Update: Odds updated as of Tuesday, 4/11.
The Melbourne Cup isn’t just about fashion, long lunches, or office sweepstakes — it’s about the shared moment when the nation pauses to watch history unfold at Flemington. And for those who enjoy having a flutter, the trifecta remains the ultimate puzzle to solve.
We’ve already shared our 2025 Melbourne Cup favourites, but this time we’re going a step further. Here are our top Melbourne Cup trifecta tips — plus a quick explainer on how to place your boxed trifecta and what recent payouts tell us about the race ahead.
What is the difference between a trifecta and a boxed trifecta?
Trifecta is when you can pick 3 horses to finish in the exact order, ie first, second and third – yes, it’s very hard.
A boxed trifecta, however, is a little more fun, allowing you to choose multiple horses in which any of them can finish first, second or third – allowing you a greater chance to win; however, this generally means you will win less, and have to bet a higher amount to claim a decent amount of the trifecta payout percentage.
Melbourne Cup trifecta tips 2025
You could always place a mystery bet and cross your fingers and toes, or we have our hot tip to score the Melbourne Cup trifecta for Race 7 at Flemington.
These are the four horses we will be including in our boxed trifecta thanks to the experts at TABtouch:
Trifecta
Trifecta Bet: 24, 14, 16
Valiant King is well-weighted and improved this campaign, coming in at $11.00 for the win. Half Yours is on trial at two miles but won the key lead-up paying $2.80 for a place, and Onesmoothoperator has a sense of timing, winning the MV Gold Cup and can only improve further with fitness paying $9.00 for the place.
Box Trifecta
Boxed Trifecta Bet: 2, 14, 16, 24
The four key chances are fit for recent racing and come through the right formlines to figure.
Whether you’re a seasoned punter or just keen to join in on the Melbourne Cup excitement, these four horses bring the perfect mix for an exhilarating trifecta bet.
Melbourne Cup trifecta payouts for the last 9 Years
For each dollar in your bet, these were the returns for the trifecta at previous Melbourne Cups:
- 2024: $22,574.00
- 2023: $10,668.10
- 2022: $102,785.00
- 2021: $436.20
- 2020: $1,806.00
- 2019: $2,953.40
- 2018: $2,479.40
- 2017: $3,025.10
- 2016: $1,541.30
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