Cup History

Melbourne Cup Facts And Figures

The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most famous and prestigious thoroughbred race, ranking in world importance with such American races as the Kentucky Derby and the Breeder’s Cup. Many Australians are well versed in the lore of this world-famous race, and can recite Melbourne Cup facts and figures from memory. While racing enthusiasts from around the world may know the race by name and reputation, they may be less familiar with the history of the race and the full range of important Melbourne Cup facts and figures that every fan of horse racing should be at least passingly familiar with.

Final 2017 Melbourne Cup Results

• 1st.Rekindling
• 2nd.Johannes Vermeer
• 3rd.Max Dynamite
• 4th.Big Duke

The 2017 Melbourne Cup will be held on Tuesday, November 7th. Cup History

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Diligent fans of wagering on horse racing would also do well to acquaint themselves with the most important Melbourne Cup facts and figures, since knowing the history of the event can be an invaluable aid in placing winning bets. With the widespread availability of online betting anyone from anywhere in the world can get in on the Melbourne Cup action – you no longer need to travel to Australia or an off-track-betting facility to be a part of the excitement. The Melbourne Cup is a horse race that ranks among the most famous races in the world in terms of prestige and acclaim, and betting fans would be wise not to miss the chance to wager on this outstanding event.

For those looking to become more involved in following this race, and still ignorant of its glorious past, following are some of the most important Melbourne Cup facts and figures that any horse racing enthusiast, or determined online bettor, needs to know:

The Melbourne Cup is for three-year-olds and over and, at 3200 metres, is the richest and most prestigious so-called ‘two-mile handicap’ in the world. The event is hosted by the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington Racecourse. The race is held as part of a series of races in Melbourne known as the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

The Melbourne Cup has been run yearly on the first Tuesday in November since 1861, and is regarded so fondly by Australians that it is known as, “The race that stops a nation.” It is in fact a public holiday for all who work in Melbourne, and a civil holiday for state workers in Victoria. Attendance in person, and viewership on television and simulcast, ensures that it lives up to its promise to stop the nation!

The Melbourne Cup course record is held by the winner of the 1990 event, the American-bred Kingston Rule, in a time of 3:16:3. This time is just shy of the world record time for 3200 meters of 3:13:4, held by the Japanese horse Deep Impact.

The current purse for the winner of the Melbourne Cup is AUS$5.5 million, marking the race and its purse as among the most lucrative and coveted in the entire world. The trophy is made of 1.65 kilograms of 18-carat gold, fashioned in the shape of a three-handled cup – it is valued at more than AUS$125,000. Separate awards to the winning jockey and trainer of miniature versions of the cup are a relatively recent development.

The crowd on race day of the Melbourne Cup is between 100,000 and 110,000, and the all-time record for attendees is held by the 2003 race with 123,000. In recent years, the number of spectators has been limited to under 110,000 to help keep the event manageable. The Melbourne Cup is, above all, a festive event, and is notorious for inspiring both men and women to dress in stylish, fanciful, and sometimes outlandish outfits in an effort to celebrate the day’s racing events.

Betting activity on horse racing in Australia reaches a frenzied peak with the arrival of the Melbourne Cup. One informal study postulated that up to 80% of adult Australians place a wager on each year’s Melbourne Cup, and many offices and organizations host betting ‘sweeps’ or pool-style wagering contests. This would place the Melbourne Cup on an equal footing with the Super Bowl and the NCAA March Madness Tournament in America as far as the volume of wagering is concerned.

Makybe Diva holds the record for wins by a single horse, with three consecutive wins from 2003-2005. Bobby Lewis and Harry White each have four wins at the Melbourne Cup, a record for jockeys. Bart Cummings, with twelve wins, holds the record for victories by a trainer – he is also the reigning champion among trainers from the 2008 race.

Three horses have won the race at the enormous odds against of 100-1: The Pearl, Wotan, and Old Rowley. Famed Australian horse Phar Lap won the race only once, but at the most meager of odds: 8-11 odds in favor. Phar Lap is also the horse that had the heaviest handicap in the history of the Melbourne Cup: ten stone and ten pounds.

In the past decade, the event has been increasingly open to foreign horses. Despite the proliferation of talented entries from around the world, most have failed to win due to a combination of reasons, including the long travel time to arrive in Melbourne, and the unfamiliar weather and climate conditions. In 2007, due to an outbreak of equine influenza believed to have originated in Japan, two Japanese horses that had competed in previous Melbourne Cups were not allowed to race.

With these important Melbourne Cup facts and figures in hand, anyone can be an expert on Australia’s grandest thoroughbred race. Anyone interested in betting on the Melbourne Cup online can also search this information for trends, and gain an advantage in their bets – knowledge is power, and the list of important Melbourne Cup facts and figures is an important resource to guide the experienced bettor’s wagering. Jockeys, trainers and owners who have enjoyed success in the past in the Melbourne Cup are likely targets. By examining the list of past winning horses, you can also uncover common traits that may disclose future winners. Foreign horses have generally struggled, so these might be horses to avoid placing online bets on in future races.

Get the latest and most relevant Melbourne Cup news at HorseRacing.com.au.