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The History of the Melbourne Cup

The first Melbourne Cup took place in 1861 when Archer, a horse from Nowra, New South Wales, rode to victory at Flemington Racecourse. He won his owner a gold watch and £170.

Humble Beginnings

While the Melbourne Cup may have had humble beginnings, it has evolved into one of the richest and most prestigious handicap races in the world with prize money totalling AUD$5.1 million. It attracts an elite global field making the event an international showcase of horse racing talent and stature.

Melbourne Cup - The Birthplace of Legends

With so much at stake, the Spring Carnival has also been the birth place of legendary horses, jockeys and trainers. Phar Lap, considered the greatest racehorse in history, awed the crowds in midst of the Great Depression of the 1930's by winning all four Spring Carnival racing days, including the Melbourne Cup. Even more impressive is that Phar Lap was carrying a 62.5 kg handicap.

The Melbourne Cup Handicap

The Melbourne Cup is a handicapped race run over 3200 metres. The more successful a horse is the more weight it has to carry. The three Spring Carnival events leading up to Melbourne Cup Day are often a good indication of a horses form, but the distance and the handicap make a winner hard to predict.

Melbourne Cup - The Legends

The Melbourne Cup has a dynamic history of champion horses, jockeys and trainers. Horses such as Phar Lap and Makybe Diva, as well as trainers like Bart Cummings have immortalised their places in history on the famed Flemington racecourse.

Phar Lap – An Australian Racing Legend

Phar Lap is a racing legend and Australian cultural icon. Widely considered to be the best racehorse in the history of the sport of kings, Phar Lap rode to victory in 37 of his 51 races, including the world's richest handicap in 1930 – the Melbourne Cup.

Due to his overwhelming success and dominance, someone attempted to shoot Phar Lap in the same year. In 1932, Phar Lap was found in severe pain and with a high temperature by trainer Tommy Woodcock. He died later that day. There is much speculation surrounding the cause of his death, but the popular belief is that Phar Lap was poisoned.

Makybe Diva – Three Time Melbourne Cup Champion

Makybe Diva is the highest stakes winner in Australasian horse racing history, winning the Melbourne Cup three times in a row (2003, 2004, 2005) and claiming victory in other high profile races including the Sydney Cup, Australian Cup and Cox Plate. She has winnings in excess of AU$14,000,000. Nicknamed “The Diva” she is also one of only five horses to win the Melbourne Cup more than once in its 145 years of racing history.

Bart Cummings – The Cup's King

Trainer Bart Cummings is a horse racing phenomenon and is renowned as 'The Cup's King', with an incredible eleven Melbourne Cup wins. He is still prolific in the horse racing arena.

Melbourne Cup Winners Trained by Bart Cummings:

Light Fingers (1965)
Galilee (1966)
Red Handed (1967)
Think Big (1974 & 1975)
Gold and Black (1977)
Hyperno (1979)
Kingston Rule (1990)
Let's Elope (1991)
Saintly (1996)
Rogan Josh (1999)

Other Melbourne Cup Records:

Most wins by a horse

3 - Makybe Diva (GB)
2003/2004/2005

Most wins by a trainer

11 - James Bartholomew (Bart) Cummings
1999 - Rogan Josh
1996 - Saintly
1991 - Let's Elope
1990 - Kingston Rule
1979 - Hyperno
1977 - Gold And Black
1975 - Think Big
1974 - Think Big
1967 - Red Handed
1966 - Galilee
1965 - Light Fingers

Most wins by a jockey

4 - Bobby Lewis
1927 - Trivalve
1919 - Artilleryman
1915 - Patrobas
1902 - The Victory
4 - Harry White
1979 - Hyperno
1978 - Arwon
1975 - Think Big
1974 - Think Big

Fastest Cup run

1990 – Kingston Rule 3 minutes 16.3 seconds

Biggest winning margin

8 lengths
1862 – Archer
1968 – Rain Lover

Biggest weight carried to victory

1890 – Carbine 65.5kgs

Biggest field to contest Cup

1890 – 39 runners

Smallest field to contest Cup

1863 – 7 runners

Most successful saddlecloth

No.4 and No.12 – 11 wins each

Least successful saddlecloth

No.18 and No.21 – 1 win each

Most successful barrier

No.11 – 7 wins

Least successful barrier

No.18 – no wins