Horse Racing

The Melbourne Cup has enjoyed long success as one of the most prestigious horse racing events in the world, and their are many interesting Melbourne Cup facts and statistics stemming from the race’s long history. From the birth of the town of Melbourne to the dominance of Makybe Diva in 2005, the Melbourne Cup has endured a history as beautiful as the story of Melbourne. Let us look at the key events in Melbourne Cup history:

1835 – John Batman and John Pascoe Fawner founded the city of Melbourne. Batman, a native of Sydney, and Falkner from London became the first settlers of the land in the Western port area of Victoria.

1840 – The first race meet was held in Flemington. Back then, people knew that Flemington would be a great site for horse racing events because of the vast low alluvial field facing the Maribyrnong River.

1861 – The Victoria Racing Club held the first Melbourne Cup. The first inaugural race was won by Archer. Archer had to walk for 500 miles from his stable to get to Flemington. Archer also became the first multiple winner after winning the Melbourne Cup for the second straight time in 1862.

1869 – The Victoria Racing Club introduced the four day Spring Racing Carnival format. The Spring Racing Carnival eventually became the most watched horse racing carnival in Australia. The races in this carnival included the VRC Derby, the VRC Oaks, the VRC Stakes, and the Melbourne Cup.

1875 – The Melbourne Cup is first run on a Tuesday. Today, the first Tuesday of November is a declared public holiday in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. The first Tuesday of November and the days from the last week of October to the second week of November is the grandest stage for Australian horse racing.

1876 – Three-year old filly Briseis won the VRC Derby, Melbourne Cup and VRC Oaks in a span of six days – a record that has never been equalled. Peter St. Albans also became the youngest winning rider in the Melbourne Cup. He was 13 years old when he rode Briseis to three impressive victories.

1880 – The Melbourne Cup broke the 100,000 attendance mark for the first time. Today, more than 150,000 spectators watch the races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

1890 – Carbine claimed his spot as an all-time great as he won the Melbourne Cup in record time, while carrying the heaviest weight and against the biggest field ever assembled. The circumstances of his win made him one of the most revered runners of his time.

1915 - The first female owner won the Melbourne Cup.

1925 – First radio transmission to cover the Melbourne Cup provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

1930 – Phar Lap, regarded as the greatest Australia horse of all time, won the shortest priced favourite odds in the history of the Melbourne Cup at 11/8 (see how the current Melbourne Cup contenders stack up at Sportsbet). Phar Lap escaped a shooting attempt and had to be hidden at Geelong only to emerge one hour before race time. Phar Lap won 37 of his 51 races including 14 in a row from 1930 to 1931. He went on to dominate almost every race, winning 32 of his last 35 races. His last race was the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico, which was offering the largest purse for a horse race in North America.

After his death, Phar Lap’s heart was displayed in the Institute of Anatomy in Canberra and the National Museum of Australia where it is currently held. Phar Lap’s heart weighed an astounding 6.2 kilograms, compared to normal horse’s heart which is 3.2 kilograms. Phar Lap became the subject of several films and books including the 1983 Movie “Phar Lap: The Heart of a Nation”.

1954 – Rising Fast became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup, and six other major races in the same year, including the Caulfield Stakes, Caulfield Cup, and the Cox Plate.

1962 – To attract more spectators in the face of dwindling attendance figures, the Victoria Cup Derby agreed to host the first ‘Fashion on the Field’ award. This is an award given to the best dressed man and woman in the carnival. The award has spurred celebrities to show up at Flemington with their best dresses. The award became an important annual side attraction to the Melbourne Cup race.

1985 – The first sponsored Melbourne Cup was held along with the first million dollar prize money for winner and placers. The Melbourne Cup prize money reached a grand AUSD $5.5 million in 2008.

1990 – Kingston Rule recorded the fastest time to win the Melbourne Cup (3.16.3)

2003 – 122,736 spectators flocked to watch the Melbourne Cup, setting a record for the biggest crowd at Flemington. Makybe Diva won her first Melbourne Cup.

2004 – Makybe Diva won a second Melbourne cup, becoming only the fifth horse to win dual Melbourne Cups. Other multiple winners include the legendary Archer in the first two years of the Cup, Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Rain Lover (1968 and 1969), and Think Big (1974 and 1975).

2005 – Makybe Diva became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup three times, and the first horse to win three straight. She also broke her own weight handicap record for a mare.

2006 – The first Japanese horse, Delta Blues, won the Melbourne Cup

2007 – Efficient became the first horse since Phar Lap to win the Melbourne Cup and the Derby in successive years.

2008 – Melbourne Cup gave the largest prize money to competitors totaling AUD $5.5 million. The Melbourne Cup Trophy was valued at AUD $125,000. The current design of the Loving Cup Trophy is made with 34 pieces of hand-beaten 18 carat gold with a lathe base.

For many horse racing enthusiast and punters, the Melbourne Cup always has the most dramatic stories in and off the track. The Melbourne Cup never fails to attract the interest of even the most casual fans. If you want to be in the action of the cup, place your wagers now or join in casual sweep bets online.