Jockeys typically earn a fixed percentage of the Melbourne Cup prize money, not the entire purse. For the 2025 race, the standard arrangement is that the winning jockey receives 5% of the winner’s prize money, plus a smaller fixed fee for taking the ride. Direct answer for 2025:

• Winning jockey prize (5% of the winner’s share): about $225,000.
• Total prize money for the winner: around $4.5 million.
• Other connections (trainer, owners, etc.) receive their respective shares from the total purse.

Notes:

• The exact figures can vary slightly by year due to adjustments in the prize pool and any supplementary awards, but the 5% figure for the jockey is the typical arrangement for Melbourne Cup winning rides.
• Other placings have their own prize money scales (e.g., second, third, etc.), with the winner’s amount representing a large portion of the overall purse.

If you’d like, I can pull the latest year-specific breakdown for 2025 from official or major racing outlets to confirm the exact numbers.