It tends to be the winning horse and jockey who take centre stage after the race, but the Melbourne Cup trainers are also an essential part of the winning team. Behind a successful Melbourne cup horse is months of training and preparation, and, for any horse to be successful and reach its full potential, there needs to be guidance. That’s why looking at some of the notable trainers can help you make you pick the right Melbourne Cup horse.
Top Melbourne Cup 2024 Trainers
With the 2024 Melbourne Cup now in sight, we’ve got some idea of the trainers who are most likely to be involved. The table below lists the current Melbourne Cup betting favourites and the trainers who are readying them for Flemington. Powerhouse Willie Mullins is the trainer of the current betting favourite, Vauban.
| Trainer | Potential 2024 Horse |
|---|---|
| Willie Mullins | Vauban |
| A P O’Brien | Grosvenor Square |
| Ciaron Maher | Circle Of Fire |
| Henry De Bromhead | Magical Zoe |
| Ciaron Maher | Middle Earth |
| Willie Mullins | Absurde |
| Dan Clarken & Oopy Macgillivray | The Map |
| Ciaron Maher | Saint George |
| J-C Rouget | Delius |
| Anthony & Sam Freedman | Without A Fight |
| Chris Waller | Land Legend |
| A P O’Brien | Illinois |
Top Melbourne Cup Trainer Profiles
Willie Mullins Melbourne Cup Trainer Profile
Willie Mullins is best known for his massive success in jumps racing, with the Irishman having over 100 wins at the Cheltenham Festival alone. He’s made several attempts to win the Melbourne Cup, coming closest in 2017 when third with Max Dynamite. Despite failing to land the big prize, there’s a big chance that 2024 could be his year. Mullins is likely to send over Vauban and Absurde again. Both ran at Flemington last year and should improve having that track experience.
Chris Waller Melbourne Cup Trainer Profile
Chris Waller is one of the best known and most successful trainers in Australia. He secured his first winner in 1997 but it wasn’t until much later that he made his big breakthrough with a mare called Winx. Her 37 wins included four Cox Plates plus the Caulfield Stakes, really establishing Waller as one of the best trainers around. Waller’s success continued into 2021, as Verry Elleegant made him a Melbourne Cup winning trainer.
Gai Waterhouse Melbourne Cup Trainer Profile
Gai Waterhouse became the first Australian woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner when Fiorente won the race in 2013. She joined forces with Adrian Bott in 2016 and the pair continue to enjoy success together. Any horse the pair send to the Melbourne Cup should be respected.
Robert Hickmott Melbourne Trainer Cup Profile
A former Melbourne AFL player, Robert Hickmott has had a very successful racehorse training career. He’s already had two Melbourne Cup victories, making him one of the more successful Melbourne Cup trainers. Hickmott’s first win was in 2012 with Green Moon. Almandin gave him his second Melbourne Cup victory in 2016.
Lee Freedman Melbourne Trainer Cup Profile
A true legend among Melbourne Cup trainers and a Hall of Fame inductee, David Lee Freedman has won the cup a staggering five times. During the 90s, Freedman trained several very successful horses, including the 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero, as well as Doriemus, who won both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in 1995. Under Freedman, the former Melbourne Cup winner, Makybe Diva managed another two times, for a total of three consecutive Melbourne Cup wins. The wins were unprecedented in the races long history and made Freedman one of the most successful Melbourne Cup trainers.
Lloyd Williams Melbourne Trainer Cup Profile
Although he is an owner rather than a trainer, Lloyd Williams is worthy of mention here too. He enjoyed his first Melbourne Cup win way back in 1981 but is still going strong with a record seventh victory coming as recently as 2020. He’s certainly one to look out for again at the Melbourne Cup if any of his horses make the final cut.
Most Recent Winning Melbourne Cup Trainers
In the table below you will find the trainers who have guided the winning horses of the last 15 Melbourne Cups.
| Year | Trainer | Horse | Weight (kg) | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sam & Anthony Freedman | Without A Fight | 55.5 | 7 |
| 2022 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Gold Trip | 57.5 | 5 |
| 2021 | Chris Waller | Verry Elleegant | 58 | 6 |
| 2020 | Joseph O’Brien | Twilight Payment | 55.5 | 8 |
| 2019 | Danny O’Brien | Vow And Declare | 52 | 4 |
| 2018 | Charlie Appleby | Cross Counter | 51 | 4 |
| 2017 | Joseph O’Brien | Rekindling | 52 | 4 |
| 2016 | Rob Hickmott | Almandin | 52 | 7 |
| 2015 | Darren Weir | Prince of Penzance | 53 | 6 |
| 2014 | Andreas Wohler | Protectionist | 56.5 | 5 |
| 2013 | Gai Waterhouse | Fiorente | 55 | 6 |
| 2012 | Rob Hickmott | Green Moon | 53.5 | 6 |
| 2011 | Mikel Delzangles | Dunaden | 54.5 | 6 |
| 2010 | Alain De Royer-Dupre | Americain | 54.5 | 6 |
| 2009 | Mark Kavanagh | Shocking | 51 | 4 |
Most Successful Melbourne Cup Trainers
Winning just one Melbourne Cup is a challenging task for any horse racing trainer, that’s why the trainers who’ve won ‘the race that stops a nation’ on multiple occasions are legendary. Bart Cummings stands out from every other Melbourne Cup trainer, having an astonishing 12 wins. The incredibly well-respected trainer was responsible for the horses who won the 1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2008 runnings. Having victories spread across four decades shows how dedicated Cummings and his yard were to getting the best from their horses.
The trainers who come in joint-second for the most wins are Etienne de Mestre and Lee Freedman, with five winners each. De Mestre led Archer to success in the inaugural Melbourne Cup in 1861 and then went on to have success in 1862, 1867, 1877 and 1878. Winning the first two runnings of a horse race that has become so iconic means De Mestre must always be mentioned when the best Melbourne Cup trainers are being discussed.
Lee Freedman is undoubtedly the top trainer in the modern era of the Melbourne Cup. Freedman horses claimed the crown in 1989, 1992, 1995, 2004 and 2005. Maykbe Diva’s back-to-back Cup wins in 2004 and 2005 were the highlights of Freedman’s training career as the horse became the first to win three consecutive Melbourne Cups. His Brothers, Sam & Anthony Freedman trained the 2023 winner, Without A Fight.
This table below honours the Melbourne Cup trainers whose brilliance and dedication have helped drive multiple horses to victory. These all-time Melbourne Cup trainers have etched their names into the storied history of Australia’s premier horse racing event.
| Trainer | Melbourne Cup Wins | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bart Cummings | 12 | 1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2008 |
| Etienne de Mestre | 5 | 1861, 1862, 1867, 1877, 1878 |
| Lee Freedman | 5 | 1989, 1992, 1995, 2004, 2005 |
| Walter Hickenbotham | 4 | 1888, 1890, 1896, 1905 |
| Richard Bradfield | 4 | 1894, 1902, 1918, 1924 |
| John Tait | 4 | 1866, 1868, 1871, 1872 |
| James Scobie | 4 | 1900, 1922, 1923, 1927 |
| Frank McGrath Sr. | 3 | 1909, 1932, 1924 |
| George Hanlon | 3 | 1972, 1978, 1984 |
Melbourne Cup 2024 Trainers FAQ
Melbourne Cup horse trainers are entitled to 10% of the winnings. The total Melbourne Cup prize money for first place is $4,400,000, meaning the trainer gets a tasty $440,000.
Bart Cummings is the Melbourne Cup’s most successful trainer, having an incredible 12 wins.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainers were Sam and Anthony Freedman. They guided Without A Fight to a superb victory at Flemington.
The first female trainer whose horse won the Melbourne Cup was Sheila Laxon. She trained Ethereal, who won in 2001. The only other female trainer to win the Melbourne Cup so far was Gai Waterhouse in 2013. She continues to enter horses in Australia’s biggest race, so seeing her bag another victory would be no surprise.
Chris Waller won his only Melbourne Cup to date in 2021, courtesy of Verry Elleegant.
The confirmed list of horses racing in this year’s Melbourne Cup will be announced on the weekend before this year’s race. You can find the horses which are most likely to contest the Cup on our Melbourne Cup horses page.
