What jockey weight is best to win the Melbourne Cup?

Makybe Diva Glen Boss
Makybe Diva stands alone as the greatest Melbourne Cup horse, having won it three times.

When looking into who will win the Melbourne Cup there are plenty of factors to play, one of these being what jockey weight has won the most Melbourne Cups. Here at HorseBetting we have put together a table of all Melbourne Cup wins by weight to help you narrow down on who will win the 2023 Melbourne Cup.

Heaviest weight carried by a Melbourne Cup winner

By far the biggest weight for a Melbourne Cup winner was Carbine’s 10st 5lb in 1890, which translates to about 65.8kg in the new money. The Barb lugged a whopping 73kg back in the 1869 Melbourne Cup but failed to make the places, while Phar Lap hauled 68kg when running eighth in 1931.

Since the turn of the millennium, Makybe Diva’s 58kg effort in 2005 is comfortably the biggest weight for a Melbourne Cup winner. That is also the biggest winning weight carried by a mare in the history of the great race.

The last top weight to win was the 2022 Melbourne Cup when Gold Trip with 57.5kg.

Lightest weight carried by a Melbourne Cup winner

The lightest weight carried by a Melbourne Cup winner was on Banker in 1863 with Sam Waldock riding at 33.5kg.

As of March 2016 the new weight scale came into affect which means the lightest we will ever see a jockey ride in the Melbourne Cup again is 50kg, with that being said the last time a horse won at 50kg was in 1999 when Rogan Josh won with John Marshall on his back.

Who is the top weight in the 2023 Melbourne Cup?

James McDonald will carry the heaviest weight of 58.5kg as he tries to steer Gold Trip to his second Melbourne Cup win.

Who is the lightest weight in the 2023 Melbourne Cup?

Jamie Kah will carry the lightest weight at 50.5kg as she tries to steer More Felons to victory.

2023 Melbourne Cup Jockey Weights

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds
1 Silks
Gold Trip
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
James McDonald
2
58.5kg
+340
2 Silks
Alenquer
Michael Moroney
Damien Oliver
9
56.5kg
+5000
3 Silks
Without A Fight
Anthony & Sam Freedman
Mark Zahra
16
56.5kg
+600
4 Silks
Breakup
Tatsuya Yoshioka
Kohei Matsuyama
18
55kg
+1700
5 Silks
Vauban
Willie Mullins
Ryan Moore
3
55kg
+240
6 Silks
Soulcombe
Chris Waller
Joao Moreira
4
53.5kg
+1000
7 Silks
Absurde
Willie Mullins
Zac Purton
8
53kg
+2200
8 Silks
Right You Are
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
John Allen
15
53kg
+7000
9 Silks
Vow And Declare
Danny O’Brien
Billy Egan
19
53kg
+3000
10 Silks
Cleveland
Kris Lees
Michael Dee
23
52kg
+2600
11 Silks
Ashrun
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Kerrin McEvoy
11
51.5kg
+4000
12 Silks
Daqiansweet Junior
Phillip Stokes
Daniel Stackhouse
12
51.5kg
+9000
13 Silks
Okita Soushi
Joseph O’Brien
Dylan Gibbons
20
51.5kg
+7000
14 Silks
Sheraz
Chris Waller
Beau Mertens
22
51.5kg
+12500
15 Silks
Lastotchka
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
Craig Williams
21
51kg
+2500
16 Silks
Magical Lagoon
Chris Waller
Mark Du Plessis
7
51kg
+9000
17 Silks
Military Mission
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Rachel King
5
51kg
+4500
18 Silks
Serpentine
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Jye McNeil
1
51kg
+6000
19 Silks
Virtuous Circle
Liam Howley
Craig Newitt
6
51kg
+9000
20 Silks
More Felons
Chris Waller
Jamie Kah
24
50.5kg
+3000
21 Silks
Future History
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Hollie Doyle
13
50kg
+2600
22 Silks
Interpretation
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Teo Nugent
17
50kg
+6000
23 Silks
Kalapour
Kris Lees
Zac Lloyd
14
50kg
+5000
24 Silks
True Marvel
Matthew Smith
Ben Thompson
10
50kg
+15000

Most popular weights to win the Melbourne Cup from 2000 onwards

Since 2000 the most popular weights to win the Melbourne Cup are 54.5kg, 52kg and 51kg, with all of them sitting at three wins out of the 23 races.

Melbourne Cup wins by weight of jockey

Weight Wins Last win
Under 50kg 59 2000
50kg 4 1999
50.5kg 4 1978
51kg 9 2018
51.5kg 4 2017
52kg 8 2019
52.5kg 8 1985
53kg 9 2015
53.5kg 3 2012
54kg 3 1989
54.5kg 8 2011
55kg 5 2013
55.5kg 5 2020
56kg 7 2006
56.5kg 3 2014
57kg 3 2021
57.5kg 2 2022
58kg 3 2005
Over 58kg 14 1975

List of Melbourne Cup winners since 2000

Melbourne Cup Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer Weight
2022 Gold Trip Mark Zahra Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 57.5kg
2021 Verry Elleegant James McDonald Chris Waller 57kg
2020 Twilight Payment Jye McNeil Joseph O’Brien 55.5kg
2019 Vow And Declare Craig Williams Danny O’Brien 52kg
2018 Cross Counter Kerrin McEvoy Charlie Appleby 51kg
2017 Rekindling Corey Brown Joseph O’Brien 51.5kg
2016 Almandin Kerrin McEvoy Robert Hickmott 52kg
2015 Prince of Penzance Oppie Bosson Murray Baker 56.5kg
2014 Protectionist Ryan Moore Andreas Wohler 56.5kg
2013 Fiorente Damien Oliver Gai Waterhouse 55kg
2012 Green Moon Brett Prebble Robert Hickmott 53.5kg
2011 Dunaden Christophe Lemaire Mikel Delzangles 54.5kg
2010 Americain Gerald Mosse Alain de Royer Dupre 54.5kg
2009 Shocking Corey Brown Mark Kavanagh 51kg
2008 Viewed Blake Shinn Bart Cummings 53kg
2007 Efficient Michael Rodd Graeme Rogerson 54.5kg
2006 Delta Blues Yasunari Iwata Katsuhiko Sumi 56kg
2005 Makybe Diva Glenn Boss Lee Freedman 58kg
2004 Makybe Diva Glenn Boss Lee Freedman 55.5kg
2003 Makybe Diva Glenn Boss David Hall 51kg
2002 Media Puzzle Damien Oliver Dermot K Weld 52.5kg
2001 Ethereal Scott Seamer Sheila Laxon 52kg
2000 Brew Kerrin McEvoy Michael MoroneyMichael Moroney 49kg

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