How it works
1. Set it up
The horses box comes prefilled with Horse 1 through Horse 24, because the real field isn't confirmed until the Saturday before the race. Two ways to run it: draw now with numbers and match them to the printed field on the day — every paper and the VRC site carry it — or hold off until the declarations and paste the actual names in. Short field this year? Delete a few lines.
2. Draw
Paste everyone's names and hit draw. The shuffle uses your browser's cryptographic randomness — nobody can rig it, including us. Fewer people than horses is the normal state of a Cup sweep: names cycle fairly, so everyone draws the same number of horses, give or take one. Ten people, twenty-four horses, plenty to yell about at 3pm.
3. Share the link
You get two links: a share link that shows everyone the drawn board, and an organiser link that lets you re-draw or delete. Bookmark the organiser one — there are no accounts, so the link is the only key. The shared page prints cleanly for the tea-room fridge.
Want the conventions in full — pot splits, scratchings, entry etiquette? See the Cup sweep rules, or grab the printable sheet if your office insists on scissors.
FAQ
Is it actually free?
Yes. No account, no trial, no card. It's a small tool, not a platform.
How many people do we need?
Anywhere from two to twenty-four. Fewer people than horses is how a Cup sweep is meant to work — everyone just draws more than one. More than 24 and someone misses out, so run a second sweep for the overflow.
What about scratchings?
Agree the house rule before the race, while everyone's still friends. The usual options: a scratched horse's holder gets their money back, scratchings share last place's prize, or the whole board gets re-drawn once the final field is locked in. If you go the re-draw route, the organiser link has a button for it — one click, no whiteboard.
Does it handle money?
No — deliberately. Collect the gold coins however your office always has. This just does the drawing and the remembering.
Can I print it?
The drawn board prints cleanly on one page — open the shared link and hit print. If you were searching for a printable sweep template to cut into 24 bits of paper: this is the same thing, minus the scissors.
When is the Melbourne Cup?
The first Tuesday in November — 3 November 2026 — jumping at 3pm AEDT. The final field of 24 is declared the Saturday before.
Grand Final sweep?
September's covered too — the margin sweep works the same way.