Doomben Cup Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

Held since 1933, the Doomben Cup isn't one of the oldest races on Australia's Group 1 calendar, but it has since grown into a legendary race associated with the always beautiful Doomben Racecourse. The feature race is widely considered one of the best in Queensland as well as Australia and Doomben is certainly one of the top tracks in the country. 

Alongside the Doomben 10,000, also held at Doomben Racecourse, these races have been held since the very inception of Doomben Racecourse itself! The Doomben Cup is one of the most prestigious Group One races with weight-for-age restrictions applying. 

The Doomben Cup is a spectacle for race fans across the country who turn their attention towards Doomben Racecourse on Saturday, May 24th, 2025, to witness the special race. Read below for a breakdown of what you'll find in this preview of the Doomben Cup race. Hopefully, some, or all, of this information assists you with betting on the Doomben Cup and improving your knowledge of a truly entertaining race.

The team at  OnlyRacing.com.au will cover every important aspect of the race including things like betting, tips, odds as well as general information on areas like field, form guide and horses. The penultimate section of this Doomben Cup preview denotes the historic changes to the race that have made the feature race what it is today. 

One of the things that makes Group 1 races so interesting is the stakes that are involved. Not only is there significant prestige of winning a Group 1, but there is also a lot of prize money up for grabs. For the Doomben Cup specifically, there is a total of $1 million on offer. Check out the breakdown below:

One of the favourite things we like to do each year is provide free horse racing tips for the Doomben Cup. We have many experts in the OnlyRacing team and they all love providing horse racing tips! We have tips for every Group 1 and major race on the calendar as well as daily tips. 

To say we’ve got tips coming out of our ears would be an understatement! We love tips and we can’t wait to provide our 2025 Doomben Cup tips during race week. We are waiting for the final field to be confirmed, so our experts have all the information they need to provide the most accurate tips possible.

We will have three tips for the Doomben Cup, our best bet, next best and best roughie. So no matter how you like to play, you’re covered. Check out all our tips for the 2024 Doomben Cup below:

Doomben Cup Best Bet - Kovalica

Kovalica was by best roughie last here, where he had odds of $13, now for the 2024 Doomben Cup, he is the favourite, with odds currently sitting at $3.80. Oh, how the times have changed! He finished third in this race last year and I think he can go two better this time. Yes, he has been in somewhat of a winning drought, but this lines up ideally.

A solid performance in the Hollindale Stakes a couple of weeks ago, where he had the fastest last 400m and 200m. I think he wanted something a little drying under his hooves and some more distance to stretch out. He gets both those things here, plus a favourable barrier draw. Nash Rawiller knows what to do!

Doomben Cup Next Best - Numerian

I can’t go past the runner who won the Hollindale Stakes, Numerian! His victory in the Group 1 was by 1.5L and he gets the same WFA conditions here. What he doesn’t get is the Heavy track and this is certainly a step up now, but I think he is up to the challenge. Currently listed with odds of $8.50, I think there is a bit of value there!

He draws a little bit of a sticky barrier, so Jamie Mott will have to do some work there. Getting back-to-back wins might just be out of reach, as there are more favourable conditions for other class runners, but he is certainly a live chance of at least running in the top three.

Doomben Cup Best Roughie - Fawkner Park

This is a step up for Fawkner Park, but with current odds of $12, I just couldn’t pass up on the opportunity! Annabel Neasham has a lot of chances in this race and I’ve chosen two of her runners in my top three picks. I think this is one of Fawkner Park’s best shots so far, considering it isn’t the strongest Doomben Cup we’ve seen in recent years.

Fawkner Park had a great Autumn and Winter in 2023, but his Spring left a lot on the table. I think the longer the better for him and 2,000m seems to be the ideal distance, winning at this distance in his last two. This will be a challenge for him, that’s for sure, but he is in-form, loves a firm track and the distance. Let’s see what he can do!

Betting on the Doomben Cup is likely the very reason you are currently on this page! So, let us provide some advice on where to place your bets for the Doomben Cup. There are so many different betting apps to choose from, but you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed because the team at OnlyRacing is here to help you.

There are a couple of things you need to do when it comes to Doomben Cup betting; figure out who you’re going to bet on and what market you will place a bet on. All the horse racing betting sites out there will have plenty of markets for you to choose from. But before you place a bet on one of those markets, you need to ensure you understand the bet type.

If you’ve never opened a bookie account before, or are looking for another bookie, we’re here to help you make a choice. We’ve gone through all the best Australian betting sites and provided comprehensive reviews on each of them.

We cover a lot of different areas in our bookie reviews and the goal is to ensure you have all the information you need, which hopefully makes the decision of choosing the best bookie for you as easy as possible. Some of the areas we cover are customer service information, app details, betting promotions and even betting sites bonuses.

As a starting point, some of the bookies we think you should look into include PlayUp, PuntersPal along with PuntCity. They are some of the best betting apps going around, but you should know there are plenty more where they came from! If those three options don’t tickle your fancy, just scroll up to our “Betting Sites” section above.

So, which runners will line up in the 2025 Doomben Cup? Well, the field is confirmed during race week, so we’ll have to wait a little bit longer to find out this information. While we don’t know which runners will line up, if history is anything to go by, the field will be stacked with quality runners!

Along with providing information on the Doomben Cup field, we will also provide odds for runners in the race in our “Odds” section below. Check out the odds to gain insight into which runners are more favoured in the market. Remember, while certain runners may be favoured in the market at one stage if you check back at a later date, the odds would likely have changed.

While we wait for the final field to be confirmed for the Doomben Cup in 2025, check out the runners who took part in the race in 2024 below:

Just like in the 2023 Doomben Cup, we saw a distinct international flavour! In total, 16 runners lined up for the race in 2024, with no emergencies listed. There ended up being two scratchings, with Hoo Ya Mal and Kind Words not taking part in the race, which dropped the final field to 14.

You’ll notice that scratchings happen a lot in horse racing. It’s kind of a way of life, even in races like the Doomben Cup where there is heaps of prize money on the line. If you do bet on a horse that ends up being scratched, you will get your stake back. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on things as well, scratchings can happen at any time.

Along with scratchings, you should look into the barrier draw before the race. Some barriers have seen more winners than others, so connections of each runner may prefer their horse jump from a certain barrier. However, the barrier draw is random, so you just have to take what you get.

One of the things that needs to be done if you’re going to have a bet on the Doomben Cup is the form guide. It isn’t necessarily tricky to put together the Doomben Cup form guide, but it is time-consuming. If you don’t have the time, that’s totally fine because we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

We’ve gone through all the data and stats, pulling out key pieces of information that represent a pattern that could help you point you towards the next winner of the Doomben Cup. Check out some of the key indicators that we’ve found below!

The first thing we usually do when it comes to the Doomben Cup form guide is check out which races at the best lead-ups. In the past, we’ve seen several runners come from the Hollindale Stakes which is run two weeks before the Doomben Cup at Gold Coast Racecourse. Since 1991, 20 winners have come through the Hollindale Stakes.

Some of the other races you should also check out include the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The Coast and the Chairman’s Handicap. Since 2000, only five winners of the Doomben Cup have jumped from a double-digit barrier. But it is also important to note that while the capacity for the field is 16 runners, we don’t always see a capacity or even many fields above 10 runners.

Fillies have never won the Doomben Cup and mares haven’t been that successful in the past either. Since 2007, we have only seen three mares win the Doomenber Cup, which was Cinque Cento (2007), Streama (2014) and Kenedna (2019).

Favourites have an okay record in the Doomben Cup. But in recent times we have seen a few roughies get up as well. In the last eight years, we’ve seen five winners jump with double-digit odds and on two other occasions the winner jumped with odds of $9.00.

Some of the best horses to ever race in Australia have gone on to win the Doomben Cup. This section will feature some of those Doomben Cup horses and speak to each of those runners' key victories along with other areas like honours and achievements.

While we wish we could talk about all the Doomben Cup horses that have won the race, we only have a certain amount of space, so we’ve had to make some tough decisions on which runners to feature. See the horses that made the cut below:

Bernborough - 1946

Bernborough won many Group 1 races throughout his career, including the 1946 Doomben Cup. In fact, Bernborough managed to win 15 races in a row, some of the most prestigious included; the All Aged Stakes, the Winx Stakes, the Futurity Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap. Overall, Bernborough had a career record of 37:26-2-1.

Rough Habit - 1991-1993

To this day, Rough Habit is the only horse that has won the Doomben Cup on three occasions. Throughout his career, Rough Habit won 11 Group 1 races including; the Queensland Derby, the Stradbroke Handicap, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Caulfield Stakes.

Might And Power - 1998

Might And Power won the Doomben Cup in 1998, but the gelding also won some of the biggest races on the Australian calendar including; the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Victories in those key races help him gain over $5 million in prize money throughout his career.

Zaaki - 2021

Multiple Group 1 winner, Zaaki, claimed victory in the 2021 Doomben Cup. In the 2021/22 season, Zaaki was named the Australian Champion Middle Distance Racehorse. Some of the other key races he has won throughout his career include; the Underwood Stakes, the Mackinnon Stakes and The Q22.

The final piece of the puzzle or the glue that holds everything together - the odds! Why are the odds so important in horse racing? Well, the odds tell you how much you’ll win if the market you bet on gets up. For example, if you bet $10 on a runner that has odds of $7.50 in the Doomben Cup and the runner wins, you’ll pocket $75!

You’ll notice that before the final field is announced, all the top horse racing betting apps will release Doomben Cup odds markets. This means you can place your bets much sooner than you may think. From the day the market goes live, you’ll notice that the odds are constantly changing.

Several factors go into an odds change, so if you’re thinking of betting on the race, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on how things unfold. As of right now, our favourite bookie, PlayUp, hasn’t released its odds, so you’ll need to wait a little longer for the information you’ve been on the hunt for.

When it comes to the Doomben Cup, there will be plenty of horse racing markets for you to choose from. If you’re looking at the Fixed Win/ Place market, then take note of the stage the market is listed in. If the market is listed as “Before Noms” then you’ll get your stake back if your chosen runner doesn’t make the final field.

Check out the odds for every single runner in the 2024 Doomben Cup field below (odds taken just a couple of days before the race):

*Odds correct as of 23/05/2024.

The Doomben Cup is considered one of the best Group 1 thoroughbred races. The first iteration of the Doomben Cup occurred in 1933, the same year the Doomben 10,000 and Doomben Racecourse itself first ran and opened respectively. It forms part of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals in Australia.

The 1933 Doomben Cup was won by Pentheus and since then there have been a plethora of champions of the race that are also some of the greatest Australian thoroughbred horses we have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Now with a $1 million prize purse, the Doomben Cup has the prize money to back up its prestigious and historic history.

Let us now look at some of the changes that the Doomben Cup has undergone that have helped shape the way the race is viewed today. The grade of the Doomben Cup has always been the highest level in Australian thoroughbred races. From 1933 to 1979, the Doomben Cup was considered a Principal Race, as was the top level at the time. However, since 1980, the Doomben Cup has been a Group 1 race.

The naming rights have passed from hand to hand since the 1933 Doomben Cup (then the BATC Doomben Cup). The BATC Doomben Cup remained the name of the Doomben Cup for 50 years following its inception up until the 1983 Doomben Cup. 

From 1983 to 1987 the Doomben Cup was sponsored by XXXX Brewing and was appropriately named the XXXX Cup. In 1988, the naming rights belonged to Channel Nine and the Doomben Cup was hence the Channel Nine Cup. 

For three years over the turn of the 1990s, the Doomben Cup returned to its XXXX sponsorship and previous name. Since 1992, the Doomben Cup has been named, well, the Doomben Cup!

Concerning the distance of the Doomben Cup, the race has shifted around and did not land on the current 2,000m distance until just 11 years ago. Before then, the race fluctuated from its lowest of one and a quarter miles when it first ran in 1933 to a height of 2,200m between 1973 and 1988, as well as between 1997 and 2006.

Let us now look at some fun and essential facts about the Doomben Cup. Hopefully, this increases your appreciation towards the great Group 1 race. Read below for some fun facts about the Doomben Cup!

Alongside the Brisbane Cup, the Doomben Cup makes up one-half of the Queensland Cup double. There have been two thoroughbred horses that have claimed victory in this double: Lord Hybrow who won the 1988 editions of the Brisbane Cup and Doomben Cup, as well as Scenic Shot who achieved the same in 2009.

The most successful jockeys in the history of the Doomben Cup are Maurice McCarten and Jim Cassidy. McCarten claimed victory in the 1933, 1934 and 1940 Doomben Cup races (as well as in 1952 as a trainer!). Cassidy won three straight Doomben Cup feature races from 1991 to 1993 on the back of Rough Habit. Rough Habit is the only three-time champion thoroughbred in the history of the Doomben Cup.

In addition to two three-time Doomben Cup champion jockeys, there are also two three-time Doomben Cup champion trainers. These include the legendary T J Smith in 1973, 1976 and 1978, as well as John Wheeler, who was the trainer of Rough Habit.

If you want to learn more about some of the other races on the calendar, then do we have a treat for you! Head on over to our Group One races list for over 100+ races, all with a page similar to this one. You’ll be an expert in no time at all!

We have all the juicy Doomben Cup results information you are looking for! As soon as the race has been run and won, people are searching online for information on the results. We have a table that includes the finishing order of every runner in the Doomben Cup, along with a full race replay. 

The 2024 Doomben Cup was taken out by $26 longshot Bois D'argent, who previously finished third in the Gold Coast Cup before taking on the Group 1. Bois D'argent finished just 0.05L in front of New Endeavour, who finished in second place.

Fawkner Park rounded out the final minor placing in third, not too far off the leader either, just 0.29L off. The Doomben Cup was run in a time of 2:03.62 in 2024 and 15.74L separated the first and last runner across the finishing post.

Check out the full Doomben Cup results below:

If videos are more your speed, then check out the full race replay of the 2024 Doomben Cup below:

There have been many epic horses on the honour roll for the Doomben Cup. If you want to know which runner has won the race in recent times, check out the table below (remember the 2020 edition of the race did not go ahead due to COVID-19):

Before you can call yourself a Doomben Cup expert, we have one final section for you! Our Doomben Cup FAQs section covers all the most common questions people have about the race. Check out all the common FAQs below: