What's On, Events & More

Join us at Club Tamborine on Sunday, 1st November 2026 for our annual Melbourne Cup Calcutta!

Enjoy an exciting afternoon featuring the horse draw, a live horse auction, and complimentary finger food.

Event Details

Date: Sunday, 1st November

Time: Horse draw starts from 2:00pm

On Sale Date: Horse slots and raffle tickets go on sale Friday, 9th October

Get Involved

Slots ($100): Guarantees the draw of a horse - 23 available.

Raffle Tickets ($5): Purchase tickets for a chance to draw a horse in the main field.

Prize Pool Distribution

1st Place: 60%

2nd Place: 25%

3rd Place: 10%

Last Place (Past the Post): 5%

How the Calcutta Works

The Calcutta consists of the draw for horses followed by the live auction of each horse in the Melbourne Cup field.

Please see below for full terms and conditions.



Club Tamborine Melbourne Cup Calcutta Terms & Conditions

Organiser: Club Tamborine
Event: Melbourne Cup Calcutta
Calcutta event date: Sunday, 1 November 2026
Horse draw: From 2:00 pm, with the draw commencing at 2:30 pm
Auction: Following the horse draw
Location: Club Tamborine Restaurant

1. General

The Club Tamborine Melbourne Cup Calcutta is conducted subject to these Terms & Conditions and applicable Queensland laws and regulatory requirements.

By purchasing a slot, purchasing raffle tickets, participating in the draw or bidding at the auction, participants agree to comply with these Terms & Conditions.

Club Tamborine reserves the right to administer the Calcutta in accordance with these rules and any applicable regulatory requirements.

2. Securing an Original Horse Ownership Slot

There are 24 horses in the Melbourne Cup Calcutta.

Twenty-three original ownership slots are offered for pre-sale at $100 per slot. Purchasing one of these slots guarantees the purchaser an original ownership position in the Calcutta, subject to payment in full.

Slots may be purchased by individuals or syndicates. Where a slot is purchased by a syndicate, the syndicate is responsible for determining its internal arrangements and appointing a representative to act on its behalf.

All pre-sold slots must be paid for in full to be eligible to participate in the Calcutta.

3. Raffle for the 24th Horse

The remaining original ownership position will be allocated through a raffle.

Raffle tickets are available for $5 each. Every valid ticket purchased provides an entry into the draw for the 24th horse.

All money raised through the raffle will contribute to the Starting Pool.

The raffle will be drawn on Saturday, 31 October 2026. The winner will be notified at approximately 1:00 pm and will become the original owner of the remaining horse, subject to applicable rules and confirmation of eligibility.

The winner should attend the Calcutta at Club Tamborine on Sunday, 1 November 2026.

The Starting Pool will comprise $2,300 from the 23 pre-sold slots, plus all money raised from the raffle for the 24th horse.

4. Horse Draw

Each of the 24 original owners will be allocated a Melbourne Cup horse by drawing a saddlecloth number from the designated draw items.

The draw will take place at Club Tamborine on Sunday, 1 November 2026.

If an original owner is not present when their horse is drawn, an authorised Club Tamborine representative will draw a horse on their behalf.

The draw order and administration of the draw will be managed by Club Tamborine.

5. Auction Process

Following the horse draw, each of the 24 Melbourne Cup horses will be offered for auction.

The order in which horses are auctioned will be determined at the discretion of Club Tamborine.

Bidding is open to eligible people present at the event, subject to applicable laws and the event's requirements.

The highest valid bid accepted by the auctioneer will determine the successful bidder for each horse.

Club Tamborine's authorised representative or auctioneer will manage the bidding process and resolve any bidding irregularities in accordance with these Terms & Conditions and applicable requirements.

6. Auction Payments and Ownership

Where the original owner successfully bids on their own horse:

The original owner must be the highest bidder to retain their horse. They are required to pay 50% of their successful bid amount into the Starting Pool.

Where another bidder successfully bids on the horse:

The successful bidder must pay the full amount of their winning bid. Fifty per cent of the successful bid amount will be added to the Starting Pool, and the remaining 50% will be paid to the original owner of that horse.

The successful bidder then becomes the new owner of that horse for the purposes of the Calcutta and its prize distribution.

All successful auction bids must be settled in full, as applicable under these rules, on the day of the Calcutta.

7. Starting Pool and Prize Pool

The Starting Pool consists of:

• $2,300 from the 23 pre-sold original ownership slots.
• All proceeds from raffle tickets sold for the 24th horse.
• Applicable contributions from successful auction bids, as described in Section 6.

The final prize pool is determined by the Starting Pool and the applicable auction contributions.

The prize pool will be distributed according to the final prize percentages published by Club Tamborine before the draw and auction take place.

The final prize distribution percentages must be confirmed and inserted here before these Terms & Conditions are published.

8. Prize Distribution

Subject to confirmation of the final prize percentages, prizes are intended to be allocated as follows:

• First place: 60% of the prize pool.
• Second place: 25% of the prize pool, subject to confirmation.
• Third place: 10% of the prize pool, subject to confirmation.
• Last place past the post: 5% of the prize pool, subject to confirmation.

The final percentages must total 100% and will be communicated to participants before the draw and auction.

Prizes will be awarded to the applicable horse owner at the conclusion of the Melbourne Cup, in accordance with the published prize distribution and applicable requirements.

9. Late Scratchings and Race Changes

There will be no refund or money-back entitlement for a horse that is scratched from the Melbourne Cup after the Calcutta draw or auction.

Any other circumstances involving race cancellation, postponement, abandonment, a dead heat or a change to the official race result will be handled in accordance with applicable requirements and any event-specific rules communicated by Club Tamborine.

10. Payment Obligations

Participants who purchase an original ownership slot or successfully bid on a horse are responsible for meeting the applicable payment obligations.

Successful auction bids must be paid on the day of the event. Club Tamborine may take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable requirements if a participant fails to meet their payment obligations.

11. Administration and Disputes

Club Tamborine will oversee the administration of the Calcutta, including the horse draw, auction and calculation of the prize pool.

Any dispute concerning the draw, auction, payments or prize distribution should be raised with an authorised Club Tamborine representative as soon as possible.

Club Tamborine will consider disputes fairly and in accordance with these Terms & Conditions and applicable law. These Terms & Conditions do not exclude any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Regulatory Compliance

The Calcutta is subject to applicable Queensland gaming laws and any required approvals or conditions.

Club Tamborine will administer the event in accordance with applicable requirements.

13. Acceptance of Terms

Participation in the Club Tamborine Melbourne Cup Calcutta constitutes acceptance of these Terms & Conditions, subject to applicable law.

For enquiries about the Calcutta, please contact Club Tamborine directly.