Jockey earnings from winning the Melbourne Cup are typically 5% of the race prize money, plus a riding fee for the day. For the 2025 Melbourne Cup, the winner’s purse was about $4.5 million, which means the winning jockey’s share is about $225,000. The jockey also receives a riding fee for the day, which is a much smaller amount (often a few hundred dollars). In addition, the trainer collects roughly 10% of the prize money ($450,000 in 2025), and the owner(s) receive the remainder. Key points:

• Jockey share: approximately 5% of the winner’s prize money, around $225,000 for 2025 [Melbourne Cup 2025 prize money context].

• Riding fee: a separate, smaller payment for steering the horse on race day (variable) [Melbourne Cup payout details].

• Trainer share: about 10% of prize money, around $450,000 for 2025.

• Total prize pool: in excess of $10 million with the winner taking roughly $4.5 million, distributed among connections.

If you’d like, I can confirm exact figures from the latest official sources for 2025 and break down the payments by winner, runner-up, and other placings.