The 2016 JRA Cup is a Group 3 staying event held at Moonee Valley racecourse during the annual Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Held towards the end of September, the JRA Cup attracts stayers and milers looking to step up in distance. Run over 2040m, it is held over the same track and distance as the coveted Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) run a month later.
As an open quality event, the JRA Cup attracts some standout performers and offers $200,000 in total prize money.
The JRA Cup is held on Moir Stakes night and shares a race program with three other black type events. These are the headlining Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), Group 2 Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m).
Those horses which contest the JRA Cup often come via an eclectic mixture of preparations. One of the more common lead up races to the JRA Cup is the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) held at Caulfield a week before. Horses that experience success sometimes go on to major feature races, such as the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) or the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m).
The 2016 JRA Cup will be held on Friday September 30, 2016.
| JRA Cup 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Friday September 30, 2016, 2016 |
| Racecourse: | Moonee Valley Racecourse |
| Distance: | 2040m |
| Conditions: | Open Quality |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prizemoney: | $200,000 |
2016 JRA Cup Field
The JRA Cup 2016 field was released by Racing Victoria on Wednesday September 28 and features 11 stayers including the Darren Weir-trained top weight mare Real Love and the progrssive Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained import Tom Melbourne on the Cox Plate path.
See below for the official 2016 JRA Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw and follow the link for a full race preview.
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3132114×27 | REAL LOVE | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 5 | 58kg | 107 |
| 2 | 11120×9845 | MAGNAPAL | Terry & Karina O’Sullivan | Luke Currie | 8 | 57kg | 101 |
| 3 | 0x23151590 | MAURUS (GB) | Robert Smerdon | Craig Williams | 11 | 57kg | 101 |
| 4 | 708757×560 | TAIYOO | Darren Weir | Mark Zahra | 1 | 56.5kg | 100 |
| 5 | 703x8148x0 | ARAB DAWN (GB) | John O’Shea | Ben Melham | 10 | 56kg | 99 |
| 6 | x0x0730x59 | OBSERVATIONAL (GB) | Robert Hickmott | Damien Oliver | 2 | 55kg | 97 |
| 7 | 171x110x26 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Dwayne Dunn | 7 | 55kg | 97 |
| 8 | 7×78142516 | BOLD SNIPER (GB) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Cory Parish | 9 | 54.5kg | 96 |
| 9 | 1x70115x85 | NEVIS (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 6 | 54kg | 95 |
| 10 | 701893×486 | GO DREAMING | Grant Kluske | Dean Yendall | 3 | 54kg | 90 |
| 11 | x001310x79 | TARQUIN | John O’Shea | Michael Dee (a) | 4 | 54kg | 89 |
JRA Cup Betting
The latest JRA Cup betting odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au are listed below complete with links on your JRA Cup tips.
2016 JRA Cup Nominations
The official JRA Cup nominations closed on Monday September 26 and feature a bumper 26 entries, a number of which also hold a nomination for the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) held over a similar distance at Flemington on Sunday.
Check out the full 2016 JRA Cup nominations now.
JRA Cup History
Inaugurated in 2006, the JRA Cup has a relatively short history in comparison to major races across Australia. However, it’s above-grade prize money, usually more-than-impressive field and interim distance have combined to ensure the JRA Cup has experienced rapid growth in prestige and popularity since its inception.
In its short history, the JRA Cup has already seen some impressive horses pass the post. 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking ran third in the JRA Cup in the same year. Master O’Reilly ran third in the JRA Cup before his stunning 2007 Caulfield Cup victory. Prior to the 2010 edition, the JRA Cup ran as a Listed race.
Notable JRA Cup winners include Maldivian (2007), Alcopop (2009) and Mourinho (2013). JRA Cup results reaching back to the first edition in 2006 are listed below.
JRA Cup Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 JRA Cup |
1st | Real Love | 2 minutes 5.76 seconds |
| 2nd | Maurus | ||
| 3rd | Tarquin | ||
| 2015 JRA Cup |
1st | Escado | 2 minutes 5.88 seconds |
| 2nd | Magnapal | ||
| 3rd | Velox | ||
| 2014 JRA Cup |
1st | The Cleaner | 2 minutes 5.99 seconds |
| 2nd | Sangster | ||
| 3rd | Mourinho | ||
| 2013 JRA Cup |
1st | Mourinho | 2 minutes 6.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Gris Caro | ||
| 3rd | The Great Snowman | ||
| 2012 JRA Cup |
1st | Bianmick | 2 minutes 6.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Dance With Her | ||
| 3rd | Ironstein | ||
| 2011 JRA Cup |
1st | Dream Pedlar | 2 minutes 8.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Carnero | ||
| 3rd | Domesky | ||
| 2010 JRA Cup |
1st | Precedence | 2 minutes 5.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Rainbow Styling | ||
| 3rd | Linton | ||
| 2009 JRA Cup |
1st | Alcopop | 2 minutes 8.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Field Hunter | ||
| 3rd | Shocking | ||
| 2008 JRA Cup |
1st | Cefalu | 2 minutes 5.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Majestical | ||
| 3rd | Devil Moon | ||
| 2007 JRA Cup |
1st | Maldivian | 2 minutes 5.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Pacino | ||
| 3rd | Master O’Reilly | ||
| 2006 JRA Cup |
1st | Pavlova | 2 minutes 7.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Spinney | ||
| 3rd | Delvecchio | ||