Interest in Melbourne Cup Hits Record Low: Two-Thirds of Australians Uninterested, Poll Finds

Interest in Australia's traditional Melbourne Cup horse race has fallen to a record low. A Guardian Essential poll found that more than two-thirds of Australians surveyed said they had low or zero interest in the annual horse race.

In the poll of 1,003 Australians conducted in late October, just 9% said they had high interest in the Melbourne Cup. That figure is down 7 percentage points from 2025. Another 23% professed moderate interest, also down 3 points on the previous year.

By contrast, 29% said they had low interest, up 5 points from last year, while 39% said they had no interest at all, up 8 points in a year.

Combined high and moderate interest came to only 32%, the lowest on record since Essential began asking this question in annual polling in November 2022. The combined low and no-interest vote was 68%, jumping 12 points from last year to its highest on record.

The slide is also clear against earlier years. The combined low and no-interest figure was 52% in 2022, 62% in 2023, 52% in 2024 and 56% in 2025.

Peter Lewis, chair of Essential Media, said: 'The race that once stopped the nation is now just white noise for many.' He said the key driver appeared to be a growing disdain for gambling, with concern for animal cruelty a close second.

The 'nup to the Cup' movement, backed by some high-profile politicians and celebrities, has also contributed to declining support for the race, the poll report said.

Even so, 62% of Australians still agreed the Melbourne Cup was a unique part of Australia's national identity, though that strong majority has fallen from 78% agreement when Essential asked the question in 2019.

Half of Australians (50%) believe the Cup promotes unhealthy gambling behaviour, up 3% since 2025, while 36% say they feel the Cup normalises animal cruelty, down 3 points from 2025. Another 48% said they were less interested in the Cup than they used to be.

Betting interest has fallen too. Just 12% of voters said they regularly wagered on horse races and would bet on Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, down 5 points from 2025. In contrast, 46% said they were not interested in the Cup and would not place a bet, up 6 points from last year. Another 25% said they rarely bet on horses but would watch the race and place a bet, while 17% said they would watch but not bet.