Breaking News
Guardian Essential poll: record number of Australians are turning their backs on the Melbourne Cup
The Guardian World
Monday 02 November 2026, 14:00 UTC
By Josh Butler
1 min read
Key Points
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 podcastA 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...
Growing disdain for gambling and animal cruelty concerns drive sliding interest in race that once ‘stopped the nation’
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.
Continue reading...
Originally published by The Guardian World
Read original →
