk of possibly encountering problems and having nothing done about them. Don’t choose a sit without first knowing how you can contact them, how fast they will respond, and how interested they likely will be in solving whatever problem you might have.

Great Bonuses

You have to go into your choice of gambling website almost like you would a negotiation, one where you are holding all the cards. They want your business and will do whatever it takes to get your business. If they don’t do enough to secure that business, you should be prepared to walk away from the table, so to speak, and find another site.

With that in mind, don’t be afraid to ask a site what it can do for you. This might go beyond the obvious bonuses that you have in mind for joining the site. It can even relate to how withdrawals and deposits are handled.

Dependability

A site that is not functioning properly will do you no good. Imagine all the handicapping that goes into your picking who you think will be the winner of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Now imagine that you do all that work, go to place the bet, and the site is down.

Not a very appealing scenario, is it? That’s why you should be prepared to investigate a site for possible glitches and bugs before signing on. Sites that allow free bets to start will let you test the navigation and dependability before committing to an actual account.

Place Bet Online Melbourne Cup

Conclusion

We are now just about set for Tuesday’s running of the Melbourne Cup. It should be, as usual, a doozy of a race. And, now that you are equipped with the knowledge of the best Melbourne Cup 2018 betting sites, you can lay your money down with confidence.

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