Caulfield Cup Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2024

Prepare for the electrifying 2024 Caulfield Cup, slated to unfold on October 19. Known as one of Australia's richest and most esteemed thoroughbred horse races, the Caulfield Cup serves as a cornerstone event in the Spring Racing Carnival and is one of the biggest Group One races on the calendar.

The race is not just a contest of speed and stamina over 2400 metres; it's a grand celebration that encapsulates fashion, fine dining, and top-tier entertainment. With a prize pool that reached $5 million in 2022, the Caulfield Cup is the world's richest 2,400m handicap race.

Thanks to the major prize money at stake, each year the Caulfield Cup attracts a field of international and local equine stars. But the spectacle extends beyond the racetrack.

Attendees look forward to showcasing their sartorial elegance, with women sporting flamboyant dresses and eye-catching headwear. 

The Caulfield Cup is a true spectacle and therefore it’s no surprise that Caulfield Racecourse is one of the top tracks in the country, hosting several major race days. So, be sure to visit OnlyRacing.com.au closer to the meet on October 19 to see our most up-to-date tips and analysis of the runners in the Caulfield Cup.

We love providing our readers with free horse racing tips. It’s pretty much the only thing we do, so you would think we’d be pretty good at it, and you’d be correct! We have so many tips you won't know what to do, our favourite tips right now are our Caulfield tips. At this stage, the Caulfield Cup is still a little while away, so our experts don’t have their tips together for the 2024 race just yet.

But as soon as our experts have crunched the numbers and looked at all the available data, we will provide their 2024 Caulfield Cup tips below. As for right now, we don’t want to leave you empty-handed, so what don’t you have a read through some of our expert’s thoughts for the Caulfield Cup in 2023.

Check out all the juicy details below:

Taking a look at the runners slated for the Caulfield Cup, the thing that stands out the most is the strong international contingent lining up in the race. Even more interesting is the fact that for many of them, it is their main target here in Australia.  

This is unusual in that oftentimes the Caulfield Cup stands as a stepping stone for what is known (semi-affectionately) as the ‘international raiders’, and their annual assault on the Melbourne Spring Carnival riches. Two of the international runners that I think are key include West Wind Blows and Breakup.

Caulfield Cup Tip 1 - West Wind Blows

An English contender, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, West Wind Blows has been performing at the elite level. With a third-place finish in the Eclipse and a second-place finish in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, this horse is committed to the Caulfield Cup as its primary target. The team is also considering the Turnbull Stakes as a lead-up to the big race.

Caulfield Cup Tip 2 - Breakup

Breakup brings excitement to the Caulfield Cup. Japanese horses have a strong track record in this race, with Admire Rakti and Mer De Glace both having won in the past decade. Breakup is expected to be competitive at Group level and could be a dark horse in this year's race.

These international contenders add an extra layer of intrigue to what is already shaping up to be a thrilling Caulfield Cup that promises to be a truly global affair. Be sure to tune in on race day to see how all the international runners perform!

Our tips for the 2024 Caulfield Cup will be released closer to race day. So, make sure you check back then!

The 2024 Caulfield Cup is shaping up to be a thrilling Group 1 event hosted at Caulfield Racecourse. The task of selecting one of the many Australian betting sites can seem daunting, but we're here to simplify the process by recommending a handful of trustworthy options. Before delving into these suggestions, it's crucial to examine the lineup of horses competing in the Caulfield Cup to determine your betting choices.

A primary consideration when picking a bookmaker is the betting odds they provide. While it might take some legwork, visiting various bookmakers to compare the odds for your chosen market can guide you in identifying which betting apps offer the most favourable odds. 

Opting for the bookmaker with the top odds enhances your potential winnings. For an exhaustive list of Australian bookmakers specialising in Group 1 horse racing markets, you can consult our bookmaker reviews section. There are indeed many horse racing betting sites to choose from.

Another factor to weigh is your level of ease with a specific bookmaker, in the past, we’ve found that PlayUp is very easy to use. A lot of Australian bettors like to place wagers with bookmakers they know well, often because of the app or website they regularly use. Sticking with a bookmaker you're at ease with is entirely justifiable. 

Our bookmaker reviews section offers insights into the dependability of each bookmaker, aiding you in making a well-informed choice. Betting sites bonuses also contribute to the decision-making process in selecting a bookmaker. If bonuses or promotions are something you are looking for in particular, try Bet365. They are one of the best betting apps in the world for a reason!

Some bookies might even feature Caulfield Cup-specific betting promotions, making it worthwhile to explore these avenues. In the end, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to selecting a bookmaker for the 2024 Caulfield Cup. Bigger bookies, like Unibet, are more likely to offer these types of promotions.

The set of tips outlined above are all sound points to consider. Nonetheless, it's vital to confirm that you're betting with a reputable bookmaker and complete any required verification steps before laying down your wagers. Check our “Betting Sites” section above for more information about more bookies.'

Caulfield Cup Bet Types

If you’re not a regular horse racing punter, then it’s important to know about all the different bet types that are available for the Caulfield Cup. Some are fairly simple while others are a bit more complex.

Check out the table below with bet types available for the Caulfield Cup:

The field for the 2024 Caulfield Cup has not yet been confirmed. However, with a race such as the Caulfield Cup, we would expect nothing less than an absolutely stellar field, filled with quality runner after quality runner. We will also list the current odds for the Caulfield Cup below in our “Odds” section, so you can get a better idea of which horses the bookies think are targeting the race.

When it comes to the Caulfield Cup, here are some of the key dates you should know:

At this stage, the final field is still a while from being announced, and when it comes to the odds of potential runners, they are likely to change dramatically in the weeks leading up to the Caulfield Cup. If you do find a runner in the betting markets that you like, it’s a good idea to jump on it now, instead of risking the odds shortening.

Below we have displayed the 2023 Caulfield Cup final field. We will replace it with the 2024 field once that information becomes available. Check out the 2023 field below:

The 2023 edition of the Caulfield Cup saw a stellar capacity field with several international runners. There was one emergency in the race, United Nations, who ended up gaining entry into the race as Nonconformist was scratched. 

Even in a race as big as the Caulfield Cup, scratchings can still take place. There are many reasons a runner could be scratched. For example, a horse could be scratched under a vet’s advice or the connections of the runner believe the horse is not race fit. If the horse you have bet on in the Caulfield Cup does end up taking part, you will get your stake back.

When going through the final field another key area to investigate is the starting barrier of each runner. The barrier draw takes place a couple of days before the race and there are certainly some barriers that are more successful than others. We will take a look at all the barrier stats in the section below.

So, you’re probably itching to know which barrier has produced the most (and least) winners over the years. Well, let us ease your mind! Check the table below as we go through the barrier draw stats for the Caulfield Cup:

Armed with that data, it seems as though the connections of runners would like to see their runner draw barrier 7 or 9. Both these barriers have the most number of wins since 1983, with five. Barrier 3 is also a decent choice, with four wins in total. In 2023, Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight started from barrier 7.

On the other hand, there are a handful of barriers that haven’t seen a single winner! These are the wider barriers (12 and 14), but barrier 1 also hasn’t seen a winner either. Will that change in the upcoming Caulfield Cup? We will have to wait and see.

Checking out the Caulfield Cup form guide is an important thing to do if you are going to bet on the race. But why go through pages and pages of form yourself when you can just use OnlyRacing? We’ve done all the form for the Caulfield Cup and found some key indicators that will help you in your quest to find a winner.

As they say, “the stats don’t lie”, and with a race with such a long history like the Caulfield Cup, there are a lot of stats and patterns that emerge from them. So, there’s no need to wait any longer, let’s see what the key form indicators are for the Caulfield Cup!

When looking at favourites, the Caulfield Cup is an okay race for them, with favourites winning on five occasions in the last 16 years. The last favourite to win the Caulfield Cup was Incentivise in 2021, who started with odds of $2.30.

As you have come to expect, the Caulfield Cup brings a distinctly international flavour. In total, there have been nine Caulfield Cup winners since 2008 that have come from overseas, including the 2023 winner Without A Fight (Ireland). 

It’s probably best to steer clear of the mares in the Caulfield Cup as well. Since 1996, there have only been a total of five mares to win the race. Verry Elleegant was the last mare to win the Caulfield Cup in 2020.

Age is but a number, except when you are trying to find the Caulfield Cup winner, that is! It seems as though 4YOs have the best record, winning on 49 separate occasions in the past 144 Caulfield Cups. Although, the last 4YO to win the Caulfield Cup was Jameka back in 2016.

With a race that has been running as long as the Caulfield Cup has, there are bound to be some out-of-this-world horses that have won the race. There are so many notable winners of the Caulfield Cup, and we’d love to talk about all of them, but we simply just don’t have the time.

Instead, we have handpicked a few of the top Caulfield Cup horses and will discuss them in greater detail below. We apologise in advance if your favourite Caulfield Cup horse isn’t listed below! 

Tulloch - 1957

There’s no doubt that Tulloch was one of the greatest Australian stayers, as was confirmed when he won the Caulfield Cup in 1957. That wasn’t all he won though, not by a long shot! Some of the other key races Tulloch won included; the Cox Plate, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (three, yes three times!), the All Aged Stakes and the Caulfield Guineas. In the end, he ended with a career record of 53:36-12-4.

Ming Dynasty - 1977 & 1980

The Bart Cummings-trained Ming Dynasty won the Caulfield Cup on two occasions, in 1977 and then again in 1980. The gelding also won key races like the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Metropolitan Handicap and the Australian Cup (twice). There haven’t been many two-time winners of the Caulfield Cup, but Ming Dynasty is one of the few.

Let's Elope - 1991

The year 1991 was certainly a good one for Let’s Elope, becoming the first horse in over 50 years to complete the Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double! The mare's overall career record stands at 26:11-0-5, which helped her accumulate a total of almost $3 million. Some of the other key races Let’s Elope has won include the Turnbull Stakes and the C F Orr Stakes, just to name a few.

Might And Power - 1997

After Let’s Elope completed the Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double, it took just six years for Might And Power to complete the same feat. He was named the Australian Horse of the Year in 1998 and 1999, so it’s no surprise to learn he won over $5 million in prize money throughout his career.

Northerly - 2002

Northerly, an excellent middle-distance runner won the Caulfield Cup in 2002. Along with the 2002 Caulfield Cup, he also won the Cox Plate in 2001 and 2002. Other notable races Northerly won throughout his career include the Railway Stakes, the Underwood Stakes and the Australian Cup.

Dunaden - 2012

The French-trained Dunaden won the Melbourne Cup in 2011 before going on to win the Caulfield Cup in 2012. His Melbourne Cup win wasn’t without stress for the connections though, as it ended up being the closest-ever photo finish, beating second-place Red Cadeaux, by just 5-10cm! In his Caulfield Cup victory, he became the first horse from a barrier wider than 15 to win the race (he started in barrier 18).

Verry Elleegant - 2020

Verry Elleegant was the Australian Racehorse of the Year for the 2020/21 season, so we just had to include her as our most recent winning horse of the Caulfield Cup. After winning the Caulfield Cup in 2020, she wasn’t able to complete the Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double that year. However, she came out strong in the Melbourne Cup a year later and won!

The Caulfield Cup odds are an important piece of the overall picture. Can you find value in the runner you want to back, or are the odds too short to even consider? All horse racing betting apps will provide markets for the Caulfield Cup. Each bookie may also have different odds for the same runner, so it is worth checking out what’s on offer before betting

There are many different horse racing markets you can bet on for the Caulfield Cup, and as the race is a major in the calendar, you’ll find markets are up well in advance. Betting on the Caulfield Cup as soon as you can in futures markets is a good idea because you could find the eventual favourite for juicy double-digit odds!

Look for when the market is “Before Noms” as this means you’ll get your stake back if your horse doesn’t make the final field. If you are betting when the market is “All-In”, then you, unfortunately, won’t get your stake back if your horse doesn’t run.

The good news is that our favourite bookie, PlayUp, already has odds up on their site for the Caulfield Cup! Check out all the Caulfield Cup odds below for the top contenders:

*Odds correct as of early February 2024.

The Caulfield Cup has such a rich history, so it’s no secret that there are lots of stats and facts about the race. Caulfield Racecourse has a lot of history as well, so we thought there was no better time than the present to take a look at all the stats and facts that make the Caulfield Cup the race it is today! Read on below to find out some interesting facts about the Caulfield Cup.

Located a mere ten kilometres to the southeast of Melbourne's vibrant city centre, Caulfield Racecourse is a living monument to Melbourne's deep-rooted equestrian culture. Initially a gathering spot for the Melbourne Hunt Club in the early days of European colonisation, the venue has transformed into one of the leading horse racing circuits in Australia.

Racing activities at Caulfield kicked off in 1859 on what was initially a rudimentary bush trail. By the year 1876, the Victorian Amateur Turf Club came into existence, later evolving into the prestigious Melbourne Racing Club. 

The subsequent opening of the Caulfield railway station in 1879 helped cement the racecourse's status in the locality. That very year, the first-ever Caulfield Cup took place, laying the foundation for what has become an essential fixture in Australia's spring racing agenda.

Locally referred to as "The Heath," Caulfield Racecourse is distinguished by its unique triangular layout, comprising three spacious straights and a full loop of 2.08 kilometres. The track underwent major renovations in 1995, and its design now features banked turns ranging from 4% to 6%, along with a home stretch of 367 metres.

The modern Rupert Clarke stand provides attendees with an unrivalled, glass-fronted panorama of the racetrack. Hosting approximately 25 race days each season, Caulfield is the venue for several of Australia's most celebrated races, such as the Caulfield Guineas, Blue Diamond Stake, Underwood Stakes, and of course the feature race which is the focus of this page, the Caulfield Cup.

Beyond its racing activities, the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve, positioned at the boundary between Caulfield and Caulfield East, serves multiple functions: as a racetrack, a recreational area, and a public green space. Managed under the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Act of 2017, a specialised Trust is responsible for the reserve's upkeep and development. 

Their dedication to openness is manifested through yearly reports submitted to the Victorian Parliament and made available on their official online platform. The Trust's Land Management Plan aims to make the reserve an inclusive space, underscoring Caulfield's importance not just in the racing world but also in the wider community.

Year after year the Caulfield Cup keeps adding to its rich history. The Caulfield Cup takes place each year during the Spring Racing Carnival, which is said to be one of the biggest horse racing carnivals in not only Australia but the entire world!

Established in 1879 with Newminster as its first winner, the race has been run over a distance of 2,400 metres since its inception. It was initially classified as a Principal Race until it achieved Group 1 status in 1979. As of 2024, the Caulfield Cup boasts a prize pool of $5 million, making it the world's richest 2400m handicap race.

The race is held annually on the third Saturday of October, marking the grand finale of the Caulfield Carnival. It serves as a potential qualification route for the Melbourne Cup, which takes place 16 days later. The field is limited to 18 starters, with several races around the globe offering exemptions from the ballot system.

The Caulfield Cup has a rich tapestry of international winners. Best Solution was a part of Godolphin's global racing strategy and had won Group 1 races in Germany before narrowly winning at Caulfield in 2018. Mer De Glace's 2019 win echoed the sweeping victory of his fellow countryman, Admire Rakti, five years earlier.

Historically, the race has seen some remarkable feats and dramatic moments. Tulloch, a 3-year-old, set the race and track record in 1957, but his owner chose not to proceed to the Melbourne Cup. Big Philou's withdrawal from the Melbourne Cup in 1969, despite being a hot favourite after winning the Caulfield Cup, remains a memorable incident. 

The 1992 race was another thriller, where Mannerism won by a nose, overshadowing Shane Dye's controversial ride on Veandercross. The race has also been a stage for dual winners like Poseidon (1906 & 1907) and Rising Fast (1954 & 1955), as well as those who have achieved the Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double, including the likes of Might and Power, Ethereal and Without A Fight.

During World War II, the race was temporarily moved to Flemington Racecourse while Caulfield was given over to the army. The race has also been a platform for jockeys and trainers to etch their names in history. Scobie Breasley holds the record for the most wins by a jockey, while trainer Bart Cummings has the most training victories with seven.

The Caulfield Cup is not just a race; it's a celebration of horse racing's finest, encapsulating dramatic victories, heartbreaking losses, and extraordinary feats. It stands as a testament to the sport's enduring appeal and continues to be a pivotal chapter in Australia's rich equestrian narrative.

The Caulfield Cup is certainly one of the biggest races on the calendar, but it is just one race, and if you’d like to know more about the other races on the calendar, check out our Group One races list. We’ve got all the details you need!

The 2023 Caulfield Cup is a great race, with two Irish runners fighting it out for glory. Without A Fight and West Wind Blows were neck and neck down the straight but in the end Without A Fight proved too good, by just 0.2L, to claim a famous Caulfield Cup victory. 

It was a stellar ride from jockey Mark Zahra on Without A Fight, and it was a little bit of a distance to third place, 2.2L to Gold Trip. Without A Fight was back in 10th at the 400m mark, but showed his impressive speed to chase down and pass the leaders in the straight. 

In total, there was 23.6L separating first and last place in the 2023 Caulfield Cup. We will go through all the details of the results in 2024 after the race has been run and won. We can’t wait to see who wins!

Check out the full Caulfield Cup results below:

Want to watch the 2023 Caulfield Cup in full? Check out the race replay below:

There have been some high-quality Caulfield Cup winners over the years, and we’ve listed some of the more recent ones here! Check out all the winners of the Caulfield Cup (up to 2010) below:

There is so much cash to splash in the Caulfield Cup, and the top 10 runners get a share of it. The winner of the Caulfield Cup gets the lion’s share, and it is a life-changing amount of prize money. This is why so many international horses come to our shores, to get in on the action.

There is a total of $5 million on offer, so let’s see how that is split between the top 10 runners: 

One last section for your reading pleasure on the Caulfield Cup! If you have any last questions about this major race, hopefully, we’ve answered them below: