The A.G. Hunter Cup is a competition in

Harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

. It is contested over 3,000 metres at

Tabcorp Park Tabcorp Park is an Australian horse racing venue situated in Melton, Victoria, Australia; north-west of the Melbourne CBD. It is used for harness racing and is operated by Harness Racing Victoria. Overview Tabcorp Park incorporates a track ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

VIC Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

. It is one of the world's richest handicap standing start events, currently worth A$425,000. The race was formerly staged at Moonee Valley before Victoria's new home of harness racing was opened at

, Melton.

Recent Winners

{, class="wikitable sortable" , border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;" , - style="background:#dacaa5; text-align:center;" ! width="44px" , Year
! width="60px" , Dist.
! width="135px" , Winner
! width="150px" , Trainer
! width="140px" , Driver
! width="60px" , Mile Rate
, - , 2022 , 2760m , King Of Swing , Belinda McCarthy , Luke McCarthy , , - , 2021 , 2760m , Lochinvar Art , David Moran , David Moran , 1:54.8 , - , 2020 , 2760m , King Of Swing (NZ) , C A Cross , G E Hall Jnr , 1:55.4 , - , 2019 , 2760m ,

Tiger Tara Tiger Tara (foaled 23 October 2010) is a New Zealand bred Standardbred racehorse that raced at the very top level in both New Zealand and Australia. He is notable in that he was voted Australian Harness Horse of the Year for the 2019 season and ...

(NZ) , Kevin Pizzuto , Todd McCarthy , 1:53.2 , - , 2018 , 2760m , Lazarus (NZ) ,

Mark Purdon Mark Purdon is a driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with many champions and is one of the leading trainers and drivers of harness horses in New Zealand and Australasia. He was inducted into the Inter D ...

, 1:54.1 , - , 2017 , 3280m ,

Bling It On Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly: expensive and ostentatious possessions" such as grills and designer bags. The term arose as slang, but grew into a cu ...

, J P McCarthy , Luke McCarthy , 1:55.1 , - , 2016 , 3280m , Smolda ,

, 1:57.3 , - , 2015 , 3280m , Arden Rooney (NZ) , Kerryn Manning , Kerryn Manning , 1:58.4 , - , 2014 , 3280m , Christen Me (NZ) , Cran Dalgety , Dexter Dunn , 1:59.2 , - , 2013 , 3280m , Mah Sish (NZ) , Tim Butt ,

Anthony Butt Anthony Butt is a driver of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with champions trotters Lyell Creek and Take A Moment, who, along with many other of his best drives, were trained by his brother Tim. He has won the Dominion H ...

, 1:59.2 , - , 2012 , 3280m , Choise Achiever (NZ) , Tim Butt ,

, 1:59.9 , - , 2011 , 3280m , Stunnin Cullen (NZ) , Tim Butt ,

, 2:01.1 , - , 2010 , 3065m , Bondy (NZ) , David Butt , David Butt , 2:01.7 , - , 2009 , 3065m , Mr Feelgood (USA) , Tim Butt ,

, 1:59.3 , - , 2008 , 3065m ,

Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake is a brown Standardbred gelding that won the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 Inter Dominion Championships, making him the only four-time winner of Australasia's premier harness race. He finished second, beaten by a long neck, in the 2009 ...

Natalie Rasmussen Natalie Clair Rasmussen (born 1977) is a driver and trainer of Standardbred racehorses in Australia and New Zealand. She has been associated with many champions and is one of the leading trainers and drivers of harness horses in Australasia. Bi ...

, 1:58.9 , - , 2007 , 3065m , Sting Lika Bee , Brian Tuddenham , Chris Alford , 2:00.6 , - , 2006 , 3050m , About To Rock , Andy Gath , Kate Thompson (now Gath) , 2:03.0 , - , 2005 , 3050m ,

Elsu Elsu (foaled 19 December 1999) is a black New Zealand bred Standardbred pacer who won the Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit Champion and was twice the New Zealand Horse of the Year. He was sired by Falcon Seelster out of Interchange by New Y ...

(NZ) , Geoff Small , David Butcher , 2:01.9 , -

Previous winners

* 1949 12½f Silver Peak (NSW) fr F. Culbert 2:11.0 * 1950 12½f Amorous (VIC) 24y A. R. Gath 2:11.6 * 1951 12½f Avian Derby (NSW) fr S. W. Bray 2:10.4 * 1952 12½f Floodlight (TAS) fr D. L. Cornish 2:09.4 * 1953 12½f New Oro (VIC) fr J. W. King 2:10.2 * 1954 12½f Ribands (NSW) 48y P. J. Hall 2:08.2 * 1955 12½f Gentleman John (VIC) fr E. J. Rothacker 2:09.6 * 1956 12½f Merchant (SA) 12y W. K. Webster 2:10.0 * 1957 12½f Mineral Spring (NSW) 12y M. Adams 2:09.2 * 1958 14f Radian Venture (SA) 12y F. Connor 2:12.0 * 1959 14f Pay Load (VIC) fr W. A. Hickey 2:14.2 * 1960 14f Sibelia (NSW) 12y M. Adams 2:07.8 * 1961 14f Sheffield Globe (VIC) fr W. Shinn 2:10.2 * 1962 14f Sheffield Globe (VIC) 12y W. Shinn 2:09.6 * 1963 14f Idle Raider (NSW) fr P. J. Ryan 2:10.0 * 1964 14f Minuteman (SA) fr E. R Hurley 2:09.2 * 1965 14f Stormy Bruce (NSW) fr B. J. Forrester 2:08.0 * 1966 14f Minuteman (SA) 12y E. R. Hurley 2:08.8 * 1967 14f Waitaki Hanover (NZ) 24y D. J. Townley 2:06.6 * 1968 14f.36y Bon Adios (SA) fr W. Shinn 2:08.8 * 1969 14f.36y Golden Alley (TAS) fr H. Pullen 2:07.8 * 1970 14f.36y Adios Court (SA) fr C. J. Webster 2:07.0 * 1971 14f.36y Son of Nancy (VIC) fr N. Welsh 2:07.6 * 1972 14f.36y Dixie Boy (NSW) fr J. L. Young 2:09.0 * 1973 14f.36y Monara (VIC) fr D. V. Dove 2:11.0 * 1974 2,851m Monara (VIC) fr D. V. Dove 2:07.9 * 1975 2,851m Royal Gaze (VIC) fr K. Pocock 2:07.5 * 1976 2,851m Truant Armagh (VIC) fr B. Gath 2:10.4 * 1977 2,900m *

Pure Steel Pure Steel is the only pacer to win the A G Hunter Cup, a race over 3,050 metres and the richest handicap race for pacers in the world, three times, in 1977, 1978, and 1980. He was the first Standardbred horse to win A$500,000 in Australia. ...

(WA) fr J. Retzlaff 2:04.6 * 1978 2,800m * Pure Steel (WA) fr T. Demmler 2:01.7 * 1979 2,900m * Hanna's Boy (VIC) fr H. Hocking 2:06.0 * 1980 2,870m * Pure Steel (WA) fr T. Demmler 2:08.3 * 1981 2,870m *

Koala King Koala King was a former champion Australian Standardbred pacing horse of the 1970s and 80s who won a host of Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit and feature races including the 1980 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship at Harold Park Paceway and t ...

(NSW) fr B. Gath 2:04.5 * 1982 2,870m *

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Popular Alm Popular Alm (1976-2000) was an Australian bred Standardbred pacer. He was one of the fastest pacers Australia has produced, running exceptional times over many distances. Popular Alm set a world record for a mile time trial at Moonee Valley on 1 ...

(VIC) fr V. J. Knight 1:59.4 * 1984 2,870m * Rapid Frost (NSW) fr M. Cunningham 2:04.0 * 1985 2,870m *

Preux Chevalier Preux Chevalier (13 September 1978 – 2 June 2007) was a pacer (racing horse) foaled in New Zealand but notable for his racing successes in Australia in 1984 and 1985 including wins in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, Miracle Mile Pace ...

(WA) fr B. Perkins 1:58.5 * 1986 2,380m Village Kid A C Lewis 1:59.4 * 1987 2,380m Trunkey Sting T B Warwick 2:00.8 * 1988 2,380m Sir Reilly V J Knight 1:59.3 * 1989 2,380m Victorys Phil T Mahar 2:00.2 * 1990 2,380m Our Brenray T L O’Sullivan 2:02.3 * 1991 2,380m Odds Torado S D Dove 2:01.0 * 1992 – not run * 1993 2,840m Master Musician R J Dunn 2:02.8 * 1994 3,280m

Blossom Lady Blossom Lady was a leading New Zealand Standardbred racehorse. Affectionately known as "The Bloss" she is most noted for winning the 1992 New Zealand Trotting Cup and New Zealand Free-For-All double. She also won the 1994 and 1995 A G Hunter Cu ...

A M Butt 2:01.1 * 1995 3,280m

A M Butt 2:00.6 * 1996 3,280m Vics Vance B Purdon 2:03.4 * 1997 3,280m Surprise Package A G Herlihy 2:02:4* * 1998 3,280m Try a Fluke Brian Hancock 2:02.5 * 1999 3,280m Paris Affair C A Alford 2:04.3 * 2000 3,020m Yulestar Tony Shaw 2:01.3 * 2001 3,050m Another Party M B Reed 2:01.4 * 2002 3,050m Safe and Sound L J Justice 2:01.9 * 2003 3,050m Mont Denver Gold C A Alford 2:02.6 * 2004 3,050m Mister D G A M Butt 2:03.5

External links

A G Hunter Cup Website
Harness races in Australia Australasian Grand Circuit Races

Recent Winners

Previous winners

See also

External links