What horse colours have the most Melbourne Cup wins?
The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest betting events in world horse racing. The 2023 edition will go ahead on Tuesday, November 7.
The Melbourne Cup is a quality handicap open to thoroughbred horses aged three years and older, so it has always drawn a wide variety of runners. However, certain types of horses have fared markedly better than others over the years, and that applies to colour as well as sex and age.
You can learn about what colours have historically been the most dominant in the Melbourne Cup below, or see the 2023 silks on our Melbourne Cup horses page.
Melbourne Cup winners by horse colour
Melbourne Cup statistics show that bay horses have won 73 of the 161 races to date, make it far and away the most successful colour in the event’s history. That dominance is especially pronounced in the modern era, as bays have won all but five Melbourne Cup titles since 2000.
Bay coloured horses have won 16 of the last 20 runnings of the Melbourne Cup.
Verry Elleegant (2021) was the last of 38 brown horses to win the race, Media Puzzle (2002) made it 34 for chestnut horses, and Efficient (2007) brought up only the sixth win for the greys. A pure black horse has not won the Melbourne Cup since Clean Sweep in 1900.
| Horse Colour | Wins | Last |
|---|---|---|
| Bay | 74 | 2022 |
| Brown | 38 | 2021 |
| Chestnut | 34 | 2002 |
| Grey | 6 | 2007 |
| Bay Or Brown | 4 | 2010 |
| Black | 3 | 1900 |
| Brown Or Black | 2 | 1931 |
2023 Melbourne Cup Horses
1. Gold Trip (2)
- T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- J: James McDonald
- W: 58.5kg
- F: 0x4135
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Outstrip (GB)
- Dam: Sarvana (USA)
2. Alenquer (9)
- T: Michael Moroney
- J: Damien Oliver
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 00×059
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Adlerflug (GER)
- Dam: Wild Blossom (GER)
3. Without A Fight (16)
- T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
- J: Mark Zahra
- W: 56.5kg
- F: x11x61
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Teofilo (IRE)
- Dam: Khor Sheed (GB)
4. Breakup (18)
- T: Tatsuya Yoshioka
- J: Kohei Matsuyama
- W: 55kg
- F: 0340×8
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Chestnut
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Novelist (IRE)
- Dam: Little Dun (USA)
5. Vauban (3)
- T: Willie Mullins
- J: Ryan Moore
- W: 55kg
- F: 34211x
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Gallway (GB)
- Dam: Waldfest (IRE)
6. Soulcombe (4)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Joao Moreira
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 2×1437
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Frankel (GB)
- Dam: Ribbons (GER)
7. Absurde (8)
- T: Willie Mullins
- J: Zac Purton
- W: 53kg
- F: 7×1261
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock (AUS)
- Dam: Incroyable (IRE)
8. Right You Are (15)
- T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- J: John Allen
- W: 53kg
- F: 1×2505
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: So You Think (NZ)
- Dam: Leica Ding (NZ)
9. Vow And Declare (19)
- T: Danny O’Brien
- J: Billy Egan
- W: 53kg
- F: 60×022
- Age: 8YO
- Color: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Declaration Of War (USA)
- Dam: Geblitzt (NZ)
10. Cleveland (23)
- T: Kris Lees
- J: Michael Dee
- W: 52kg
- F: x49621
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Camelot (GB)
- Dam: Venus de Milo (IRE)
11. Ashrun (11)
- T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- J: Kerrin McEvoy
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 10×762
- Age: 8YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Authorized (IRE)
- Dam: Ashantee (GER)
12. Daqiansweet Junior (12)
- T: Phillip Stokes
- J: Daniel Stackhouse
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 0x0074
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay or Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Sweet Orange (USA)
- Dam: Paulette (NZ)
13. Okita Soushi (20)
- T: Joseph O’Brien
- J: Dylan Gibbons
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 115130
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Stallion
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Amicus (UNR)
14. Sheraz (22)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Beau Mertens
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 1×2341
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)
- Dam: Shemiyla (IRE)
15. Lastotchka (21)
- T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr
- J: Craig Williams
- W: 51kg
- F: 1×2341
- Age: 4YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Myboycharlie (IRE)
- Dam: Muthia (GB)
16. Magical Lagoon (7)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Mark Du Plessis
- W: 51kg
- F: 06×906
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Night Lagoon (GB)
17. Military Mission (5)
- T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
- J: Rachel King
- W: 51kg
- F: 920141
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Grey/Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Mastercraftsman (IRE)
- Dam: Atlantic Isle (GB)
18. Serpentine (1)
- T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
- J: Jye McNeil
- W: 51kg
- F: 129243
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Remember When (IRE)
19. Virtuous Circle (6)
- T: Liam Howley
- J: Craig Newitt
- W: 51kg
- F: 2×0908
- Age: 4YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: She Is Stryking
20. More Felons (24)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Jamie Kah
- W: 50.5kg
- F: 657285
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Churchill (IRE)
- Dam: Pivotalia (IRE)
21. Future History (13)
- T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- J: Hollie Doyle
- W: 50kg
- F: 721213
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Showcasing (GB)
- Dam: Likelihood (USA)
22. Interpretation (17)
- T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
- J: Teo Nugent
- W: 50kg
- F: x32591
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Daldiyna (FR)
24. True Marvel (10)
- T: Matthew Smith
- J: Ben Thompson
- W: 50kg
- F: 138080
- Age: 8YO
- Color: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Masked Marvel (GB)
- Dam: Anecdotique (GB)
Melbourne Cup Runner-by-Runner betting guide & racing tips
Where are the horse colours in an article about exactly that
I would’ve liked to have seen the horse colors for this race as well. I clicked on this link expecting exactly that from the google description search engine. It wasn’t to be.