Melbourne Cup maths for Years 3 to 6
Cup Day is a public holiday in Victoria and a talking point in classrooms everywhere else, so it makes a good hook for real-world maths. These two free printable booklets use the race distance, a race-day timetable, a picnic menu and some made-up training data for distance, time, money and statistics practice. There is no betting in them: no odds, no sweeps and no picking winners.
A note on keeping it inclusive
Many schools no longer run class sweeps, and some families have concerns about gambling or about horse racing itself. The maths here stands on its own as a race-day data and timetable lesson, so it works whatever your school's approach to Cup Day is. The hat parade and fundraising stall pages suit a whole-school celebration without any racing at all.
Melbourne Cup facts for the classroom
- The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. In 2026 that is Tuesday 3 November. Source: timeanddate.com, Melbourne Cup Day
- The first Melbourne Cup was run at Flemington on 7 November 1861. Source: Australian Geographic, On this day: the Melbourne Cup begins
- The race is 3200 metres long. It was first run over two miles, and became 3200 m when Australia moved to metric units. Source: eMelbourne, The Encyclopedia of Melbourne (University of Melbourne)
- Cup Day was declared a public holiday in metropolitan Melbourne in 1877, and in 2008 the holiday was extended across Victoria (some regional areas choose a different local holiday instead). Source: Australian Geographic; timeanddate.com
Years 3 and 4
Metres and kilometres, a race-day timetable in am and pm, a picnic menu in dollars and cents, and a hat parade tally.
4 pages · 19 questions · 3 editions
Years 5 and 6
Fractions and percentages of 3200 m, 24-hour timetables, a fundraising stall, and comparing decimal training times.
4 pages · 19 questions · 3 editions
The 3200 m race
The Melbourne Cup is 3200 metres long.
Metres in the race
AC9M3N03 · AC9M4N06Use the race distance to answer each question.
- 1.The Melbourne Cup is 3200 m long. A horse has run 1600 m. How many metres are left?
- 2.How many metres is half of the 3200 m race?
- 3.At school, Tom's class runs a Cup Day relay. Each lap of the oval is 400 m. How far is 3 laps?
- 4.The Melbourne Cup is 3200 m long. A horse has run 400 m. How many metres are left?
- 5.How many metres is a quarter of the 3200 m race?
- 6.At school, Ruby's class runs a Cup Day relay. Each lap of the oval is 400 m. How far is 2 laps?
Race-day timetable
Reading the timetable
AC9M3M03 · AC9M4M03Use the timetable to answer each question.
Race-day timetable (made up for practice)
| Race | Start time |
|---|---|
| Race 1 | 11:00 am |
| Race 2 | 11:45 am |
| Race 3 | 12:30 pm |
| Race 4 | 1:05 pm |
| Race 5 | 1:40 pm |
| Race 6 | 2:15 pm |
| Race 7 | 2:55 pm |
- 1.How long is it from the start of Race 3 to the start of Race 4?
- 2.Race 2 starts 20 minutes late. What time does it start?
- 3.Tom's family wants to arrive 1 hour before Race 3. What time should they arrive?
- 4.How long is it from the start of Race 2 to the start of Race 3?
- 5.Race 5 starts 15 minutes late. What time does it start?
Cup Day picnic
Class picnic
AC9M3N06 · AC9M4N08Use the menu prices.
Class Cup Day picnic menu
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Sausage in bread | $3.50 |
| Slice of fairy bread | $1.50 |
| Bottle of water | $2.00 |
| Cup of lemonade | $2.75 |
| Cheese sandwich | $4.25 |
| Muffin | $3.20 |
- 1.Noah buys a cheese sandwich and a bottle of water. How much is that altogether?
- 2.Leo buys a cheese sandwich and a slice of fairy bread and pays with a $10 note. How much change does Leo get?
- 3.Priya buys a cup of lemonade and a sausage in bread. How much is that altogether?
- 4.Jack buys a cup of lemonade and a sausage in bread and pays with a $10 note. How much change does Jack get?
Hat parade
Hat parade votes
AC9M3ST01 · AC9M4ST03Use the table of votes.
Hat parade: votes for the best hat design
| Hat design | Votes |
|---|---|
| Flowers | 5 |
| Horses | 3 |
| Feathers | 10 |
| Ribbons | 4 |
| Recycled bits | 6 |
- 1.Which hat design got the most votes?
- 2.How many more votes did Feathers get than Horses?
- 3.How many votes were cast altogether?
- 4.How many votes did Feathers and Recycled bits get together?
Years 3 and 4 curriculum codes
- AC9M3N03 Add and subtract to three digits
- AC9M4N06 Efficient computation strategies
- AC9M3M03 Units of time and duration
- AC9M4M03 Duration, am and pm
- AC9M3N06 Model practical problems
- AC9M4N08 Model money and number problems
- AC9M3ST01 Collect and record data in tables
- AC9M4ST03 Conduct data investigations
Codes and titles from the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Mathematics, paraphrased in our own words. © ACARA, licensed CC BY 4.0.
Years 5 and 6 curriculum codes
- AC9M5N04 Percentages of a whole
- AC9M6M01 Convert metric units
- AC9M5M03 12 and 24 hour time
- AC9M6M03 Timetables and itineraries
- AC9M6N04 Add and subtract decimals
- AC9M6ST01 Compare data sets
- AC9M5N09 Model money and number problems
- AC9M6N09 Model rational number problems
Codes and titles from the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Mathematics, paraphrased in our own words. © ACARA, licensed CC BY 4.0.
Need a different mix?
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Melbourne Cup maths FAQ
Is there any betting in these worksheets?
No. There are no odds, sweeps, tipping or picking winners anywhere in the pack. The maths uses the race distance, a made-up race-day timetable, a class picnic menu, a hat parade vote and made-up horses' training times.
Are the horses real?
No. Every horse name in the data tables is made up on purpose, so the tables can never be read as form guides. The race facts on this page (the date, the venue and the 3200 m distance) are real and sourced.
Which year levels is it for?
There are two booklets. Years 3 and 4 covers the race distance, am and pm timetables, money and a simple vote tally. Years 5 and 6 covers fractions and percentages of 3200 m, 24-hour time, comparing decimal times and a fundraising stall.
Is the answer key correct?
Yes. Every answer is computed from the numbers in the question or the table it refers to, and automated tests re-check each one. Nothing is typed by hand or written by AI.
When is the Melbourne Cup in 2026?
Tuesday 3 November 2026. It is always the first Tuesday in November.