{
  "id": 17804927,
  "title": "Guardian Essential poll: record number of Australians are turning their backs on the Melbourne Cup",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/guardian-essential-poll-record-number-of-australians-are-turning",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T14:00:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/nov/03/melbourne-cup-2026-poll-record-numbers-turn-their-backs"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A record number of Australians are losing interest in the Melbourne Cup, with a new poll revealing more than two-thirds expressing low or zero enthusiasm for the annual horse race. Support for the event has been declining steadily over the years, but the Guardian Essential poll revealed that only 9% of respondents now have a high interest in the race, down 7 percentage points from 2025. Another 23% display moderate interest, also down 3 points.\n\nThe survey, conducted in late October, indicates a significant shift in attitudes towards the Cup. While 39% of participants stated they had no interest at all in the race, up 8 points from last year, the combined high and moderate interest now totals just 32%, the lowest on record since Essential began polling on this topic in November 2022.\n\nIn November 2022, the combined low and no interest vote stood at 52%, but it has climbed to its highest recorded level of 68% this year. A poll conducted in 2019 found that 78% of Australians agreed the Melbourne Cup was a unique part of Australia's national identity, a figure that has since fallen to a strong majority view of 50%.\n\nGrowing concerns about gambling and animal cruelty have contributed to the erosion of the Cup's popularity. A majority of Australians (62%) still believe the event is an integral part of Australia's national identity, though this percentage has also declined since 2019. Half of respondents (50%) now believe the Cup promotes unhealthy gambling behavior, up from 47% in 2025, while 36% feel the Cup normalizes animal cruelty, down from 39% in 2025.\n\nAbout half of the participants (50%) admitted they were less interested in the Cup than they used to be. In October's poll, just 12% of voters said they regularly wager on horse races and would bet on the Melbourne Cup, a 5-point decline from 2025. Conversely, 46% of people stated they have no interest in the Cup and would not place a bet, up 6 points from the previous year. An additional 25% reported rarely betting on horses but would watch the race and place a bet, while 17% said they would watch but not bet.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "67% of Australians show low or zero interest in Melbourne Cup",
    "Interest in Cup has declined 7 percentage points from 2025",
    "68% believe Cup normalizes animal cruelty, up from 39%"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}