The 2011 Australian Cup has received a total of 63 nominations from top quality stayers, headlined by defending champion Zipping. Run as part of Flemington’s Super Saturday of Racing on March 12 2011, the Group 1 Australian Cup is a 2000m weight-for-age race worth $1million in prize money.
The list of 2011 nominations is up from 47 in 2010 and includes Moudre, Linton, Alcopop and 2010 Caulfield Guineas winner Anacheeva. Notable absences from the nominations are 2010 Melbourne Cup placegetter Maluckyday and 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado.
Prolific owner Lloyd Williams is looking to win his second Australian Cup in a row and has nine horses nominated including the 2010 winner Zipping. 9-year-old gelding Zipping will be at the top of the betting markets to make it two in a row after some impressive runs in 2010 which included fourth place in the 2010 Melbourne Cup, second in the Cox Plate, victory in the Turnbull Stakes and his fourth straight Sandown Classic win.
The final field of 18 runners for the 2011 Australian Cup will be announced on March 9 2011.
2011 Australian Cup Nominations
| No | Horse | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABSOLUTE JOY (NZ) | Lee Freedman |
| 2 | AKZAR (IRE) | Robert Hickmott |
| 3 | ALCOPOP | Jake Stephens |
| 4 | ANACHEEVA | Peter G Moody |
| 5 | AT FIRST SIGHT (IRE) | Robert Hickmott |
| 6 | BANANA MAN | Michael Kent |
| 7 | BOOMING (NZ) | Jeff Lynds |
| 8 | BUCCELLATI (GB) | Tony Noonan |
| 9 | C’EST LA GUERRE (NZ) | Robert Hickmott |
| 10 | CABEZA (NZ) | Danny O’Brien |
| 11 | CEDARBERG | Pat Carey |
| 12 | ECLAIR SURPRISE | Peter G Moody |
| 13 | EGYPTIAN LOVA | David Hayes |
| 14 | EXTRA ZERO | David Hayes |
| 15 | FAINT PERFUME | Bart Cummings |
| 16 | FAIRY OAK (NZ) | Peter G Moody |
| 17 | FANJURA (IRE) | Lee Freedman |
| 18 | FOXHAM | Tony McEvoy |
| 19 | GILDED SPUR | Anthony Cummings |
| 20 | GINGA DUDE (NZ) | Graeme Boyd |
| 21 | HANKS | Peter G Moody |
| 22 | HARRIS TWEED (NZ) | Murray & Bjorn Baker |
| 23 | HEART OF DREAMS | Mick Price |
| 24 | I’M IMPOSING (GB) | Robert Hickmott |
| 25 | IRONSTEIN | Gerald Ryan |
| 26 | KUTCHINSKY | Tony Noonan |
| 27 | LARISTAN (FR) | David Hayes |
| 28 | LINTON | Robert Hickmott |
| 29 | LORD PYRUS (NZ) | Judy Mawer |
| 30 | LORNE DANCER | Gai Waterhouse |
| 31 | MISS DARCEY | Anthony Cummings |
| 32 | MOUDRE | Ciaron Maher |
| 33 | MOURAYAN (IRE) | Robert Hickmott |
| 34 | MR CHARLIE (NZ) | Peter G Moody |
| 35 | MY BENTLEY (NZ) | Michael Kent |
| 36 | NIBLICK | Robert Hickmott |
| 37 | ONCE WERE WILD | Gai Waterhouse |
| 38 | PLAYING GOD | Neville Parnham |
| 39 | PRECEDENCE (NZ) | Bart Cummings |
| 40 | PURPLE | Peter Snowden |
| 41 | RAFFAELLO | Jim Marconi |
| 42 | REBEL SOLDIER (IRE) | David Hayes |
| 43 | RUNDLE | Robert Hickmott |
| 44 | SCENIC SHOT | Daniel Morton |
| 45 | SCOTTISH BORDER | Garry Frazer |
| 46 | SHOCKING | Mark Kavanagh |
| 47 | SMALL MINDS | John P Thompson |
| 48 | SPACECRAFT | Mick Price |
| 49 | SPEED GIFTED (GB) | Lee Freedman |
| 50 | STAR WITNESS | Danny O’Brien |
| 51 | STILLMAN (USA) | Robert Hickmott |
| 52 | TAGUS | John P Thompson |
| 53 | TEARS I CRY | Anne McGrath |
| 54 | THESEO | Gai Waterhouse |
| 55 | TRIUMPHANT CHOICE | Peter G Moody |
| 56 | TRUSTING | John P Thompson |
| 57 | VIGOR (NZ) | Danny O’Brien |
| 58 | VOILE ROUGE (NZ) | David Hayes |
| 59 | WALL STREET (NZ) | Jeff Lynds |
| 60 | WHOBEGOTYOU | Mark Kavanagh |
| 61 | WIND SHEAR | Dale Sutton |
| 62 | ZEVADA (NZ) | Tony Noonan |
| 63 | ZIPPING | Robert Hickmott |
