It looks like the Melbourne Cup winner’s prize money in 2025 was around AUD 4.5 million for the winning connections, with the total prize pool at about AUD 10 million for the race. The jockey typically receives about 5% of the prize money, the trainer about 10%, and the remainder goes to owners and other team members, with distributions varying by prize tier (winner, runner-up, etc.). Key figures often cited for 2025 include:
- Total prize pool: AUD 10,000,000
- Winner’s prize: AUD 4,500,000 (some sources show AUD 4.4 million as the winner’s portion, depending on exact breakdowns reported)
- Second place: AUD 1,100,000
- Third place: AUD 550,000
- Fourth: AUD 350,000
- Fifth: AUD 230,000
- Sixth to twelfth: AUD 160,000 each
- Thirteenth to twenty-fourth: AUD 100,000 each
Notes:
- The winning jockey’s share is typically about 5% of the prize money, so around AUD 225,000 to AUD 225,000+ depending on final figures and any additional discretionary payments.
- The trainer’s share is commonly about 10% of prize money awarded to the winning horse, which would be around AUD 440,000 to AUD 450,000.
- The owners usually share the bulk of the remaining prize money, with standard splits often around 85% to the owners, 10% to the trainer, and 5% to the jockey, though exact contracts can vary.
If you’d like, I can look up the precise official breakdown from 2025 race reports or provide a simple exact calculation using the official figures you prefer.
