Australian Cup

Worth more than $1.5 million, the 2019 Australian Cup is a Group 1 race held in March each year. The Australian Cup is run over 2000 metres and is a weight for age race. It is a feature race in Melbourne’s Autumn Racing Carnival and is part of Flemington’s ‘Super Saturday’.

The Australian Cup, which is run at Melbourne’s Flemington racecourse, was first run in 1861 when it was won by Barwon. The Australian Cup is one of the Victorian Racing Club’s oldest races, with the first one being run thirty eight years before Federation.

Until 1978, the Australian Cup was a handicap race and first changed to weight-for-age conditions in 1979. The race was then returned back to handicap conditions from 1983 until 1987 when the Cup was once again made a weight-for-age race. The decision to revert back to handicap racing for four years was made due to a lack of quality race horses entering the competition.

After 1987, a concerted effort was made by the Victoria Racing Club to upgrade the Australian Cup’s quality and greater prize money was introduced to lure higher class race horses into the field. The upgrade was a success and the Australian Cup is now one of the most lucrative Group races in Australia.

The Australian Cup has varied in distance since its inaugural running. The race was originally 3,600 metres in length until 1943 when it was reduced to 3,500 metres. The Cup was again decreased in distance to 3,200m in 1963 and was finally changed to today’s length of 2000 metres in 1964.

While the Australian cup is run at Flemington racecourse each year, it was hosted by Caulfield Racecourse in 2007 due to a total reconstruction of the Flemington track.

The Australian Cup is the perfect race for horses that are strong stayers. Makybe Diva holds the record for the fastest time in the Australia Cup with 1 minute and 58.7 seconds in 2005. Other prominent horses to have won the event include Northerly (2001 and 2003), Lonhro (2004) and Zipping (2010).

2019 Australian Cup Field

The 2019 Australian Cup field is provided below.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 1402x2418x ALMANDIN (GER) Liam Howley Damien Oliver 2 59kg 113
2 0x1401241x REKINDLING (GB) Liam Howley Ben Melham 9 59kg 113
3 x024100x63 ACE HIGH David Payne Dwayne Dunn 8 59kg 109
4 1175216×52 TRAP FOR FOOLS Jarrod McLean John Allen 6 59kg 110
5 x7940105x5 VENTURA STORM (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 5 59kg 104
6 67x0069x47 HARLEM (GB) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Jamie Kah 4 59kg 104
7 x111140x11 AVILIUS (GB) James Cummings Hugh Bowman 1 59kg 112
8 8x791591x8 THE TAJ MAHAL (IRE) Liam Howley Brett Prebble 3 59kg 108
9 96x4341x9x MUNTAHAA (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Mark Zahra 12 59kg 110
10 x2263071x1 YOGI (NZ) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Luke Currie 15 59kg 104
11 x538641292 SO SI BON David & B Hayes & T Dabernig William Pike 11 59kg 99
12 x213160x34 NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Damian Lane 7 59kg 105
13 113435×421 SIKANDARABAD (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Jordan Childs 14 59kg 103
14 4x1132x00x SOUND (GER) Michael Moroney Jamie Mott 13 59kg 108
15 2x44415x06 SHILLELAGH (NZ) Chris Waller Craig Williams 10 57kg 110

2019 Australian Cup Nominations

The 2019 Australian Cup nominations will be published here.

Australian Cup Winners & Results

Below are the Australian Cup winners and results since 2000.

Year Results Winning Time
2019 1 TBD 2 TBD 3 TBD TBD
2018 1 Harlem 2 Gailo Chop 3 Ventura Storm 2:00.4
2017 1 Humidor 2 Jameka 3 Exospheric 2:01.0
2016 1 Preferment 2 Awesome Rock 3 Rising Romance 2:03.9
2015 1 Spillway 2 Extra Zero 3 Happy Trails 2:00.1
2014 1 Fiorente 2 Green Moon 3 Foreteller 2:03.6
2013 1 Super Cool 2 Fiveandahalfstar 3 Tanby 2:00.9
2012 1 Manighar 2 Southern Speed 3 Americain 2:01.2
2011 1 Shocking 2 Linton 3 Playing God 2:00.9
2010 1 Zipping 2 Sirmione 3 Moatize 2:03.6
2009 1 Niconero 2 Theseo 3 Zagreb 2:03.1
2008 1 Sirmione 2 Princess Coup 3 Casino Prince 2:00.8
2007 1 Pompeii Ruler 2 Marasco 3 Tawqeet 2:01.5
2006 1 Roman Arch 2 Candy Vale 3 Our Smoking Joe 2:02.8
2005 1 Makybe Diva 2 Winning Belle 3 Lad Of The Manor 1:58.7
2004 1 Lonhro 2 Delzao 3 Elvstroem 2:01.6
2003 1 Northerly 2 Natural Blitz 3 Don Eduardo 2:01.4
2002 1 Old Comrade 2 Northerly 3 Rain Gauge 1:59.8
2001 1 Northerly 2 Hit The Roof 3 Kaapstad Way 1:59.4
2000 1 Intergaze 2 Arena 3 Streak 2:00.9

Horses

Jockeys

Trainers