It's great to see your horse leading in the Melbourne Cup but the smart runners will be keeping back in the pack.

Researchers have found that a jockey can save huge amounts of his horse's energy by smart slipstreaming.

High-tech wind tunnel tests at RMIT University have found that a jockey that slipstreams alongside or behind another horse can cut the energy his steed has to expend by up to 66 per cent.

Professor Franz Fuss said slipstreaming is a common tactic in cycling, and jockeys use the same principle to keep horses fresh for a final burst.

Our research for the first time quantifies how much drag is reduced through different slipstreaming tactics in a horse race," he said.

Research using 10cm high horse-and-jockey models showed two horses in front of one horse cut drag on the trailing horse by 66 per cent.

When four horses run one after another, the tailender has 54 per cent less drag.

But when five horses run side by side, the drag on the centre horse increases by 25 per cent.

Professor Fuss said punters should keep the findings in mind during the Cup carnival.

Unfortunately, by the time you see how the horses are running it will be too late to get a bet on.