- 1871 MELBOURNE CUP – THE PEARL
- 1872 MELBOURNE CUP – THE QUACK
- 1873 MELBOURNE CUP – DON JUAN
- 1874 MELBOURNE CUP – HARICOT
- 1875 MELBOURNE CUP – WOLLOMAI
- 1876 MELBOURNE CUP – BRISEIS
- 1877 MELBOURNE CUP – CHESTER
- 1878 MELBOURNE CUP – CALAMIA
- 1879 MELBOURNE CUP – DARRIWELL
- 1880 MELBOURNE CUP – GRAND FLANEUR
1871 MELBOURNE CUP – THE PEARL
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place The Pearl, 2nd Place Romula, 3rd Place Irish King
Jockeys: J. Cavanagh, J. Wilson jun., Haughey
Trainer: John Tait
Winner’s Time: 3:39.0
Weight: 45.81kg
Odds: 100/1
Prize money: £1,110
About:
John Tait had two runners in the 1871 Melbourne Cup, The Pearl and Pyrrhus. Although Tait had betted on Pyrrhus to win based on his good form prior to the race, The Pearl succeeded in winning after avoiding a scrimmage half way through the race, giving him the opportunity to move up and win by two lengths. The Pearl was the longest priced Melbourne Cup winner ever with the odds at 100/1.
1872 MELBOURNE CUP – THE QUACK
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place The Quack, 2nd Place The Ace, 3rd Place Dagworth
Jockeys: W. Enderson, T. Hales, Donnelly
Trainer: John Tait
Winner’s Time: 3:39.0
Weight: 48.99kg
Odds: 11/2
Prize money: £1,160
About:
Winner number four for trainer John Tait was The Quack in the 1872 Melbourne Cup. Dagworth was deemed the favourite for the Cup due to his victory over The Quack in The Metropolitan at Randwick, however in the Melbourne Cup Dagworth finished third. The Quack was the half brother of Nimblefoot.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Don Juan, 2nd Place Dagworth, 3rd Place Horatio
Jockeys: W. Wilson, Donnelly, M. Thompson
Trainer: James Wilson
Winner’s Time: 3:36.0
Weight: 43.54kg
Odds: 3/1 favourite
Prize money: £1,430
About:
After the race, the Sydney Mail posted an article on November 22, 1873, explaining that protesters had made allegations against Don Juan and his win in the Melbourne Cup. The article states that Don Juan was entered into Melbourne Cup as a four year old however was apparently over the age of four. The Victoria Racing Club found the allegations to be untrue and Don Juan continued to remain a great favourite with the public on account of his performance in the Cup.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Haricot, 2nd Place Protos, 3rd Place The Diver
Jockeys: P. Piggott, G. Arthur, Greville
Trainer: S. Harding
Winner’s Time: 3:37.50
Weight: 41.28kg
Odds: 16/1
Prize money: £1,210
About:
Despite being described as a horse with a big head and a weak neck, Haricot was unmatched in the 1874 Melbourne Cup with his two stone under weight-for-age. It was an easy win for Haricot who took the lead almost immediately, winning by four lengths.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Wollomai, 2nd Place Richmond, 3rd Place Goldsbrough
Jockeys: R. Batty, C. Williams, J. Ashworth
Trainer: S. Moon
Winner’s Time: 3:38.0
Weight: 48.08kg
Odds: 16/1
Prize money: £1,335
About:
The 1875 Melbourne Cup would be the first year in which the race was held on a Tuesday rather than a Thursday. Wollomai was bred at C.B Fisher’s property, Maribyrnong, not too far from Flemington. There has always been confusion over who owned Wollomai as the stallion rode under J. Sharp’s name however he was apparently sold to Albion Hotel owner, John Cleeland prior to the race. Cleeland supposedly won up to 20,000 pounds from Wollomai’s win.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Briseis, 2nd Place Sibyl, 3rd Place Timothy
Jockeys: P. St. Albans
Trainer: Jams Wilson
Winner’s Time: 3:36.25
Weight: 39.92kg
Odds: 13/2
Prize money: £1,775
About:
Briseis won the Melbourne Cup in 1876 with the Cup’s youngest jockey 13 year-old Peter St Albans riding her to victory by 1.1/2 lengths in front. Briseis was unable to carry her original rider, Hales and so the keen young jockey stepped in to help Briseis’ owner, breeder and trainer James Wilson take the winning Cup home. Briseis managed a triple win of the Derby, Melbourne Cup and The Oaks all in the space of six days.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Chester, 2nd Place Savanaka, 3rd Place The Vagabond
Jockeys: P. Piggott, P. St. Albans, C. Ivemy
Trainer: Etienne de Mestre
Winner’s Time: 3:33.50
Weight: 43.54kg
Odds: 5/1
Prize money: £1,940
About:
Due to the slippery and muddy conditions of the track on the 1877 Melbourne Cup race day, de Mestre made the decision to remove Chester’s plates before the race. His race time was a new record and despite Tom Kirk being the favourite to win, Chester won more than 20,000 pounds for his owner, the Hon. James White.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Calamia, 2nd Place Tom Kirk, 3rd Place Waxy
Jockeys: T. Brown, W. Murphy, Braithwaite
Trainer: Etienne de Mestre
Winner’s Time: 3:35.75
Weight: 51.71kg
Odds: 10/1
Prize money: £1,860
About:
After a 6 month spell, Calamia won the 1878 Melbourne Cup and gave Etienne de Mestre his fifth Melbourne Cup victory. During the same week as the Cup, the public had received news that the Kelly gang had killed two policemen at Stringybark Creek. Last year’s winner Chester fell during the race and gave his jockey chronic injuries.
1879 MELBOURNE CUP – DARRIWELL
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Darriwell, 2nd Place Sweetmeat, 3rd Place Suwarrow
Jockeys: S. Cracknell, D. Nicholson, G. Williams
Trainer: W. Dakin
Winner’s Time: 3:30.75
Weight: 46.27kg
Odds: 33/1
Prize money: £1,945
About:
The French invention of the Totalisator became extremely popular during the 1879 Melbourne Cup as well as off course sweepstakes. The colony soon after declared both types of betting as illegal, however totalisators were eventually declared legal on course in 1931.
1880 MELBOURNE CUP – GRAND FLANEUR
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Grand Flaneur, 2nd Place Progress, 3rd Place Lord Burghley
Jockeys: T. Hales, P. St. Albans, P. Piggott
Trainer: T. Brown
Winner’s Time: 3:34.75
Weight: 42.64kg
Odds: 4/1
Prize money: £1,785
About:
Grand Flaneur is one of few champion Thoroughbreds to have never been defeated in a single race. Throughout his remarkable yet short career, Grand Flaneur managed a winning record of 9 wins out of 9 starts. However, he wasn’t a very popular horse in the race due to his owner being known for scratching horses in order to win bets. Grand Flaneur ran 8 times as a 3 year old and won the AJC & VRC Mare’s Produce Stakes, VRC Victoria Derby, Champion Stakes, St. Leger Stakes and Town Plate.
