The Zipping Classic, is a

Melbourne Racing Club The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) is one of three metropolitan horse racing clubs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It began life as the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, in 1875 with Mr. E.C. Moore as the club's first Secretary. The Dowling Forest Race ...

Group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

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 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 2400 metres run at

Sandown Racecourse Sandown Racecourse (also known as Ladbrokes Park due to naming rights) is a Thoroughbred horse racing race track administered by the Melbourne Racing Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is situated 25 kilometres south-east of the Melbour ...

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 mid November. Prize money is A$750,000.

History

The event was initially held by the Williamstown Racing Club at the

Williamstown Racecourse Williamstown Racecourse was a horse racing track located at Altona, Victoria, Australia. Located south of Kororoit Creek, the racecourse was opened in 1869, following the establishment of the Williamstown Racing Club the previous year. In 1885, ...

. After the racecourse grandstand burned to the ground in 1947 the racing club amalgamated with the privately owned Victorian Trotting and Racing Association to become the Melbourne Racing Club and moved the event to

. In 1963 the racing club merged with the Victoria Amateur Turf Club and the club changed the name of the event. Prior to 1999 the conditions of the race were an open handicap. Since 2011, the name of the race has been changed to honour Zipping, after he won the race for a fourth consecutive time in 2010. In 2013, the race was transferred to Caulfield due to renovations occurring at Sandown. Meanwhile, in 2010 the Melbourne Racing Club introduced a new Sandown Cup into the program. This event became a Listed race in 2012 and is held over 3,200 metres. Since 2021, the race is 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 ...

and occurs two weeks later than its usual date after the Flemington carnival.

Name

*1888–1962 - Williamstown Cup ''(except in 1945 it was called the Victory Cup for the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

)'' * 1963–1998 - Sandown Cup * 1999–2010 - Sandown Classic * 2011 onwards - Zipping Classic

Grade

*1888–1978 - Principal race *1979 onwards - Group 2

Distance

* 1888–1919 - 1 miles (~2200 metres) * 1920–1942 and 1951–1971 - 1 miles (~2400 metres) * 1943–1950 - 1 miles (~2600 metres) * 1972 onwards - 2400 metres

Winners since 1999

Earlier winners

* 1998 - Cheviot * 1997 - Star Binder * 1996 - Royal Snack * 1995 - Count Chivas * 1994 - Our Pompeii * 1993 - Tawlord * 1992 - Silk Ali * 1991 - Stylish Century * 1990 - Pressman's Choice * 1989 - Sydeston * 1988 - Conbituate Lady * 1987 - Colour Page * 1986 - Pharostan * 1985 - Puckle Harbour * 1984 - Rich Brother * 1983 - Al Dwain * 1982 - Bianco Lady * 1981 - Allez Bijou * 1980 - Arwon * 1979 - Hauberk * 1978 - Salamander * 1977 - Tom's Mate * 1976 - Kiwi Can * 1975 - Captain Peri * 1974 - Pyramul * 1973 -

Baghdad Note Baghdad Note (1965−1992) was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse, who won the 1970 Melbourne Cup and was ridden by Midge Didham. Background He was sired by Kurdistan (GB), his dam Fair Note (NZ) was by Fairs Fair (GB). Racing career Given ...

* 1972 - Stormy Seas * 1971 -

Gunsynd Gunsynd (4 October 1967 – 29 April 1983) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 29 races and A$280,455 in prize money. In his seven starts over one mile (1,600 metres) he was only once defeated, by half-a-head in the Epsom ...

* 1970 - What's Brewing * 1969 - General Command * 1968 - Better Talk * 1967 - Future * 1966 -

Light Fingers Light Fingers (1961−1988) was a New Zealand bred thoroughbred racehorse who won the Melbourne Cup in 1965. In 2017 Light Fingers was inducted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Background The lightly built chestnut was by the highly succe ...

* 1965 - Red William * 1964 - Sir Wynyard * 1963 - Conference * 1962 - New Statesman * 1961 - Twilight Glow * 1960 - Ilumquh * 1959 - Royal Jester * 1958 - Droll Prince * 1957 -

Sailor's Guide Sailor's Guide was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse that was conceived in England and foaled in Australia. He is notable in that he won races in the United States, Canada, and a number of principal Australian races, and was a high stakes ea ...

* 1956 - Fighting Force * 1955 - Ray Ribbon * 1954 -

Prince Cortauld Prince Cortauld, was a brown Thoroughbred stallion, performing in Australia trained by Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Maurice McCarten raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old recording 25 wins from 5 furlongs to 1¾ miles with cham ...

* 1953 - Royal Radiant * 1952 - Morse Code * 1951 - Shoreham * 1950 - Morse Code * 1949 - Saxony * 1948 - Gayness * 1947 - Columnist * 1946 - Royal Scot * 1945 - Counsel * 1944 - Peter * 1943 - Claudette * 1942 - Phocion * 1941 - Throttle * 1940 - Remarc * 1939 - Maikai * 1938 - Manolive * 1937 - John Wilkes * 1936 - Amalia * 1935 - Garrio * 1934 - Gothic Gem * 1933 - Shadow King * 1932 - Yarramba * 1931 - Second Wind * 1930 - Second Wind * 1929 - Cimbrian * 1928 -

Amounis Amounis was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He won 33 races over distances ranging from 6 to 12 furlongs (1,200 to 2,400 metres). Of these wins, 27 were in "Principal Races" (equivalent to today's Group races or "Black Type" ra ...

* 1927 - Star D'Or * 1926 - Bard Of Avon * 1925 - The Tyrant * 1924 - San Antonio * 1923 - Wynette * 1922 - King Ingoda * 1921 - Tangalooma * 1920 - Millieme * 1919 - Richmond Main * 1918 - Sea Bound * 1917 - Prince Bardolph * 1916 - Wishing Cap * 1915 - Carlita * 1914 - Aleconner * 1913 - Sea Prince * 1912 - Almissa * 1911 - Duke Foote * 1910 - Aborigine * 1909 - Kerlie * 1908 - Iolaire * 1907 - Thackeray * 1906 - Ellis * 1905 - Demas * 1904 - St. Ambrose * 1903 - Billali * 1902 - Eleanor * 1901 - Flagship * 1900 - Paul Pry * 1899 - Delusive * 1898 - Auriferous * 1897 - Battalion * 1896 -

Merman Mermen, the male counterparts of the mythical female mermaids, are legendary creatures, which are male human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes they are described as hideous and other ...

* 1895 - Music * 1894 - Taranaki * 1893 - Jeweller * 1892 - E.K. * 1891 - Propounder * 1890 - Don Giovan * 1889 - Tarcoola * 1888 - Mara Charts results (1983– )

References

{{reflist, 2 Horse races in Australia Open middle distance horse races