Eyes of Australia and world turn to Flemington for 165th Lexus Melbourne Cup

Run every year since 1861, the Lexus Melbourne Cup is known as the race that stops a nation® as it brings people right across Australia to a pause on the first Tuesday in November to watch 24 of the world’s best stayers over the Flemington two miles.

Each and every Lexus Melbourne Cup writes its own chapter into Australian history. A decade ago, Michelle Payne OAM became the first woman to ride the winner of the storied race; 20 years ago, it was Makybe Diva who transformed from a champion into a legend with her third straight victory in the Cup - the only horse to have achieved the feat.

Among those seeking to write the next chapter are Melbourne Cup-winning trainers Joseph O’Brien (Al Riffa, Goodie Two Shoes), Ciaron Maher (Middle Earth, Smokin’ Romans, Royal Supremacy), Chris Waller (Buckaroo, Land Legend, More Felons, River Of Stars, Valiant King) and Gai Waterhouse AO (Vauban), who now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott.

History will be made at Flemington if Parchment Party becomes the first American-trained runner in the Lexus Melbourne Cup. Owned by Jim and Dana Bernhard’s Pin Oak Stud, Parchment Party is prepared by American Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty and the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996 with Cigar.

Runners hailing from Japan, Great Britain, Ireland, France and Germany add to the international flavour.

Leading the local charge is Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours for Flemington trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy. Purchased through online sales platform Inglis Digital in November last year, he is on the cusp of becoming the 13th horse to win the Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double.

Half Yours’ jockey Jamie Melham is one of three female jockeys aiming to join Payne as a winner, alongside Rachel King (Arapaho) and Cup debutant Celine Gaudray (Torranzino).

The traditional pre-Lexus Melbourne Cup proceedings and entertainment will captivate racegoers from 2:23pm with the Welcome to Country ceremony to be delivered by Uncle Colin Hunter Junior.

Melbourne Cup Carnival Ambassador Michelle Payne OAM and her brother, Stevie Payne will lead the Cup into the Mounting Yard, before passing it to 3-time Lexus Melbourne Cup winning jockey, Glen Boss.  Glen will carry the $850,000 trophy to VRC Chairman Neil Wilson before the Australian National Anthem is sung by Greta Bradman, the eldest grandchild of another Australian sporting hero, Sir Donald Bradman.

Also trackside to cheer the runners home will be representatives from 24 rural and regional destinations which hosted the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour during 2025. Each town has been assigned a horse through the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep; the town which draws the Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with $50,000 to put towards a charity supporting a local community initiative. See below for the final field.

The world-famous Birdcage Enclosure will play host to a who’s who of entertainment, sport, business and media. Exclusive guests of LANDMARK by Lexus include Lexus Ambassadors Emma Freedman, Kate Waterhouse, John Eales and  Dimitrios Papadatos. In the G.H Mumm Marquee, Australian tennis champ Thanasi Kokkinakis will be on-course alongside AFL footballers Isaac Quaynor and Rory Lobb. Guests of Crown include Rebecca Judd, Eddie and Carla McGuire and Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic alongside ex-AFL star Tom Hawkins and wife Emma. Kiring Ichiban will host Australian netball star Rudi Ellis as well as Australian cricket players, Amanda Wellington and Georgia Voll.

For this year’s Carnival the VRC has partnered with one of Australia’s most celebrated artists, Vincent Fantauzzo, to create two remarkable new portraits - one of racing trailblazer Michelle Payne OAM, and another of Knight’s Choice, last year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup winner.  Both paintings will be on display in The Birdcage with Vincent Fantauzzo at 10.00am. 

The Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field continues for 2025 with the Best Dressed and Best Suited categories open to all racegoers from 9.15am, with registrations to close at 10:15am.

In the competition’s 63rd year, every entrant will have the opportunity to showcase their outfit along an elevated catwalk in the new front lawn enclosure before the Daily Finals take place.

The design and creative-led categories of the time-honoured competition continue on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day with the judging of the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award Final from 12:15pm, with the winner announced at 12:55pm.

Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field judges will include media personalities Jackie Frank, Jacqui Felgate and Marty Fox, designer Dom Bagnato and milliners Jill Humphries, Melissa Jackson and Rebecca Share.  

The Elms Live Stage, presented by Maccas and set beneath Flemington’s iconic elm trees at the end of the straight, will host an extraordinary array of global and local music icons across Cup Week. Day two of the Melbourne Cup Carnival will feature PNAU - the multi-platinum-selling, ARIA award-winning electronic act of Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes playing smash hits Cold Heart, Chameleon and more immediately after the last race.  Building the crowd's energy ahead of PNAU will be Melbourne based DJ and record producer, CYRIL who will perform multiple sets on the Elms Live Stage.