The Melbourne Cup truly is “the race that stops a nation”, as 24 of the world’s best horses battle it out over 3200 metres at Flemington Racecourse. While there are a number of other high profile Group 1 events hosted in Melbourne during the Spring, nothing gets the same level of attention or undergoes the same level of analysis as the Melbourne Cup.
The Melbourne Cup has always been associated with statistics and trivia, with this one race getting more than its fair share of attention from the wider Australian public. Along with results and other popular statistics, there is also a lot of fun trivia published about this great Australian horse race.
Lucky Numbers
Saddlecloth numbers 4 and 12 have won the Melbourne Cup a record 11 times each, which is well above the statistical average. In terms of barriers, 5, 10, 11 and 14 are the luckiest with 7 wins each, followed by barriers 6, 8, and 19 with 5 wins.
Changing Times
While the Melbourne Cup is now worth $6.2 million, when it started back in 1861 it was worth 1,420 pounds. Crowd numbers have grown almost as much as the value of the Cup, with 4000 people at the inaugural race and about 100,000 today.
Colours
17 winning jockeys have worn black as the main colour, followed by 14 wearing navy blue and royal blue. Reddish-brown or ‘bay’ horses account for the most winners with 66 victories, with brown horses winning 35 times, chestnuts 34 times, greys 6 times, blacks 3 times, and brown/bay/black mixes 7 times.
The Race Must Go On
While World War I and World War II stopped almost every major and minor sporting event in Australia, the Melbourne Cup was raced each and every year.
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.
There are lots of statistics surrounding the Melbourne Cup, which is the most popular and well analysed horse race in Australia by far. Run over 3200 metres and worth a total of $6.2 million, the Melbourne Cup is an institution in Australia and the richest two mile handicap event in the entire world.
Age of Winners:
3 year old – 23 – last was Skipton in1941
4 year old – 44
5 year old – 43
6 year old – 31
7 year old – 10
8 year old – 2
Sex of Winners:
Entire – 64
Gelding – 51
Colts – 21
Mares – 13
Fillies – 3
Winning Barriers:
Barriers 5, 10, 11 and 14 – 7 winners
Barriers 6, 8, and 19 – 5 winners
Barriers 1, 4, 17 and 22 – 4 winners
No horse has won from barrier 18 since barrier stalls were introduced
Barrier 7 has only been won by Backwood in 1924 and Makybe Diva in 2004
Winning Numbers:
No 4 and No 12 with 11 wins
No 1 with 9 wins
No 8 with 8 wins
No 11 with 7 wins
Dual Winners:
Archer – 1861 – 1862
Peter Pan – 1932 – 1934
Rain Lover – 1968 – 1969
Think Big – 1974 – 1975
Makybe Diva is the only triple winner in 2003-2005
Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup Double Winners:
Poseidon – 1906
The Trump – 1937
Rivette – 1939
Rising Fast – 1954
Even Stevens – 1962
Galilee – 1966
Gurner’s Lane – 1982
Let’s Elope- 1991
Doriemus – 1995
Might and Power – 1997
Ethereal – 2001
Highest Winning Weight:
10st 5 lb (66.0 kg) Carbine (1890)
10st 2 lb (64.5 kg) Archer (1862)
10st 0 lb (63.5 kg) Poitrel(1920)
In the news:
Thirty years after his first Melbourne Cup win and three days after his 100th Group One triumph, Jim Cassidy is intent on playing yet another starring role at Flemington.
Cassidy rides the Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur in the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup on Tuesday after bringing up a century of Group One wins on Saturday aboard the stayer’s stablemate Zoustar in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
It’s 30 years since a fresh-faced Cassidy came from last to win the Melbourne Cup on Kiwi and 16 years since his famous all-the-way win on champion Might And Power.
The jockey earmarked Hawkspur as a Melbourne Cup hope during a successful Queensland winter carnival campaign and insists he wouldn’t swap the four-year-old for any other in Tuesday’s race.
“I can do it. I can’t do it if I’m sitting in jockeys’ room,” Cassidy said.
“I’m one of the 24 (jockeys in the race) so I’ll back my horse’s ability and back my ability. I’ve done that for 30 years so nothing is going to change.”
Hawkspur started favourite but finished seventh in the Caulfield Cup and is somewhat of a forgotten horse going into the Melbourne Cup.
Cassidy hasn’t lost faith in the Queensland Derby winner who will be stepping up to 3200m for the first time.
He admits there is a question mark over Hawkspur at the distance but believes he can handle it.
“I saw him early last week when I galloped Zoustar and he looks good,” Cassidy said.
“He’s hard fit and I think he’s really ready to run the race of his life.
“He’s untried at the trip. His sectionals in the Caulfield Cup were great and probably a furlong after the line he was still full of running so that gave me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”
