With a huge field and massive pools, the Melbourne Cup trifecta and first four dividends can pay astronomical dividends.

MORE: Punters full Melbourne Cup day Selections 

For example, last year’s trifecta paid $22,576.80 on S-TAB thanks to Knight’s Choice saluting at $81. The first four paid an eye-watering $728,015.

READ: Melbourne Cup 2025 runner-by-runner preview, tips and $100 betting strategy

Below is how we are tackling the 2025 Melbourne Cup exotics.

BEST WINNING CHANCES

24. VALIANT KING

2. BUCKAROO

1. AL RIFFA

Valiant King (24) is a completely different horse to the one we saw in last year’s Cup but he stays down on 51kg. He looks well-placed to turn the tables on Half Yours from the Caulfield Cup given the weights. Barrier 10 allows him to secure a nice trail on the outside of runners without having to go right back to the rear. Buckaroo (2) was excellent in the Cox Plate, which has been a great reference for this since Green Moon back in 2012. His effort in this race last year was better than it looks on paper. Al Riffa (1) is the obvious class runner but he has to lump 59kg. If any horse is built to carry this sort of impost it is him – he’s a beast.

BEST ROUGHIES

4. VAUBAN

23. TORRANZINO

He’s been a thorn in the side of punters but the wet track helps Vauban and he’s at least three times the price he’s started in the last two Melbourne Cups. Torranzino is racing in career-best form and he handles all surfaces. He doesn’t appear to have the class to be winning but could spice up exotics at upwards of $34.

MORE: Melbourne Cup Horses – Profiles for all 24 runners!

SKINNY TRIFECTA

2, 24

1, 2, 6, 14, 21, 24

1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 21, 23, 24

$50 = 62.5%

WIDE TRIFECTA

1, 2, 24

1, 2, 6, 14, 21, 24

1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24

$100 = 55.56%

SKINNY FIRST FOUR

2, 24

1, 2, 6, 14, 21, 24

1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 21, 23, 24

1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24

$50 = 5.68%

WIDE FIRST FOUR

1, 2, 24

1, 2, 6, 14, 21, 24

1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 21, 23, 24

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

$100 = 6.41%