Summer Cup

The Summer Cup is a Group 3 handicap held at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day each December over the Christmas racing season.

2023 Summer Cup Results

  • 1st: #5 Lion's Roar
  • 2nd: #3 Luncies
  • 3rd: #9 Baby Rider



The Summer Cup is a Group 3 handicap event held at Royal Randwick Racecourse each year on Boxing Day, December 26. After a break from racing on Christmas Day, the Boxing Day races in Sydney are hugely popular.

Held over 2000m under handicap conditions, the Summer Cup is open to all horses aged three years and older. With $250,000 prize money on offer as of 2023, the Summer Cup is a decent target for horses who are at the end of their spring campaign.

It stands as one of the only Group events held in Sydney during the summer and is the only Black-Type race on the card that day. Elsewhere in the country Caulfield Racecourse also hosts some popular Boxing Day races with the Listed Christmas Stakes (1100m) and Listed Lord Stakes (1700m) running in Melbourne.

The Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (1600m) – formerly known as the Villiers Stakes – is a reasonably popular lead up race to the Summer Cup, however the Villiers Stakes – Summer Cup double hasn’t been completed since Aqua D’Amore (2005).

Following the Summer Cup, most horses head to the paddock. Some might choose to head over to Western Australia for the last of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival races including the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) run on New Year’s Day.

Summer Cup graduates may also continue onto the Queensland’s Magic Millions Day races the following month at the Gold Coast. The 2021 Summer Cup winner Parry Sound went on to run a good fourth the following January in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2400m).

The 2022 Summer Cup runner-up Sky Lab won the Magic Millions Trophy next start at the Gold Coast in January of 2023.

The 2023 Summer Cup ran on Tuesday December 26, 2023 as part of the Boxing Day racing program in Sydney and saw the John O’Shea-trained Lion’s Roar ($2.80F) salute for his punters to break a notable winning drought. 

Summer Cup 2023
Date: Tuesday December 26, 2023
Track: Royal Randwick
Distance: 2000m
Race Type: 3YO+ Handicap
Status: Group 3
Prize Money: $250,000

2023 Summer Cup Results

  • 1st: #5 Lion’s Roar ($2.80F)
  • 2nd: #3 Luncies
  • 3rd: #9 Baby Rider

John O’Shea’s Contributer six-year-old Lion’s Roar ($2.80F) finally returned to winning form when clinging on in a tight finish to hold off Luncies and salute for the punters in the 2023 Summer Cup results in Sydney on Boxing Day for his first turf triumph since the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in March of 2021.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 5 LION’S ROAR (NZ) John O’Shea Tyler Schiller 3 55kg $2.80F
2 3 LUNCIES (GB) Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 0.38L 1 57kg $11
3 9 BABY RIDER (FR) Bjorn Baker Ms Rachel King 1.02L 5 53kg $4.20
4 2 STOCKMAN (NZ) Joseph Pride Reece Jones 1.13L 4 58kg $9.50
5 4 DARK DESTROYER (NZ) John O’Shea Zac Lloyd (a) 4.01L 2 56kg $15
6 1 HUETOR (FR) Peter & Paul Snowden Tom Sherry 4.45L 6 60kg $8.50
7 6 WARNING Anthony & Sam Freedman Keagan Latham 7.89L 7 54kg (cd 55kg) $17
8 10 WYCLIF (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Brock Ryan 7.98L 10 53kg $17
9 8 REGAL LION (NZ) Annabel Neasham Ashley Morgan 11.66L 8 53.5kg $31
10 7 FOUJITA SAN Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jay Ford 13.08L 9 54kg $17
11 DEFICIT Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Jay Ford 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Summer Cup Betting Odds

The latest Summer Cup odds on the Group 3 Boxing Day race at Royal Randwick will be found below complete with links to Ladbrokes.com.au for you to back your Summer Cup Tips at the best racing odds!

Spirit Ridge ($3.60 in 2020) and Lion’s Roar ($2.80 in 2023) are the latest favourites in Summer Cup betting to salute for the punters.

There was a notable upset meanwhile in 2021 with Parry Sound saluting at Summer Cup odds of $26.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 SUMMER CUP ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Summer Cup Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SUMMER CUP FORM GUIDE

2023 Summer Cup Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Summer Cup 2023 Tips on the popular Boxing Day race in Sydney this summer.

  • To Win: #5 Lion’s Roar ($2.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Great edition of the Summer Cup race on Boxing Day and happy to stick with the John O’Shea-trained favourite Lion’s Roar. Good gate three draw for the Contriubter six-year-old who is out to finally break a notable losing streak. He hasn’t won a race since his 2021 Group 1 Randwick Guineas victory. He has been competitive at the highest level without winning throughout his entire career however and looks well positioned to return to winning form here. Top form of late including a Group 2 $2 million The Ingham third only a half-length beaten over the mile here on December 9. Can salute.

2023 Summer Cup Field

The Summer Cup Field attracts a quality line-up of middle-distance summer stayers, many of which are backing-up out of a Villiers Stakes run over the Randwick mile in mid-December.

Racing NSW officially release the Summer Cup 2023 Final Field & Barriers the Thursday before the race and the acceptances will be available in full below.

The 2023 Summer Cup field features a quality line-up of hopefuls led in betting by former Randwick Guineas winner Lion’s Roar and the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained top-weight Huetor

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 653216×067 HUETOR (FR) Peter & Paul Snowden Tom Sherry 6 60kg 109
2 75×0984019 STOCKMAN (NZ) Joseph Pride Reece Jones 4 58kg 105
3 22418×9840 LUNCIES (GB) Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 1 57kg 103
4 4x1x060x90 DARK DESTROYER (NZ) John O’Shea Zac Lloyd (a) 2 56kg 101
5 0020×50623 LION’S ROAR (NZ) John O’Shea Tyler Schiller 3 55kg 99
6 06x00427x2 WARNING Anthony & Sam Freedman 7 54kg 96
7 70×5431601 FOUJITA SAN Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 9 54kg 83
8 437x0169x0 REGAL LION (NZ) Annabel Neasham Ashley Morgan 8 53.5kg 96
9 x9x07x0851 BABY RIDER (FR) Bjorn Baker Ms Rachel King 5 53kg 94
10 770×013952 WYCLIF (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Brock Ryan 10 53kg 84
11 7x5605x254 DEFICIT Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Jay Ford 11 53kg 76

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Summer Cup History

The Summer Cup was inaugurated in 1890, with Stockwell taking home the first Summer Cup trophy. Throughout the years, the Summer Cup has been variously held at Warwick Farm, Rosehill Gardens and its current home, Royal Randwick.

The distance of the Summer Cup has varied too, with it running over 2400m at Rosehill in 2011, as opposed to its current 2000m.

Quite a few decent horses have gone through the Summer Cup. Notable recent Summer Cup winners include I’m Imposing (2013-14), Mighty Lucky (2015), and Red Excitement (2016) who improved on a lead-up third in the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill three weeks earlier. Red Excitement also went on to run second to Montauk (2017) in the following year’s Summer Cup results.

The Summer Cup form of 2018 was franked the following year when the winner Fierce Impact dominated the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival winning the Group 1 Toorak Handicap – Group 1 Cantala Stakes double in 2019.

In 2022 Diamil set a new Summer Cup race record winning over the 2000m in 2 minutes 00.76 seconds.

In 2023 Lion’s Roar won the Summer Cup in his first victory since the 2021 Randwick Guineas.

Summer Cup Results

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Summer Cup
1st Lion’s Roar 2 minutes 2.87 seconds
2nd Luncies
3rd Baby Rider
2022
Summer Cup
1st Diamil 2 minutes 00.76 seconds
2nd Sky Lab
3rd Berdibek
2021
Summer Cup
1st Parry Sound 2 minutes 4.94 seconds
2nd Criaderas
3rd Polly Grey
2020
Summer Cup
1st Spirit Ridge 2 minutes 2.20 seconds
2nd Best Of Days
3rd Black On Gold
2019
Summer Cup
1st Luvaluva 2 minutes 2.84 seconds
2nd Black On Gold
3rd Taikomochi
2018
Summer Cup
1st Fierce Impact 2 minutes 4.02 seconds
2nd Satono Rasen
3rd Life Less Ordinary
2017
Summer Cup
1st Montauk 2 minutes 5.74 seconds
2nd Red Excitement
3rd Testashadow
2016
Summer Cup
1st Red Excitement 2 minutes 3.81 seconds
2nd Foreign Prince
3rd Shalmaneser
2015
Summer Cup
1st Mighty Lucky 2 minutes 3.7 seconds
2nd Junoob
3rd I’m Imposing
2014
Summer Cup
1st I’m Imposing 2 minutes 4.8 seconds
2nd Midsummer Sun
3rd Casino Dancer
2013
Summer Cup
1st I’m Imposing 2 minutes 4.8 seconds
2nd Travolta
3rd Destiny’s Kiss
2012
Summer Cup
1st Le Roi 2 minutes 35.1 seconds
2nd Brightest
3rd Praecido
2011
Summer Cup
1st Yulalona 2 minutes 30.1 seconds
2nd Nextanix
3rd Count Encosta
2010
Summer Cup
1st Spechenka 2 minutes 26.3 seconds
2nd Strike One
3rd Let Them Have It
2009
Summer Cup
1st Solid Billing 2 minutes 30.6 seconds
2nd Zazabeau
3rd Rockwood
2008
Summer Cup
1st Ready To Lift 2 minutes 31.8 seconds
2nd Bellagio Wynn
3rd Zazabeau
2007
Summer Cup
1st Race Not Held
2nd
3rd
2006
Summer Cup
1st Jamberoo 2 minutes 32.9 seconds
2nd Game On
3rd Taken At The Flood
2005
Summer Cup
1st Aqua D’Amore 2 minutes 28.1 seconds
2nd County Tyrone
3rd Beat The Tide
2004
Summer Cup
1st This Manshood 2 minutes 27.8 seconds
2nd Vereza
3rd New York Style
2003
Summer Cup
1st Stadium 2 minutes 30.1 seconds
2nd Ocho
3rd Stoway
2002
Summer Cup
1st Stoway 2 minutes 33.2 seconds
2nd Ego Fast
3rd Barawin
2001
Summer Cup
1st Majestically 2 minutes 29.3 seconds
2nd Zarayev
3rd Power Of Pegasus
2000
Summer Cup
1st Lanolin 2 minutes 27.4 seconds
2nd Vitrinite
3rd Consolidator

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