Which trainer has won the most Melbourne Cups?
The 2024 Melbourne Cup will go ahead at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November 5. For the trainers, it is a chance to earn a place in history and get one step closer to the one man whose name is synonymous with the race that stops a nation.
That man is Bart Cummings. Starting with Light Fingers in 1965 and capped by Viewed in 2008, he trained no fewer than 12 Melbourne Cup winners over the course of his storied career. Among Cummings’ greatest horses were Think Big, who went back-to-back in 1974 and ’75; Kingston Rule, whose record time of 3:16.30 in 1990 remains unmatched; and Saintly, who did the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double in 1996.
Etienne de Mestre and Lee Freedman have each trained five Melbourne Cup winners, but nobody comes close to Cummings – the Cups King.
2024 Melbourne Cup Final Field

1. Vauban (11)
- T: Willie Mullins
- J: William Buick
- W: 55.5kg
- F: 21342
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galiway (GB)
- Dam: Waldfest (GB)

2. Buckaroo (21)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Joao Moreira
- W: 54.5kg
- F: 22118
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Roheryn (IRE)

3. Circle Of Fire (24)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Mark Zahra
- W: 54.5kg
- F: 098×1
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: Fiery Sunset (GB)

4. Warp Speed (3)
- T: Noboru Takagi
- J: Akira Sugawara
- W: 54.5kg
- F: 0x523
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Drefong (USA)
- Dam: Deep Love (JPN)

5. Kovalica (17)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Damian Lane
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 6243x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Ocean Park (NZ)
- Dam: Vitesse (NZ)

6. Sharp ‘N’ Smart (15)
- T: Graeme & Deborah Rogerson
- J: Michael Dee
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 3020x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Redwood (GB)
- Dam: Queen Margaret (NZ)

7. Just Fine (13)
- T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
- J: Jye McNeil
- W: 53kg
- F: 01050
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)
- Dam: Bint Almatar (USA)

8. Land Legend (18)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Zac Purton
- W: 53kg
- F: 3160x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Landikusic (IRE)

9. Absurde (7)
- T: Willie Mullins
- J: Kerrin McEvoy
- W: 52.5kg
- F: x14x1
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Incroyable (USA)

10. Athabascan (2)
- T: John O’Shea & Tom Charlton
- J: Zac Lloyd
- W: 52kg
- F: 1008x
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: Alzubra (GB)

11. Knight’s Choice (6)
- T: John Symons & Sheila Laxon
- J: Robbie Dolan
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 5009x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Extreme Choice
- Dam: Midnight Pearl

12. Okita Soushi (10)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Jamie Kah
- W: 51kg
- F: 1208x
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Amicus

13. Onesmoothoperator (12)
- T: Brian Ellison
- J: Craig Williams
- W: 51kg
- F: 1471x
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Dialed In (USA)
- Dam: Sueno D’Oro (USA)

14. Zardozi (4)
- T: James Cummings
- J: Andrea Atzeni
- W: 51kg
- F: 54256
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Kingman (GB)
- Dam: Chanderi (GB)

15. Sea King (1)
- T: Harry Eustace
- J: Hollie Doyle
- W: 50.5kg
- F: 1×631
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)
- Dam: Pamona (IRE)

16. Valiant King (22)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Craig Newitt
- W: 50.5kg
- F: 906×6
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Roaring Lion (USA)
- Dam: Assembly (USA)

17. Fancy Man (19)
- T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
- J: Ron Stewart
- W: 50kg
- F: 635×0
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Pride of Dubai
- Dam: Fancy (IRE)

18. Interpretation (14)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Teo Nugent
- W: 50kg
- F: 26800
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Daldiyna (FR)

19. Manzoice (8)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Declan Bates
- W: 50kg
- F: 7032x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: Choice (NZ)

20. Mostly Cloudy (16)
- T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
- J: Karis Teetan
- W: 50kg
- F: 044×2
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Harzand (IRE)
- Dam: Clarinda (FR)

21. Positivity (20)
- T: Andrew Forsman
- J: Winona Costin
- W: 50kg
- F: 8712x
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: Pussy O’Reilly (NZ)

22. Saint George (9)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Tyler Schiller
- W: 50kg
- F: 5948x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Roaring Lion (USA)
- Dam: Lady Dragon (IRE)

23. The Map (23)
- T: Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray
- J: Rachel King
- W: 50kg
- F: 6509x
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Alpine Eagle
- Dam: This Moment
Melbourne Cup Runner-by-Runner betting guide & racing tips