Melbourne Cup: most Australians have little or no interest in ‘race that stops the nation’, Essential poll finds

Irish-trained horse Absurde after early morning track work a day before the Melbourne Cup, 6 November 2023. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Punters are switching off the Melbourne Cup, with a majority of Australians reporting they have little or no interest in what was once “the race that stops the nation”.

According to the latest Essential poll of 1,049 voters, just 11% reported a “high interest” in the Melbourne Cup, down five points from when the question was asked before the 2022 race.