Retailers are bracing for a “slow” trading day today as Australians turn their attention to the 2025 Melbourne Cup, which will be broadcast live on the Nine Network and streamed via Nine Now.

Rain is expected to play a major role at Flemington Racecourse, with the track forecasted to be rated heavy for the Cup. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts 20–40 millimetres of rainfall in Melbourne on Monday, with up to another 10mm possible on Tuesday.

Melbourne Cup 2025 Start Times

The Melbourne Cup, the seventh of ten races at Flemington, will begin at:

3:00 pm AEDT – Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, ACT

2:00 pm AEST – Queensland

2:30 pm ACDT – South Australia

1:30 pm ACST – Northern Territory

12:00 pm AWST – Western Australia

Broadcast and Live Coverage

All ten races at Flemington will be broadcast live on Channel Nine and streamed via Nine Now. ABC Sport will also provide live digital coverage, including a live blog, while fans can listen to the Melbourne Cup commentary on the radio, online, or via the ABC Listen app.

The Favourite: Half Yours

A field of 24 horses will line up for the Melbourne Cup, with number 14, Half Yours, heading the market as the favourite.

Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Half Yours will be ridden by jockey Jamie Melham. The horse secured victory in last month’s Caulfield Cup and is chasing a rare Melbourne-Caulfield Cup double—a feat achieved by only 12 horses in history.

Melham has the chance to make history herself, aiming to become only the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, following Michelle Payne’s 2015 triumph.