Guardian Essential poll: record number of Australians are turning their backs on the Melbourne Cup

Growing disdain for gambling and animal cruelty concerns drive sliding interest in race that once ‘stopped the nation’ Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A record number of Australians are turning their backs on the Melbourne Cup, with more than two-thirds surveyed saying they have low or zero interest in the annual horse race. Support for the Melbourne Cup has been sliding consistently for a number of years, but the Guardian Essential poll found just 9% of Australians said they had high interest in the race now – nearly half the proportion in 2025.

“The race that once stopped the nation is now just white noise for many,” Peter Lewis, chair of Essential Media, said. The Guardian Essential poll of 1,003 Australians in late October highlights the latest erosion in popularity of the event amid growing ambivalence to the event. Just 9% of people said they had high interest in the Cup, down 7 percentage points from 2025,