Melbourne Cup: What do Aussies really think of the race that stops the nation?
It is known as the race that stops the nation, but the Melbourne Cup has just been dealt a brutal blow for 2025.
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Australia has a rich history of horse racing – but it is at a cultural crossroads.
News.com.au has found there’s a cigarette paper between people who believe the great Melbourne Cup is losing popularity, to the point where “people don’t care anymore”, and those who view it as an important institution.
Earlier this year, news.com.au launched The Great Aussie Debate, a wide-ranging, 50 question survey that has uncovered what Australians really think about all the hot topics of 2025.
Over two weeks, more than 54,000 Australians took part in the survey, revealing their thoughts on everything from the cost of living and homeownership, to electric vehicles and going shoeless in supermarkets.
In relation to how people feel about the Melbourne Cup, the vote is split 48 per cent for and 52 per cent against, with women and young people more likely to feel the race that stops a nation has had its day and is officially “dead”.
But the reality is that it is still the race that stops a nation – and in increasing numbers.
After half a decade of decline in attendance and viewership, plus the ravages of Covid when you couldn’t go to any kind of sporting event, people have returned to the Cup.
The live TV and streaming audience for Network 10’s coverage of the 2023 Melbourne Cup was 1.68 million – up 12 per cent on 2022.
On course figures were even better. Nearly 84,500 streamed through the gates at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, up 14.5 per cent.
2024 was better again.
Channel 9’s broadcast of the race had an average Audience of 1.91 million marking an 11.3% increase on the previous year.
A total of 3.7 million tuned into the coverage at some point during the day – a 30.4 per cent increase on 2023.
Online streaming drew in 371,000 viewers which was up 80.4 per cent.
Nearly 91,200 rocked up to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November last year – up eight per cent on the previous year and 23.5 per cent on the 2022 crowd.
It was the biggest Melbourne Cup crowd in nearly a decade.
Despite what some people may tell you, racing – and particularly the Melbourne Cup – is still alive and well and in defiance of the activists, people do want to engage with an event that is a rich part of our sporting history.
But racing cannot rest on its laurels – the interest of women and young people has to be sustained.
And the issue is not one that should be difficult to address.
Racing is the one sport where males and females – of both the human and equine form – compete equally and together.
Colts, geldings, stallions, fillies and mares all compete against each other every day of the week.
So do the brave men and women who jump on their backs.
Three of Australia’s most celebrated horses – Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Winx – are all female.
Jamie Melham is one of the best jockeys in the country. Gai Waterhouse (who, I should declare, trains a horse for me) is one of the most successful trainers to exist.
Racing has a great story that should be sold about the success of women.
And for young people, the most important thing is to engage them in the sport in some way.
Racing NSW, under the control of Peter V’Landys, has done an excellent job on that score.
Last year’s Everest was a sold out crowd of 50,000 and it was full of young people.
Some racing purists – and I would consider myself a member of that club – argue that the Everest and the party-like atmosphere around it means the huge attendance isn’t really about horses and more about young people in tight clothes getting on the lash.
And that may well be true. It’s also true of the Melbourne Cup which is a public holiday for Victorians and a workday party for the rest of us.
But getting them to the track is half the battle. If you can get them through the gate for the party, you can start to convince them of the value of what surrounds them.
As they get older and make some money, they could be the owners of tomorrow.
I was at the first day of the Championships at Randwick a few weeks ago.
Members was, as you might expect, full of older people but in general admission it was young people as far as the eye could see.
Sydney can pull a young crowd to good racing – and who cares if they don’t yet truly understand the caper? Getting them to the races is how you start to build the interest.
I took great solace in that sea of young people.
I love this sport – and if just a few of those people catch the same bug as me then we’ll be okay.
Reports of the Melbourne Cup’s death are greatly overstated.
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Originally published as Melbourne Cup: What do Aussies really think of the race that stops the nation?
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