The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's richest horse races. Currently, the total prize money is over 6 million dollars, and this is distributed to the connections of each horse in the ratio of 85 percent to the owner, 10 percent to the trainer and 5 percent to the jockey.
The prize awarded for the Melbourne Cup has come a long way from the first race held in 1861 where the prize was a gold watch and £710 (or was it?). The list below is of the total prize money when known, some of the earlier amounts may be just the prize for the winner.
The 2018 Melbourne Cup saw the first increase in the prize money purse in almost a decade, then again in 2019. Also, the prize money is now distributed down to 12th place.
| Year ▲▼ | Total Prize Money | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $8,000,000 | First $4.4 million (plus $250,000 in trophies), 2nd $1.1 million, 3rd $550,000, 4th $350,000, 5th $230,000, and from 6th to 12th place each will receive $160,000. |
| 2018 | $7,300,000 | First $4 million (plus $250,000 in trophies), 2nd $1 million, 3rd $500,000, 4th $250,000, 5th $175,000, and from 6th to 12th place each will receive $150,000. |
| 2012-2017 | $6,200,000 + trophies valued at $175,000 | First $3,600,000 and trophies valued at $175,000, $10,000, $10,000, $2,500 & $2,500 to owner, trainer, rider, strapper (Tommy Woodcock Trophy) and breeder respectively; Second $900,000; Third $450,000; Fourth $250,000; Fifth $175,000; Sixth $125,000; Seventh $125,000; Eighth $125,000; Ninth $125,000 & Tenth $125,000. |
| 2011 | $6,175,000 | The first 10 past the post received prize money, the winner was paid $3.3 million, tenth place $115,000. The winner also received trophies valued at $125,000. |
| 2010 | $6,000,000 | |
| 2009 | $5,500,000 | |
| 2008 | $5,500,000 | First prize was $3.3 million. The value of the trophies was $150,000. The winning owner's trophy was valued at $125,000 (containing 1650 grams of 18-carat gold). |
| 2007 | $5,000,000 | First prize was $3 million. The value of the trophies was $75,000. |
| 2006 | $5,000,000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $100 000 |
| 2005 | $5,000,000 | |
| 2004 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 2002 | ||
| 2001 | $4,035,000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $80 000. The Cup moved from 9ct to 18ct gold. |
| 2000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $32,500 | |
| 1999 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $32,500 | |
| 1987 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $32,000 | |
| 1985 | $1,000,000 | the first race run in Australia with prize money of $1 million. |
| 1986 | ||
| 1985 | $1,000,000 | the first race run in Australia with prize money of $1 million. |
| 1984 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $23,000 | |
| 1978 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $9000 | |
| 1973 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at $3000 | |
| 1960 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at 750 pounds | |
| 1954 | £15,000 | The winner received £10,500, 2nd £3500 and 3rd £1000 |
| 1953 | £14,000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at £550 |
| 1952 | ||
| 1951 | £14,000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at £300 |
| 1950 | ||
| 1949 | £12,500 | plus Melbourne Cup trophy valued at £300 |
| 1948 | £12,500 | plus Melbourne Cup trophy valued at £300. The owner of the winner received £8,750, 2nd £2,500 and 3rd £1,250. |
| 1947 | £10,000 | the total stakes for the 4-day Melbourne Cup meeting was £46,500 |
| 1946 | ||
| 1945 | The total prize money at the Melbourne Cup meeting was £26,000 | |
| 1944 | £200 | the winning owner received war bonds valued at 200 pounds. |
| 1943 | £200 | the winning owner received war bonds valued at 200 pounds. |
| 1942 | £200 | the winning owner received war bonds valued at 200 pounds. A report in April 1942 said that the prize was £7,500 + gold cup worth £200 (same as previous year), but this may have changed by the time the race was ran. |
| 1941 | £7,500 | + gold cup worth £200 |
| 1940 | £7,500 | reduced due to funds going to WWII |
| 1939 | £10,000 | |
| 1938 | £10,000 | The prize for the winner was £7,000 plus the cup worth £200. Second place was awarded £2000 and third £1000 |
| 1937 | ||
| 1936 | £10,000 | |
| 1935 | £8,000 | |
| 1934 | £10,000 | |
| 1933 | £7,000 | The Melbourne Cup trophy valued at £200 |
| 1932 | £7,000 | |
| 1931 | £7,000 | |
| 1930 | £10,000 | the total stake money for the Melbourne Cup meeting was £33,200 |
| 1929 | £15,853 | The total stake money for the Melbourne Cup meeting was £35,000. The winning owner won £9,222 plus the cup worth £200. Second place was awarded £2000 and third £1000 |
| 1928 | The winning owner won £9,569 plus the cup worth £200. | |
| 1925 | £13,225 | also with the cup valued at £200. The winner took £10,315, 2nd place £2000 and 3rd £1000. |
| 1924 | £12,999 | The value of the stake to the winning owner was £9,799, and with the addition of the trophy (valued at £200), the total amount is £9,999. |
| 1923 | £13,488 | |
| 1922 | £10,000 | the Melbourne Cup trophy valued at 200 pounds |
| 1921 | £8,150 | This includes the cup, valued at £150 |
| 1916 | £7,000 | |
| 1915 | £8,000 | |
| 1894 | £5,000 | no trophy |
| 1893 | £10,000 | |
| 1892 | £10,000 | |
| 1891 | £10,000 | |
| 1890 | £10,000 | |
| 1878 | £1,790 | First prize was £1,790. Not sure if there was a prize for placings. |
| 1886 | £2,000 | |
| 1885 | £1,000 | |
| 1862 | £810 | The money was in the form of 810 gold sovereigns. The prize also included a gold watch |
| 1861 | £710 * | It is commonly reported that the prize for the first winner of the Melbourne Cup, Archer, was £710 in the form of 710 gold sovereigns. The prize also included a gold watch. Many other websites are reporting the prize as £170, both amounts which we believe is incorrect, it may actually be £930. No prizes were awarded for second or third place |
Sources: The information above was from various sources online and many not be 100% correct. There is more information about the 1861 prize money
Many of the prize money amounts listed above are from digitised newspaper reports (see http://trove.nla.gov.au). The article and list shown below, is from The Register (Adelaide, SA) Tuesday 7th November 1916, Page 9.
Interestingly, some of the figures do not correspond to the prize money amounts found from other sources and listed in the table above.
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