Lead up races to the Melbourne Cup have been relatively standard for a long time, and trainers have developed "proven" lead up race patterns for their horses.
However with the advent of the European horses, differing approaches have occurred.
Below is a list of the major lead up races and trail followed by previous Melbourne Cup winners.
Media Puzzle (2002) won the Geelong Cup at his first Australian Start as did Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).
Twilight Payment (2020) was first up in Australia in that campaign but ran in the prior year's Cup.
| Year | Cup winner | Mackinnon (doesn't apply now) | Archer | MV Cup | Cox Plate | Caulfield Cup | Herbert Power |
| 2023 | Without A Fight | Won | |||||
| 2022 | Gold Trip | Unp | Pl | ||||
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant | Pl | |||||
| 2020 | Twilight Payment | ||||||
| 2019 | Vow And Declare | Pl | |||||
| 2018 | Cross Counter | ||||||
| 2017 | Rekindling | ||||||
| 2016 | Almandin | ||||||
| 2015 | Prince Of Penzance | Pl | Unp | ||||
| 2014 | Protectionist | Unp | |||||
| 2013 | Fiorente | Pl | |||||
| 2012 | Green Moon | Unp | |||||
| 2011 | Dunaden | ||||||
| 2010 | Americain | ||||||
| 2009 | Shocking | Won | Pl | ||||
| 2008 | Viewed | Unp | Unp | ||||
| 2007 | Efficient | Unp | |||||
| 2006 | Delta Blues | Pl | |||||
| 2005 | Makybe Diva | Won | |||||
| 2004 | Makybe Diva | Pl | |||||
| 2003 | Makybe Diva | Unp | |||||
| 2002 | Media Puzzle | ||||||
| 2001 | Ethereal | Won | |||||
| 2000 | Brew | Won | Pl | ||||
| 1999 | Rogan Josh | Won | Unp | Won | |||
| 1998 | Jezabeel | Unp | |||||
| 1997 | Might And Power | Won | |||||
| 1996 | Saintly | Won | |||||
| 1995 | Doriemus | Won | |||||
| 1994 | Jeune | Pl | Unp | ||||
| 1993 | Vintage Crop | ||||||
| 1992 | Subzero | Unp | Unp | ||||
| 1991 | Let's Elope | Won | Won | ||||
| 1990 | Kingston Rule | Pl | Won | ||||
| 1989 | Tawrrific | Unp | Pl | Unp | |||
| 1988 | Empire Rose | Won | |||||
| 1987 | Kensei | Unp | Pl | ||||
| 1986 | At Talaq | Won | Pl | ||||
| 1985 | What A Nuisance | Unp | Unp | ||||
| 1984 | Black Knight | Pl | |||||
| 1983 | Kiwi | ||||||
| 1982 | Gurners Lane | Pl | Pl | Won | |||
| 1981 | Just A Dash | Unp | Unp | Unp | |||
| 1980 | Beldale Ball | Unp | Unp | Pl | |||
| 1979 | Hyperno | Unp | Unp | ||||
| 1978 | Arwon | Unp | Pl | Won | |||
| 1977 | Gold And Black | Pl | Unp | ||||
| 1976 | Van Der Hum | Unp | Pl | Won | |||
| 1975 | Think Big | Unp | |||||
| 1974 | Think Big | Won | Unp | ||||
| 1973 | Gala Supreme | Pl | Won | ||||
| 1972 | Piping Lane | Pl | |||||
| 1971 | Silver Knight | Pl | Unp | ||||
| 1970 | Baghdad Note | Unp | Pl | Pl |
The two most successful lead up races in recent times have been the Mackinnon Stakes and the Caulfield Cup who between them have "produced" 29 of the last 54 Melbourne Cup winners. Since the Mackinnon Stakes has moved to the final day of the carnival, this is not relevant now.
History shows most Melbourne Cup runners also race in the Caulfield Cup. 24 of the last 54 Cup winners have done so. However there was none between Viewed in 2008 and Vow And Declare in 2019. Gold Trip ran in the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate before winning at Flemington. Then Without A Fight did the double.
Some haven't come through the main lead ups. Those winners include Twilight Payment, Cross Counter, Rekindling, Protectionist, Dunaden, Americain, Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle from Europe and Verry Elleegant, Fiorente, Green Moon, Efficient, Saintly and Makybe Diva (2005) came through the Cox Plate. Almandin was a locally trained runner who had a month between runs.
In fact Green Moon and Fiorente had exactly the same lead up races. Memsie/Dato Tan Chin Nam/Turnbull/Cox Plate before running at Flemington.
