The Melbourne Cup winner’s prize money for 2025 was $4.5 million, out of a total prize pool of $10 million. The remainder is distributed among the other placings and eligible allocations.

Details:

• 1st place: $4.5 million (winner’s share; totals can vary slightly by source due to prize pool breakdown nuances)

• 2nd place: around $1.1 million

• 3rd place: around $550,000

• 4th place: around $350,000

• 5th place: around $230,000

• 6th–12th: around $160,000 each

• 13th–24th: around $100,000 each (varies by year)

Context and confirmations:

• The 2023–2025 Melbourne Cup prize pool has trended around $8–$10 million in the recent years, with 2025 listed at $10 million total and $4.5 million to the winner by multiple outlets.

• Reports from 2025 coverage emphasize the winner’s prize to the owners and that the jockey typically receives a smaller, standard percentage of the prize money, with the majority directed to connections (owners, trainers) and prize distribution to places.

If you’d like, I can pull the exact official breakdown from an authoritative source for 2025 and present it in a clean table.