Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is widely regarded as Australia’s major thoroughbred horse race.                  Held annually on the first Tuesday of November, the Melbourne Cup attracts some of the best horses in the world, all vying for a chance to claim some of the $6 million prize money that is offered each year. Known as ‘the race that stops a nation’, the Melbourne Cup is run over a distance of 3,200 metres and is the richest and most prestigious ‘two-mile’ handicap in the world. It is also one of the richest turf races worldwide and is the feature race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Held at Melbourne’s famed Flemington Racecourse, which is under the operation of the Victorian Racing Club, the cup is a handicap race open to all horses aged three-years-old and above.

The first Melbourne Cup was held in 1861 and was originally run over a distance of 3,218 metres, or two miles. After the introduction of the metric system into Australia in the 1970s, the current distance of 3,200 metres was introduced in 1972. Previous race records, such as 1968 winner Rain Lover’s record time of 3 minutes and 17.9 seconds, were readjusted to by two seconds to take into account the longer distance they travelled. The current record holder is Kingston Rule, who won the 1990 Melbourne Cup with a time of 3 minutes and 16.3 seconds.

The minimum handicap weight for a horse running in the Melbourne cup is 49 kilograms and there is no maximum weight. However, the top weight in the field must carry no less than 57 kilograms. The weight that each horse must carry is allocated two months before the race in early September each year by the Victoria racing Club Handicapper. Due to the fact that the Melbourne Cup is a handicap contest the weight given to each horse is adjusted according to a horse’s previous race history, and older horses carry more than younger horses. Weights given to each horse were used in order to attempt to give each horse an equal chance of winning on the day, however, recently rules were adjusted to a ‘quality handicap’ formula, so that better performing horses are given less harsh weight penalties.

The Melbourne Cup commands a total entrance fee of $50,805 per house, and entries often close in the first week of August. Each year approximately 300 to 400 horses are nominated while only 24 make the field as starters. Winning certain races, such as the previous year’s Melbourne Cup, the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup, grants a horse with automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup and that horse is exempt from the ballot.

The first ever horse to win the Melbourne Cup was named Archer. Archer also won the second running of the Melbourne Cup and was favourite to win the third before the owner failed to submit the entry form on time and Archer was not allowed to run. Other notable winners of the Melbourne Cup include Carbine in 1890, Night Watch in 1918, Phar Lap in 1930 and Light Fingers in 1965. Makybe Diva is famous for being the first and only horse to win the Melbourne Cup three years in a row from 2003 to 2005.