
The Queen's Cup, formerly King's Cup, is a horse race run in different locations across Australia from 1927 in most years until the present day. It was originally held in each of the six
states of Australia
The states and territories are the national subdivisions and second level of government of Australia. The states are partially sovereign, administrative divisions that are self-governing polities, having ceded some sovereign rights to the f ...
in rotation each year, but has not been held in strict rotation in recent decades. The length of the race varies but is between and 2600m. Since the 1990s it has been a
Group 3 Group 3 may refer to:
* Group 3 element, chemical element classification
* Group 3 (motorsport), FIA classification of cars used in auto racing and rallying
* Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing
* Group 3 image ...
race.
History
The King's Cup was first run in 1927, inaugurated by the
King of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...
and
Dominions
A dominion was any of several largely self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of colonial self-governance increased (and, in ...
,
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
George was born during the reign of his pa ...
, to celebrate the visit to Australia of the then
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
and
Duchess of York
Duchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of York. Three of the eleven Dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, while two of the Dukes married twice; therefore, th ...
(later
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
and
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of K ...
). The king would provide the trophy each year.
[ The conditions of the race stated that the race should be run in a different state in rotation each year, and hosted by that state's jockey club. The rotation was to be hosted in this order: ]Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, and Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, with the first race in Victoria. The participating jockey clubs decided that it should be a 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 ...
race (a Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal
* Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport.
* Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...
race). The race was especially prestigious in the years before World War II.[
The inaugural race in 1927 was won by Spear Maiden at ]Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The race ...
in Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. The first trophy was presented by George V's son, then Duke of York
Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...
, later King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
, when he was in Australia to open the first Federal Parliament
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor ...
at Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
.
In May 1951, Shannon, ridden by Darby Munro
David Hugh "Darby" Munro (5 March 1913 – 3 April 1966) also known as "the Demon" or the "Brown Bomber" was an Aboriginal Australian jockey born in Caulfield. He was a three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup. He has been described as "arguab ...
[ won the race at ]Randwick Racecourse
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney r ...
in Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
.
On the death of George V, George VI advised that he would continue to provide the trophy for the race. The race lapsed after the death of George VI in February 1952, but in April that year the Australian Jockey Club
Australian Turf Club (ATC) owns and operates thoroughbred racing, events and hospitality venues across Sydney, Australia. The ATC came into being on 7 February 2011 when the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) merged. The ...
in Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
received permission to run a Queen's Cup. Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
would continue the tradition, providing the trophy, with a prize worth £2000.[
The first newly-renamed Queen's Cup was run at ]Randwick Racecourse
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney r ...
, Sydney, as part of the spring carnival, on Saturday 11 October 1952,[ hosted by the AJC.][ The race was run over under quality handicap conditions.][ In a surprise win, outsider Salamanca,] ridden by 19-year-old Aboriginal jockey Merv Maynard, beat the two favourites, champion horses Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
and Dalray
Dalray (1948−1971) was a notable New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1952 Melbourne Cup and Mackinnon Stakes.
Dalray was also famously a ‘certainty’ beaten in the 1952 Sydney Cup. When his owner was quizzed about the defeat h ...
, both ridden by experienced jockeys, Keith Nuttal and Darby Munro
David Hugh "Darby" Munro (5 March 1913 – 3 April 1966) also known as "the Demon" or the "Brown Bomber" was an Aboriginal Australian jockey born in Caulfield. He was a three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup. He has been described as "arguab ...
. Maynard's only regret was that he did not get to meet the then Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, who was, with husband Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
, Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...
, scheduled to hand out the trophies at the event. However, en route to their Australian engagements, the couple were visiting several African countries, and it was there that they received the news of the death of her father, George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
, so they had to return to England.
The young princess would remember the win, however, and on a state visit forty years later asked to be introduced to Maynard.[
In August 1953, Euphrates beat ]Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
and set a Queensland race record, at Eagle Farm Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse is a heritage-listed horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Racecourse Road in the suburb of Ascot, from the Brisbane central business district.
The turf track is wi ...
, Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
[
In March 1954: Sir Coral, at ]Morphettville Racecourse
Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing Race track, course for the Australia, Australian state of South Australia, incorporating two separate tracks. Home to the South Australian Jockey Club, it is situated in the Adelaide suburb of ...
, Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, won the race in the presence of the Queen and Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
, Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...
.
It continued to be run in rotation until around 1985, when it appears to have been run at Randwick in that year and then again in 1988. It was run at Morphettville Racecourse
Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing Race track, course for the Australia, Australian state of South Australia, incorporating two separate tracks. Home to the South Australian Jockey Club, it is situated in the Adelaide suburb of ...
in Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, South Australia, until 1990, when it was run at Cheltenham Park Racecourse
Cheltenham Park Racecourse was a horse racing track located in the suburb of Cheltenham, South Australia, Cheltenham in Adelaide, South Australia, between around 1921 and 2009.
History
The Port Adelaide Racing Club began thoroughbred racing a ...
(described as "a new race in Adelaide called the Queen's Cup" by ''The Canberra Times
''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times.
History
''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
''), where it was also referred to as the SAJC Queen's Cup.
In 1992 the Queen's Cup, run in February at Randwick, was referred to as a Group 3 Group 3 may refer to:
* Group 3 element, chemical element classification
* Group 3 (motorsport), FIA classification of cars used in auto racing and rallying
* Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing
* Group 3 image ...
race, run over . The winning horse was Aquidity, trained by Tommy Smith, and Queen Elizabeth, who presented the trophies, and the Duke of Edinburgh were in attendance{
In 1993 the race was run at in October at Flemington, worth and run over . It was again referred to as a Group 3 race.
Since 2000 the race has continued to be run in rotating venues, but not held in 2009 or 2014, and with breaks in 2020 and 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Aust ...
. In 2022 it was held by the Australian Turf Club
Australian Turf Club (ATC) owns and operates thoroughbred racing, events and hospitality venues across Sydney, Australia. The ATC came into being on 7 February 2011 when the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) merged. The ...
on 19 March at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is located in the Sydney suburb of Rosehill, New South Wales, Australia. It is operated by the Australian Turf Club. Rosehill holds horse races for thoroughbred gallopers on a grass surface. It is one of the t ...
in western Sydney, entitled "Queen's Cup (N E Manion Cup)" ().
1934 and 1948 racebooks
File:1934 AJC KINGS CUP RACEBOOK P1.jpg, 1934 AJC Kings Cup racebook front cover
File:1934 AJC Kings Cup Racebook P5.jpg, 1934 AJC Kings Cup showing raceday officials
File:1934 AJC KINGS CUP RACEBOOK P2.jpg, 1934 AJC Kings Cup showing the winner, Rogilla
File:1934 AJC KINGS CUP RACEBOOK P3.jpg, 1934 AJC Kings Cup starters and results
File:1934 AJC KINGS CUP RACEBOOK P4.jpg, Back cover showing charges at the entrance gates
File:1948 SAJC Kings Cup Racebook P1.jpg, 1948 SAJC Kings Cup racebook front cover
File:1948 SAJC Kings Cup Racebook P2.jpg, 1948 SAJC Kings Cup showing raceday officials
File:1948 SAJC Kings Cup Racebook P3.jpg, 1948 SAJC Kings Cup showing the winner, Valcurl
File:1948 SAJC Kings Cup Racebook P4.jpg, Back cover showing charges at the entrance gates
1954 racebook
File:1954 SAJC Queens Cup Racebook P1.jpg, 1954 SAJC Queens Cup racebook front cover
File:1954 SAJC Queens Cup Racebook P2.jpg, 1954 SAJC Queens Cup showing raceday officials
File:1954 SAJC Queens Cup Racebook P3.jpg, 1954 SAJC Queens Cup showing the winner, Sir Coral
File:1954 SAJC Queens Cup Racebook P4.jpg, 1954 SAJC Queens Cup starters and results
File:1954 SAJC Queens Cup Racebook P5.jpg, The 1954 Queens Cup trophy
Selected dates and winners
King's Cup
*1927: Spear Maiden[
*1928: ]Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
[
*1929: Valparaiso][
*1930: ]Phar Lap
Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a New Zealand-born champion Australian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Achieving great success during his distinguished career, his initial underdog status gave people hope during the ear ...
[
*1931: Roseburn
*1932: Second Wind][
*1933: Kuvera][
*1934: Rogilla][
*1935: Serlodi
*1936: Donaster
*1937: Tetbury
*1938: Debater
*1939: Marauder
*1940 - 1945 Not Run
*1946: Shannon][
*1947: Falcon Knight
*1948: Valcurl
*1949: Royal Academy
*1950: Chatspa
*1951: Durham, at Flemington][
]
Queen's Cup
*1952: Salamanca[
*1953: Euphrates beat ]Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
[
*1954: Sir Coral, at ]Morphettville Racecourse
Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing Race track, course for the Australia, Australian state of South Australia, incorporating two separate tracks. Home to the South Australian Jockey Club, it is situated in the Adelaide suburb of ...
, Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
[
*1955: Priandy, at ]Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, WA
*1956: Dunsinane, at Launceston Racecourse, Tasmania
*1957: Sir William, at Flemington, Melbourne
*1958: McDougall, at Randwick, Sydney
*1968: Robins Boy, at Mowbray, Launceston
*1984: Colonial Flag, at Morphettville, Adelaide
*1985: Chelaware, at Randwick
*1986: Exdirectory, at Elwick
*1989: Miss Remus, at Eagle Farm Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse is a heritage-listed horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Racecourse Road in the suburb of Ascot, from the Brisbane central business district.
The turf track is wi ...
, Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
*1990: Raslaan,[
*1992: Aquidity, at Randwick][
*1993: Toll Bell, at Flemington
*1995: Full Suit, at Eagle Farm, Brisbane
*1996: Navajo Flash / Slygo Connection, at Morphettville][
*2000: Yippyio][
*2001: Gillespie, at Eagle Farm, Brisbane
*2003: Bellton,][ at Cheltenham Park, Adelaide
*2004: Dundally,][ at Belmont Park Racecourse, Perth
*2005: Midnight Escapade,][ at Launceston
*2006: Demerger][
*2007: Ice Chariot][
*2008: Tayllaroo,][ at Cheltenham Park, Adelaide]
*2010: Gondorff[
*2011: Syreon][
*2012: Spechenka][
*2013: Motivado][
*2015: Real Love][
*2015/6: Dandino][
*2016/7: Allergic, at ]Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is located in the Sydney suburb of Rosehill, New South Wales, Australia. It is operated by the Australian Turf Club. Rosehill holds horse races for thoroughbred gallopers on a grass surface. It is one of the t ...
, Sydney[
*2017/8: Plot Twist, at ]Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is a peri-urbanisation, peri-urban region in South East Queensland, Australia. In 1967, it was defined as "the area contained in the ormer
Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now contains only one genus, ''Haliotis''. Other commo ...
Shires of Shire of Landsborough, Landsborough, Shire of Maroochy, Maroochy and Shire ...
[
*2018/9: Valac, at Morphettville, Adelaide][
*2021/2: No Compromise, at Rosehill Gardens, Sydney][
*2022/23: Soulcombe, at Flemington, Melbourne, Victoria
*2023/24: The Map, at Morphetville, Adelaide, South Australia
]
References
{{reflist
Horse races in Australia
1927 establishments in Australia