Australia
EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP
(AUS$5,500,000) Flemington G1 2m 3-y-o and upwards
Did you know?
- The Irish Derby was first run in 1866, over 1.75 miles, and did not become a level weights race until after 1945.
The highlight of the Australian racing calendar and the race that brings the country to a halt on the first Tuesday of November. It attracts crowds in excess of 100,000 and has a huge betting turnover. The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861, six years after Flemington racecourse was opened. Archer, its first winner, who had to walk 550 miles from his New South Wales stable in order to take part, became an equine hero, particularly after he won it again the following year. The race was won in 1930 by Australia's most famous horse Phar Lap. Since Robert Sangster's Beldale Ball won the 1980 running, the race has attracted plenty of runners from Europe and America. Ireland's Dermot Weld sent out his second winner when successful with Media Puzzle in 2002. Makybe Diva created history at Flemington by becoming the first horse to win three Melbourne Cups (2003, 2004 and 2005). While in 2006, Delta Blues led home a 1-2 for Japanese trainer Katsuhiko Sumii. Ridden by Yasunari Iwata, the five-year-old horse held off a late challenge from stablemate Pop Rock inside the final half a furlong to prevail by half a head. A year later Efficient came late and wide under Michael Rodd to become the first horse since Phar Lap to win the Melbourne Cup a year after landing the Victorian Derby. Luca Cumani came within a whisker of victory in 2008 when Bauer came with a late charge inside the final furlong. Unfortunately the finish line came too soon for the Newmarket based horse as a photo was called before the Bart Cummings trained Viewed was announced the winner, giving the 80-year-old trainer his 12th Melbourne Cup win. Shocking dug to deep to the land the 2009 renewal and in doing so denied Godolphin’s Crime Scene a landmark victory by just three-quarters of a length. Kerrin McEvoy, onboard Crime Scene, hit the front three furlongs from home and was challenged at the two furlong maker by Shocking and Corey Brown. Crime Scene ran the race of his life but the Mark Kavanagh trained son of Street Cry had just that bit more in the tank.
BMW CAULFIELD CUP
(AUS$2,555,000) Caulfield G1 1½m 3-y-o and upwards
The Caulfield Cup, another handicap, was first run in 1879 when victory went to Westminster. The British-trained Taufan's Melody was successful in 1998, the year after Might And Power's victory. Australian champion Northerly took the 2002 running while Mummify was successful in 2003. The Australian-trained Elvstroem took the honours in 2004. Railings provided trainer John Hawkes with his first Caulfield Cup win and jockey Greg Childs with his second when he secured the 2005 race by a short neck. While in 2006, trainer David Hayes won the Caulfield Cup for the second time in his career. He had previously won the race in 1993 with Fraar but this time it was the turn of Tawqeet. Given a superb ride by Dwayne Dunn, the four-year-old gelding seized the lead from Aqua D'Amore at the ideal moment to win by a neck. Master O’Reilly, who carried just 8st, scored in 2007 for trainer Danny O’Brien. The New Zealand-bred gelding was the convincing two-and-a-quarter-length winner under jockey Vlad Duric. Godolphin recorded a memorable victory in 2008 when All The Good under Kerrin McEvoy secured a first Group One victory in Australia for the stable. Viewed, the 2008 Melbourne Cup hero secured his first triumph since that memorable day when proving too classy for stablemate Roman Emperor in the 2009 renewal. Trained by the Australian master Bart Cummings and ridden by Brad Rawiller, Viewed is just the third horse in history to claim Australia's two coveted handicaps in separate years. The others were Rising Fast (1954 Melbourne Cup – 1955 Caulfield Cup) and Skipton (1941 Melbourne Cup – 1943 Caulfield Cup) over half a century ago.
TATTERSALLS COX PLATE
(AUS$3,000,000) Moonee Valley G1 1¼m 3-y-o and upwards
Run a week before the Melbourne Cup, the Cox Plate is Australia's most important weight-for-age race. First run in 1922, it was won by the great Phar Lap in 1930. Subsequent winners include Might And Power, Rising Fast and Sunline, successful in both 1999 and 2000. Northerly completed the double in 2001 and 2002. The Tony McEvoy-trained Fields of Omagh was the 2003 victor while Savabeel overcame a 13 horse-field that included 11 individual Group One winners to take the 2004 event. Makybe Diva, the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups, was the star in 2005 when she romped home to win under regular rider Glenn Boss. 2006 saw Fields of Omagh become the oldest horse to win the Cox plate. Now trained by David Hayes, the nine-year-old gelding was given a superb ride by Craig Williams to win by a nose from El Segundo. After being narrowly defeated in 2006 El Segundo entered the winner’s enclosure victorious in 2007. Given an excellent ride by Luke Nolan, the six-year-old gelding powered to a two-length victory for trainer Colin Little. It was another six-year-old who claimed race a year later. Maldivian, trained by Mark Kavanagh, put on a powerful display under Michael Rodd to cross the line a length in front of his nearest rival. Legendary Australian trainer Bart Cummings landed his fourth success in the Cox Plate in 2009 with So You Think. The High Chaparral colt made every yard of the running under Glen Boss and the pair had their rivals in trouble turning for home. They galloped relentlessly to line to win by two and a half lengths.
AAMI GOLDEN SLIPPER STAKES
(AUS$3,500,000) Rosehill G1 6f 2-y-o
Australia's top two-year-old race and one of the richest juvenile events in the world. Established in 1957 when captured by Todman, it has since evolved with such winners as Inspired (1984) and Danzero (1994). The filly Polar Success came home in front in 2003. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Dance Hero claimed the 2004 race and was the first Magic Millions winner to win a Golden Slipper. In 2005, Stratum blitzed a quality field of juveniles to win for trainer and part-owner Paul Perry. Miss Finland provided trainer David Hayes and jockey Craig Williams with their first Golden Slipper win when she showed a fine turn of foot to streak home in the 2006 event. Damien Oliver added the 2007 Golden Slipper to his resume when Forensics, trained by John Hawkes, scored a narrow win from Zizou by a short neck. While in 2008, Sebring secured victory by a nose to give trainer Gai Waterhouse her third success in the race. Ridden by Glen Boss, the son of More Than Ready hit the front at the final furlong marker and had enough in reserve to hold off a strong challenge from Von Costa De Hero. The joint training partnership of Bruce and Jason McLachlan won the 2009 event in emphatic fashion by two and a quarter lengths with Phelan Ready, ridden by Brad Rawiller. Crystal Lily was the winner of a controversial renewal in 2010 when the Saturn filly drifted wildly in the final furlong. She held on by half a length, but the win resulted in a lengthy ban for jockey Brett Prebble.
AJC AUSTRALIAN DERBY
(AUS$1,320,000) Randwick G1 1½m 3-y-o
First run in 1861 when Kyogle won. In the 1980's, Strawberry Road (1983) and Bonecrusher (1986) were just two of the famous victors while other winners include Don Eduardo (2002), Clangalang (2003) and Starcraft (2004). Eremein outstayed his 11 rivals including the New Zealand-bred invader Xcellent to capture the 2005 race. Hall of Fame trainer, John Hawkes and Sydney's champion jockey Darren Beadman turned heads in the 2006 renewal when Headturner stormed past his rivals to land the first stakes victory of his career. The successful partnership of John Hawkes and Darren Beadman were back in the winner’s enclosure again in 2007, when Fiumicino easily outstayed Ambitious General in the heavy conditions to win by a length and three quarters. It was a New Zealand one-two in the 2008 renewal as Nom du Jeu and Red Ruler proved too strong in the heavy going for their Australian rivals. Nom du Jeu, trained by Murray Baker and ridden by Jeff Lloyd just got the better of Red Ruler to win by three quarters of a length. The 2009 event was won by Australia’s training maestro, Bart Cummings, who claimed the race for the fifth time in his career. Renewing his partnership with jockey Jim Cassidy, the 81-year-old trainer sent out Roman Emperor to win by a head from the fast-finishing Harris Tweed. The 2010 renewal saw John Wallace make an emotional return to the winner’s enclosure as the win marked the trainer’s first Group One success since 1982. Shoot Out, ridden by Stathi Katsidis, ran on well to beat the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado by one and a quarter lengths.