As you mull over your 1 in 24 chance of winning the office sweepstake, here’s a few need-to-knows ahead of this year’s edition of the great race…

Put it in your diary

The Melbourne Cup takes place on the first Tuesday of November. The 2021 edition of the race will be run tomorrow, 2 November at 5pm NZT.    

Distance

The Lexus Melbourne Cup is a staying race, run over 3200m. It will take the 24-horse field around 3 minutes, 20 seconds to complete the race.

Let’s talk $$

The 2021 Melbourne Cup offers the equal biggest prize money in Cup history, with a purse of AUD$8 million. The winner of this year’s Melbourne Cup will take home $4,400,000 as well as $250,000 in trophies (plus ULTIMATE bragging rights). The Melbourne Cup is the world’s richest handicap race.

Kiwi contenders

Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, The Chosen One is the sole New Zealand-trained horse set to take his place in the 2021 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

New Zealand-bred horses running in this year’s Cup include Verry Elleegant, Explosive Jack, Johnny Get Angry, The Chosen One, Miami Bound, Ocean Billy and Tralee Rose.

Former Foxton resident Chris Waller will have four horses in the race, including 2021 Auckland Cup winner Ocean Billy. Ocean Billy is owned by Kiwi’s Bill and Suzi Pomare and Peter Ludgate.

Go the Kiwis!

Who’s the favourite?

Incentivise is the current favourite for the Lexus Melbourne Cup, following impressive wins in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup.