The Melbourne Cup is the most popular horse race in Australia, with a prize pool of $6.2 million up for grabs every year. “The race that stops a nation” has been won by many of the biggest names in Australian thoroughbred racing, including household names like Phar Lap and Makybe Diva. In fact, over the years since the inaugural race of 1861, the winners list for this great event reads like a who’s who of Australian horse racing.
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Held each year at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, the Melbourne Cup has been won by champion horses from around the world. Since 1882, New Zealand bred horses have won 40 Melbourne Cup, British bred horses have won 5 Cups, United States bred horses have won 4 Cups, Irish horses have won 2 Cups, and a single Japanese horse won in 2006. While the majority of winners are from Australia, as you can see, this is a truly international competition.
The most notable names to win the Melbourne Cup include Carbine in 1890, Peter Pan in 1932 and 1934, Comic Court in 1950, Rising Fast in 1954, Rain Lover in 1968 and 1969, Kiwi in 1983, Vintage Crop in 1993, Might and Power in 1997, and Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In the last few years, winners include Viewed in 2008, Shocking in 2009, Americain in 2010, Dunaden in 2011, and Green Moon in 2012.
The most outstanding Melbourne Cup champion would have to be Makybe Diva, as the only horse to win this race on three seperate occasions between 2003 and 2005. This record will long live on as one of the most outstanding performances in Australian sporting history. Four horses have managed to win the Cup twice over its long history, with other notable winners combining victory in the Melbourne Cup with a Caulfield Cup win in the same season.
Dual Winners:
Archer 1861 – 1862
Peter Pan 1932 – 1934
Rain Lover 1968 – 1969
Think Big 1974 – 1975
Triple Winner:
Makybe Diva 2003- 2005
Winners of the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup Double:
Poseidon 1906
The Trump 1937
Rivette 1939
Rising Fast 1954
Even Stevens 1962
Galilee 1966
Gurner’s Lane 1982
Let’s Elope1991
Doriemus 1995
Might and Power 1997
Ethereal 2001
Melbourne Cup History
The Melbourne Cup is the most famous horse race in Australia and one of the richest thoroughbred races in the entire world. Raced over 3200 metres by horses three years old and over, this great event is the major highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Hosted every year at Flemington Racecourse, the Melbourne Cup truly is “the race that stops a nation”.
With a history that stretches back to 1861, many of Australia’s most elite horses have won this event. Archer won the inaugural race in front of an estimated crowd of 4000 people, in a race that was eventful to say the least. With one horse bolting before the start and seventeen starters falling during the race, two of which died, the Melbourne Cup got off to a rather inauspicious start.
The Melbourne Cup quickly became popular with racing fans, however, with 100,000 people in attendance by 1880. The Cup was originally held on a Thursday, moving to its Tuesday timeslot in 1875 and remaining that way ever since except for a few years during the Second World War. While a number of great horses have won the Melbourne Cup over the years, perhaps the most famous winner was Phar Lap in 1930, who became the shortest priced favourite to win this event.
Some of the other champions who have won the Melbourne Cup over the years include Carbine in 1890, Peter Pan in 1932 and 1934, Comic Court in 1950, Rising Fast in 1954, Rain Lover in 1968 and 1969, Kiwi in 1983, Vintage Crop in 1993, Might and Power in 1997, and Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In the last few years, winners include Viewed in 2008, Shocking in 2009, Americain in 2010, Dunaden in 2011, and Green Moon in 2012.
The last decade has been an eventful one for the Melbourne Cup, with a number of historic races and events taking place. Makybe Diva became the only horse to win the race three times in 2005, Bart Cummings took his 12th victory as a trainer in 2008, and French horse Dunaden crossed the finish line first in the closest finish ever in 2011.
In the News:
The English stayer Mount Athos needs only to draw a good barrier to challenge Fiorente for Melbourne Cup favouritism.
Bookies are reporting massive backing for the Luca Cumani-trained runner who finished a luckless fifth in last year’s race.
The support for the horse follows a stirring piece of work at Werribee on Wednesday that was clearly the best gallop of any Cup entrant at the quarantine centre this spring.
Some operators have Mount Athos as short as $7.50 after as much as $26 was bet.
Fiorente holds sway at $6, but bookies are having trouble attracting any money for the Gai Waterhouse runner who finished second last year and was third in last Saturday’s Cox Plate.
“We are writing almost twice as many bets on Mount Athos as Fiorente,” said Sportingbet’s Michael Felgate.
Sportingbet had Mount Athos at $8.50 late on Thursday with Fiorente at $7.
The TAB’s Adam Hamilton said Mount Athos is their worst result.
“Mount Athos has clearly been the best backed and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the favourite come Tuesday,” Hamilton said.
In other Cup betting moves, Voleuse De Couers, a recent addition to the Mike Moroney team has support at $12 with the TAB and $13 with Sportingbet.
Mount Athos followed his good gallop with a light canter at Werribee on Thursday, as did the previous day’s other good worker, Brown Panther.
Trainers Ed Dunlop and Alain de Royer Dupre arrived in Melbourne early on Thursday and after inspecting their respective runners Red Cadeaux and Varema have planned gallops for Friday.
It is also expected 2011 Cup winner Dunaden will gallop on Friday.
