- 1951 MELBOURNE CUP – DELTA
- 1952 MELBOURNE CUP – DALRAY
- 1953 MELBOURNE CUP – WODALLA
- 1954 MELBOURNE CUP – RISING FAST
- 1955 MELBOURNE CUP – TOPAROA
- 1956 MELBOURNE CUP – EVENING PEAL
- 1957 MELBOURNE CUP – STRAIGHT DRAW
- 1958 MELBOURNE CUP – BAYSTONE
- 1959 MELBOURNE CUP – MACDOUGAL
- 1960 MELBOURNE CUP – HI JINX
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Delta, 2nd Place Akbar, 3rd Place Double Blank
Jockeys: N. Sellwood, H. Wiggins, W. Pyers
Trainers: M. McCarten, K. J. Heaton, G. R. Jesser
Winner’s Time: 3:24.25
Weight: 59.24kg
Odds: 10/1
Prize money: £14,300
About:
The Melbourne Cup was one of many wins in the celebrated career of Delta, a well bred and well performing racehorse whose other successes included the Derby and Cox Plate. Delta also won the AJC Metropolitan, the first horse to win both this and the Melbourne Cup since Tim Whiffler in 1867.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Dalray, 2nd Place Welkin Sun, 3rd Place Reformed
Jockeys: W. Williamson, Sam Martin, E. Low
Trainers: C. C. McCarthy, N. Creighton, A. J. Brown
Winner’s Time: 3:23.75
Weight: 60.78kg
Odds: 5/1f
Prize money: £14,550
About:
Carrying eight pounds overweight for age, Dalray put in an amazing effort to take victory in the 1952 Cup. A well performing winner prior to their win at Melbourne, Dalray’s other successes include the NZ Derby, the Mackinnon Stakes and a second-placing in the Sydney Cup.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Wodalla, 2nd Place Most Regal, 3rd Place My Hero
Jockeys: J. Purtell, N. Powell, N. Eastwood
Trainers: R. Sinclair, T. R. Bradfield, O. F. Watson
Winner’s Time: 3:23.75
Weight: 52.62kg
Odds: 14/1
Prize money: £14,550
About:
Nearly scratched by their owner after underperforming in a run the Saturday before the 1953 Cup, Wodalla’s spirited run on the track at Flemington saw him chase and overtake the favourite Hydrogen down the straight before claiming Cup victory. Wodalla was one of only four horses to win the Melbourne Cup and Moonee Valley Gold Cup double.
1954 MELBOURNE CUP – RISING FAST
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Rising Fast, 2nd Place Hellion, 3rd Place Gay Helios
Jockeys: J. Purtell, N. McGrowdie, W. Toohey
Trainers: I. Tucker, W. Foster, S. Boyden
Winner’s Time: 3:23.00
Weight: 59.42kg
Odds: 5/2f
Prize money: £15,500
About:
What an amazing year for New Zealand horse Rising Fast, with their list of victories for the season including the Melbourne Cup, Turnbull stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes and the Fisher Plate. This successful spring campaign secured him as the last horse to win the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups and the Cox plate in the same season.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Toparoa, 2nd Place Rising Fast, 3rd Place Sir William
Jockeys: N. Sellwood, W. Williamson, A. Burton
Trainers: T. J. Smith, F. W. Hoysted, L. J. Ellis
Winner’s Time: 3:28.25
Weight: 48.08kg
Odds: 6/1
Prize money: £15,500
About:
Toparoa had, until their Melbourne Cup victory, a very unimpressive race record having won only nine of their 142 race starts. Despite this, Toparoa entered the race at Flemington with 6/1 odds. Not to disappoint, he closed in on the fast finishing top-weight Rising Fast in the final stages of the race, drawing away to cross the line first by three quarters of a length. Controversy surrounded the win as Toparoa’s rider Neville Sellwood was suspended for interference.
1956 MELBOURNE CUP – EVENING PEAL
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Evening Peal, 2nd Place Redcraze, 3rd Place Caranna
Jockeys: G. Podmore, Ward, G. Moore
Trainers: E. D. Lawson, T. J. Smith, E. Hush
Winner’s Time: 3:19.50
Weight: 51kg
Odds: 15/1
Prize money: £15,500
About:
Evening Peal’s 1956 Cup win sealed all kinds of records. She became the first mare to win the Melbourne Cup since Rainbird, and was the first horse to have an Oaks-Cup double victory in successive years. Second place getter Redcraze carried the greatest weight to a placing since 1890, and put up a fight against Evening Peal who won by only a neck.
1957 MELBOURNE CUP – STRAIGHT DRAW
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Straight Draw, 2nd Place Prince Darius, 3rd Place Pandie Sun
Jockeys: N. McGrowdie, A. Mulley, R. Hutchinson
Trainers: J. M. Mitchell, J. W. Cook, C. S. Hayes
Winner’s Time: 3:24.50
Weight: 53.07kg
Odds: 13/2
Prize money: £15,500
About:
After rising champion and favourite Tulloch was elected by his owner not to run in the 1957 Melbourne Cup, Straight Draw took on the second place-getter from the Derby Prince Darius, and defeated him winning Cup victory by a neck. Straight Draw also had victory in the 1957 Metropolitan Handicap, only the fourth horse to claim this double win, and later went on to win the 1958 Sydney Cup.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Baystone, 2nd Place Monte Carlo, 3rd Place Red Pine
Jockeys: M. Schumacher, J. Thompson, F. Treen
Trainers: J. Green, F. Dalton, O. N. Marshall
Winner’s Time: 3:21.25
Weight: 55kg
Odds: 10/1
Prize money: £15,500
About:
The 1958 Melbourne Cup was the first Cup start from automatic barrier stalls. Well supported with 10/1 favouritism, Baystone had claimed victory at the Hatham Handicap the Saturday before. Running steady throughout the big race, Baystone entered the straight without much competition, finally finishing by one and a half lengths over Monte Carlo, the Mackinnon Stakes winner. The win meant Baystone was the first horse in Cup history to win wearing the number 7 saddlecloth.
1959 MELBOURNE CUP – MACDOUGAL
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place MacDougal, 2nd Place Nether Gold, 3rd Place White Hills
Jockeys: P. Glennon, W. Camer, R. Higgins
Trainers: R. W. Roden, R. Webster, E. F. Silcock
Winner’s Time: 3:23.00
Weight: 56kg
Odds: 8/1
Prize money: £15,500
About:
Following on from his wins in both the Brisbane Cup and the Metropolitan Handicap, MacDougal took Melbourne Cup victory in 1959. It was a lucky win for jockey Pat Glennon who picked up the last minute ride on MacDougal after the horse was knocked back by Ron Hutchinson. Hutchinson favoured a ride on Trellios, who had won the Mackinnon Stakes three days prior, but it was MacDougal who performed at Flemington on the day.
Race Info:
Placings: 1st Place Hi Jinx, 2nd Place Howsie, 3rd Place Ilumquh
Jockeys: W. A. Smith, J. Purtell, W. Williamson
Trainers: T. H. Knowles, R. Burgess, E. Ropiha
Winner’s Time: 3:23.75
Weight: 48.99kg
Odds: 50/1
Prize money: £25 750
About:
1960 was the 100th Melbourne Cup race at Flemington. The Centenary Melbourne Cup was won by five-year-old Hi Jinx. Hi Jinx was the sentimental favourite with 50/1 odds, and took home the prize money that was raised by £10,000 from the previous year, much to the crowd’s amazement.