The Australian Cup is a

Victoria Racing Club The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup ...

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse race for horses three years old and older, held under

Weight for Age {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. History The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rou ...

conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse,

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 ...

, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carnival. Total prize money for the race is A$1,500,000.

History

The race was once Australia's premier long distance race, raced at a distance of 18 furlongs (3621m) - thus, longer than the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

. In 1943 the race was shortened to 17 furlongs 110 yards to allow the race to be started from the top of Flemington's famous Straight Six, to have bigger fields. The VRC in the early 1960s shortened the distance to miles to attract classier middle distance gallopers. Stakes were increased from $1 million to $1.5 million in 2016.

1954 racebook

File:1954 VRC Australian Cup P1.jpg, Front cover of the 1954 VRC Australian Cup racebook. File:1954 VRC Australian Cup P2.jpg, 1954 Australian Cup showing raceday officials. File:1954 VRC Australian Cup P3.jpg, Starters and results of the 1954 Australian Cup showing the winner, Sunish. File:1954 VRC Australian Cup P4.jpg, Starters and results of the 1954 Australian Cup. File:1954 VRC Australian Cup P5.jpg, Starters and results of the 1954 Australian Cup.

Distance

* 1863–1942 - miles (~3627m) * 1943–1962 – 2 miles furlongs (~3528m) * 1963 - miles (~2821m) * 1964–1972 - miles (~2015m) * 1973 onwards - 2000 metres

Conditions

* 1863–1978 - Handicap * 1978–1981 - Weight for Age * 1982–1986 - Handicap * 1987 onwards - Weight for Age

Grade

* 1863–1979 - Principal Race * 1979 onwards - Group 1

Venue

In 2007 the race was run at

Caulfield Racecourse Caulfield Racecourse Reserve is located nine kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, on the boundary of Caulfield and Caulfield East in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs. The Reserve was set aside for three purposes, racing, recreation and a publ ...

due to refurbishment work at Flemington Racecourse.

Records

Makybe Diva won this race in 2005 in the Australian record time of 1:58:73, which beat

Northerly Northerly (17 October 1996 – 9 May 2012) was an Australian racehorse who is considered arguably Australia's best middle distance Thoroughbred horse of the early 2000s. Northerly, trained by Western Australian harness racing legend Fred Kers ...

's previous record. The most successful trainer has been

Bart Cummings James Bartholomew Cummings (14 November 1927 – 30 August 2015), also known by his initials J. B. Cummings, was one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He was known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as he w ...

with thirteen wins – 1968, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2008. The most successful jockey is Tom Hales who won the Australian Cup eight times – Lurline (1875), Richmond (1876), Savanaka (1879), Navigator (1883), Morpeth (1884), Trident (1887), Carlyon (1888), Dreadnought (1890).

Winners

* 2022 - Duais * 2021 - Homesman * 2020 - Fifty Stars * 2019 -

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

* 2018 -

* 2017 - Humidor * 2016 - Preferment * 2015 - Spillway * 2014 -

Fiorente Fiorente (foaled 2008) is a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland and trained in Australia. When racing in Europe, he showed high-class form, winning the Princess of Wales's Stakes in 2012. He had greater success when campaigned in Australia, ...

* 2013 - Super Cool * 2012 - Manighar * 2011 - Shocking * 2010 - Zipping * 2009 - Niconero * 2008 -

Sirmione Sirmione ( Brescian: ; vec, Sirmion) is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (northern Italy). It is bounded by Desenzano del Garda ( Lombardy) and Peschiera del Garda in the province of Verona and the region of Veneto. It has a h ...

* 2007 - Pompeii Ruler * 2006 -

Roman Arch Roman Arch who was an Australian bred racehorse that was foaled in 1998. (Another Roman Arch was foaled in 1995 in New Zealand.) Roman Arch was most famous for winning the 2006 Australian Cup at the odds of 60/1 with the TAB. His other grou ...

* 2005 - Makybe Diva * 2004 - Lonhro * 2003 -

* 2002 - Old Comrade * 2001 -

* 2000 - Intergaze * 1999 - Istidaad * 1998 -

Dane Ripper Dane Ripper is an Australian Thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Bart Cummings, she is best known for her win in the 1997 Cox Plate when ridden by Damien Oliver Damien Oliver (born 22 June 1972) is an Australian thoroughbred racing jockey. ...

* 1997 -

Octagonal In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, w ...

* 1996 -

Saintly Saintly (21 September 1992 – 16 December 2016) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1997. A giant chestnut gelding by Sky Chase out of All Grace (by Sir Tristram), he was bred by his tr ...

* 1995 - Starstruck * 1994 - Durbridge * 1993 -

Veandercross Veandercross (14 October 1988 – 18 October 2014) was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred gelding who won 14 stakes races, (including eight Group one), and was chosen Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the 1992–93 season. Veandercros ...

* 1992 -

Let's Elope Let's Elope (20 November 1987 – 11 September 2016) was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Australia. Background Bred by Highview Stud in Hamilton, New Zealand, Let's Elope was a giant chestnut mare who in 1991 became the first mare ...

* 1991 - Better Loosen Up * 1990 -

Vo Rogue Vo Rogue (12 Nov 1983 - 7 May 2012) was an Australian Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by American-bred Ivor Prince whose racing career ended from injury after just two starts. Ivor Prince was a son of the British cham ...

* 1989 -

* 1988 - Dandy Andy * 1987 -

Bonecrusher Bonecrusher may refer to: * Bone crusher, a machine used to crush animal bones * Bonecrusher (horse), a New Zealand racehorse * Bonecrusher (Transformers), a fictional robot supervillain character in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. * ...

* 1986 - Playful Princess * 1985 - Noble Peer * 1984 - Admiral Lincoln * 1983 - Spectrum * 1982 - Kip * 1981 -

Hyperno Hyperno (1973–2002) was a Thoroughbred racehorse foaled in New Zealand. He was a wayward but brilliant galloper that won the Melbourne Cup and other group and listed races. He was sired by Rangong (GB) out of Mikarla (NZ) by Persian Garden II ...

* 1980 -

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

* 1979 -

Dulcify Dulcify (14 October 1975– 6 November 1979) was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. His British-bred sire was the 1970 Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, Decies (GB), a grandson of Pharis (FR), the very important French sire whom ''Thoroughb ...

* 1978 -

* 1977 - Ngawyni * 1976 - Lord Dudley * 1975 - Leilani * 1974 - Bush Win * 1973 - Gladman * 1972 - Jan's Beau * 1971 - Gay Icarus * 1970 - Crewman * 1969 - †Yootha / Cyron * 1968 - Arctic Coast * 1967 -

Bore Head Bore Head was one of Queensland's best staying Thoroughbred racehorses with wins in five cups, the Ipswich, Queensland, Caulfield, Australian and Doomben. He was a bay colt foaled in 1959 by Double Bore (GB), his dam, Mauna Kea was by Brimstone ...

* 1966 - Craftsman * 1965 - Craftsman * 1964 - Grand Print * 1963 - Welkin Prince * 1962 - Welkin Prince * 1961 - Dream King * 1960 - Illoura * 1959 - Gaybao * 1958 - Dream Son * 1957 - Miss High Caste * 1956 - Pushover * 1955 - Hellion * 1954 - Sunish * 1953 - Arbroath * 1952 - Murray Glen * 1951 - Bold Belle * 1950 - Bold John * 1949 - New Cashmere * 1948 - Bannerette * 1947 - Sydney James * 1946 - Knockarlow * 1945 - Spectre * 1944 - Similar * 1943 - Taramoa * 1942 - Wise Counsel * 1941 - Saul * 1940 - Indignity * 1939 - Pageant * 1938 - Marauder * 1937 - Mutable * 1936 - Amalia * 1935 - Sylvandale * 1934 - Heroic Prince * 1933 - Topical * 1932 - Madstar * 1931 - Carry On * 1930 - Nadean * 1929 - Some Quality * 1928 - Sea Money * 1927 - Spearfelt * 1926 - Pilliewinkie * 1925 - Answer * 1924 - Accarak * 1923 - Prince Cox * 1922 - Harvest King * 1921 - The Rover * 1920 - Macadam * 1919 - New Tipperary * 1918 - Defence * 1917 - Harriet Graham * 1916 - Cherubini * 1915 - Lempriere * 1914 - Wallalo * 1913 - Almissa * 1912 - †Saxonite / Prizefighter * 1911 - The Parisian * 1910 - Orline * 1909 - Pendil * 1908 - Peru * 1907 - Realm * 1906 - Tartan * 1905 - Lord Ullin's Daughter * 1904 - Marmont * 1903 - Great Scot * 1902 - Blue Metal * 1901 - Dreamland * 1900 - La Carabine * 1899 - Bobadil * 1898 - Ayrshire * 1897 - Coil * 1896 - Idolator * 1895 - Havoc * 1894 - Broken Hill * 1893 - Portsea * 1892 - Highborn * 1891 - Vengeance * 1890 - Dreadnought * 1889 - Lochiel * 1888 - Carlyon * 1887 - Trident * 1886 -

Malua Malua is a small village on the Samoan island of Upolu. The name originates from the Samoan word "Maluapapa" which is translated 'shelter under the rock'. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island in the electoral constituency (''faip ...

* 1885 - Ringwood * 1884 - Morpeth * 1883 - Navigator * 1882 - Pollio * 1881 - Firstwater * 1880 - Columbus * 1879 - Savanaka * 1878 - First King * 1877 - Sybil * 1876 - Richmond * 1875 - Lurline * 1874 - Protos * 1873 -

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

* 1872 - ‡Saladin * 1871 - Nimblefoot * 1870 - Norma * 1869 - Gasworks * 1868 - Shenandoah * 1867 -

Tim Whiffler Tim Whiffler was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1867 Melbourne Cup ridden by jockey John Driscoll. The 1867 Melbourne Cup included two horses with the name Tim Whiffler. The winning horse was known as Tim Whiffler Sy ...

* 1866 - Woodman * 1865 - Woodman * 1864 - Nathalie * 1863 - Barwon † Dead heat
‡ Saladin and Flying Dutchman dead heated. After a re-run they dead heated again. On a second re-run Saladin was victorious.

References

{{VRC Race Days and Events Open middle distance horse races Group 1 stakes races in Australia Flemington Racecourse