2018 Melbourne Cup for careless riding on the undercard at Flemington. 2018 Melbourne Cup The 2018 Melbourne Cup (known commercially as 2018 Lexus Melbourne Cup) was the 158th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race was run over on 6 November 2018 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Lexus commenced a five year naming rights sponsorship deal, taking over from Emirates. It was the last Melbourne Cup broadcast by the Seven Network before Network Ten takes over in 2019. The race was won by Cross Counter, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy and trained by Charlie Appleby. Irish colt The
Australian Cup Australian Cup The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carnival. Total prize money for the race is A$1,500,000. The race was once Australia's premier long distance race, raced at a distance of 18 furlongs (3621m) - thus, longer than the Melbourne Cup. In 1943 the race was shortened to 17 furlongs 110 yards to allow the race to be started from the top