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The Sydney Cup is a Group 1 race run at Royal Randwick over two miles (3200m) on a Saturday in early April on Day 2 of 'The Championships.
The Group 1 Sydney Cup is held on the final race day of the esteemed ‘The Championships’ during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ – also known as Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day – is one of the most exciting and valuable race days on the Australian racing calendar.
Held on the second Saturday of April the meeting is headined by four Group 1 races including the richest race on the card – the Group 1 $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m). The other elite level features along with it and the Sydney Cup are the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) for the three-year-old fillies and the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares.
The Sydney Cup is one of only a few Australian races run over the traditional cup distance of 3200m, the same as Australia’s most illustrious race the Melbourne Cup. This open handicap event is worth a very lucrative $2,000,000 and generally features some of the leading stayers in Australia.
All of The Championships’ races for 2020 had reduced prizemoney due to the COVID-19 pandemic including the Sydney Cup offering $1 million.
As the premier staying event during the Sydney Autumn Carnival, the Sydney Cup field attracts a high quality field of gallopers each year and notable winners include the three time Melbourne Cup winning mare Makybe Diva (2004), Tie The Knot (1998 & 1999) and Count Chivas (1996).
The best guide to the Sydney Cup in recent years has been the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) held the Saturday before on Doncaster Mile Day. The Chairmans Handicap / Sydney Cup is a very popular betting double.
Horses to claim victory in both races include The Offer (2014), Jessicabeel (2010), No Wine No Song (2008), Henderson Bay (2002), Linesman (1997) and King Aussie (1990).
The 2020 Sydney Cup ran on Saturday April 11, 2020 and was won in an upset by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import Etah James.
Sydney Cup 2020 | |
---|---|
Date: | Saturday April 11, 2020 |
Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse |
Distance: | 3200m |
Conditions: | Open Handicap |
Status: | Group 1 |
Prize Money: | $2 million ($1 million in 2020 due to COVID-19) |
Inaugurated: | 1862 |
It was the form out of the New Zealand staying races that held up in the 2020 Sydney Cup results with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained former Kiwi-trained mare Etah James ($14) narrowly defeating the New Zealand galloper The Chosen One ($18) in the two mile feature.
Click here to read more on the upset Sydney Cup 2020 win by Etah James.
Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Barrier | Weight | SP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | ETAH JAMES (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Glen Boss | – | 8 | 51kg (cd 51.5kg) | $14 |
2 | 6 | THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Kerrin McEvoy | 0.2L | 5 | 53.5kg | $18 |
3 | 4 | RAHEEN HOUSE (IRE) | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 0.7L | 2 | 54kg | $6 |
4 | 11 | SWEET THOMAS (GER) | Matthew Smith | Ms Rachel King | 3.2L | 10 | 51kg | $31 |
5 | 1 | MUSTAJEER (GB) | Kris Lees | Nash Rawiller | 4L | 3 | 57.5kg | $5.50 |
6 | 9 | ANGEL OF TRUTH | Gwenda Markwell | Sam Clipperton | 4.3L | 12 | 52.5kg (cd 53.5kg) | $11 |
7 | 2 | YOUNG RASCAL (FR) | William Haggas | Tom Marquand | 6.2L | 9 | 56kg | $2.90F |
8 | 5 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | Archie Alexander | Jason Collett | 18.1L | 6 | 53.5kg | $18 |
9 | 8 | YOGI (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jean Van Overmeire (a) | 18.3L | 1 | 52.5kg | $21 |
10 | 12 | SAUNTER BOY (FR) | Kris Lees | Jay Ford | 26.6L | 4 | 51kg | $101 |
11 | 3 | HUSH WRITER (JPN) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 59.4L | 7 | 54.5kg | $26 |
12 | 7 | AZURO (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Glyn Schofield | 66.5L | 11 | 53kg (cd 53.5kg) | $18 |
– | 13 | CORNCRAKE (GB) | Matthew Smith | Ms Kathy O’Hara | – | 0 | – | – |
Sydney Cup betting is notoriously difficult and, just like the Melbourne Cup, is always a very open race.
In recent years favorites have a strong record in the Sydney Cup and the likes of Mahtoum (2005), No Wine No Song (2008), Ista Kareem (2009), Jessicabeel (2010), Niwot (2011) and The Offer (2014) have all given punters a positive result in the race.
However, there has also been plenty of upsets in the history of the Sydney Cup including by the likes of Just A Dancer ($41 in 1991) and Grand Marshal ($41 in 2015).
Good Sydney Cup betting tips include looking for horses that ran top four in their lead-up runs and graduates out of the previous weekend’s Chairman’s Handicap at the Randwick track.
The 2020 Sydney Cup odds will be listed below as released by Ladbrokes.com.au in the lead-up to the two mile classic.
The Sydney Cup form is often very easy to follow as most horses contest either the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) or Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) in the lead-up to the race. The Chairman’s Handicap remains the key Sydney Cup form race.
Stay tuned for our insider Sydney Cup 2020 Form Guide & Betting Preview for all the race facts and stats to guide your selections on the two mile classic.
Each year the Sydney Cup field attracts the autumn’s top-class stayers many of which have had previous experience over the two miles either via an earlier year’s Sydney Cup or even the iconic Melbourne Cup run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
The Sydney Cup 2020 field will be released Tuesday before the race and published in full below.
Thirteen stayers make-up the 2020 Sydney Cup final field this autumn with the in-form UK raider Young Rascal the clear favourite in barrier 10 after the NE Manion Cup win fresh down under.
Click here to read more on the Sydney Cup 2020 field of 13.
Update: The rails-drawn #13 Corncrake (1) has been scratched from the Sydney Cup field.
Click here for the full 2020 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day Scratchings & Track Report.
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 235160×122 | MUSTAJEER (GB) | Kris Lees | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 57.5kg | 111 |
2 | 11x56x19x1 | YOUNG RASCAL (FR) | William Haggas | Tom Marquand | 10 | 56kg | 106 |
3 | 621816×700 | HUSH WRITER (JPN) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 8 | 54.5kg | 105 |
4 | x23960x661 | RAHEEN HOUSE (IRE) | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 3 | 54kg | 104 |
5 | 042874×974 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | Archie Alexander | Jason Collett | 7 | 53.5kg | 103 |
6 | 91950×3857 | THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Kerrin McEvoy | 6 | 53.5kg | 103 |
7 | 1×05531377 | AZURO (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Glyn Schofield | 12 | 53kg | 102 |
8 | 50x23x7896 | YOGI (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jean Van Overmeire (a) | 2 | 52.5kg | 101 |
9 | 5800×89575 | ANGEL OF TRUTH | Gwenda Markwell | Sam Clipperton | 13 | 52.5kg | 101 |
10 | x874641634 | ETAH JAMES (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Glen Boss | 9 | 51kg | 98 |
11 | 15x600x477 | SWEET THOMAS (GER) | Matthew Smith | Ms Rachel King | 11 | 51kg | 98 |
12 | 4554x057x5 | SAUNTER BOY (FR) | Kris Lees | Jay Ford | 5 | 51kg | 89 |
13 | 4111×32711 | CORNCRAKE (GB) | Matthew Smith | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 1 | 51kg | 66 |
After nominations close in February the Sydney Cup first acceptances are taken four weeks out from the race on a Tuesday in early March, narrowing down the list of horses heading towards the $2 million classic.
The Sydney Cup 2020 first acceptances attracted 52 stayers with UK raider Young Rascal the short-priced favourite following his NE Manion Cup victory first-up in Australia.
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 342x1x1311 | AKTAU (GB) | G | 4 | Michael Moroney | 90 |
2 | 5800×89575 | ANGEL OF TRUTH | G | 4 | Gwenda Markwell | 101 |
3 | 143276×507 | ATTENTION RUN (GER) | M | 5 | Kris Lees | 90 |
4 | 125x11x680 | ATTORNEY (FR) | G | 5 | Matthew Smith | 76 |
5 | 2147×54533 | AVILIUS (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | 116 |
6 | 1×05531377 | AZURO (FR) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 102 |
7 | 3240×79968 | BEAU BALMAIN (GER) | G | 5 | Jim Conlan | 87 |
8 | 15222×0352 | CARIF | H | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 99 |
9 | 1158×80453 | CHOUXTING THE MOB (NZ) | G | 6 | Simon Morrish | 89 |
10 | 112617×909 | COME PLAY WITH ME | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 107 |
11 | 4111×32711 | CORNCRAKE (GB) | H | 4 | Matthew Smith | 66 |
12 | 124×615129 | DABIYR (IRE) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 94 |
13 | 7814515222 | DARK PEARL (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 77 |
14 | 21112×08 | DJUKON (GB) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 92 |
15 | 1512141340 | DONNDUBHAN | G | 5 | Brent Stanley | 75 |
16 | 10111x42x7 | ESTI FENY (HUN) | H | 5 | Matthew Smith | 91 |
17 | x874641634 | ETAH JAMES (NZ) | M | 7 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 98 |
18 | 37x47Px960 | FAIRLIGHT (IRE) | G | 5 | Kris Lees | 71 |
19 | 0426351625 | FUN FACT | G | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 88 |
20 | 19211×1253 | FUTURE SCORE (IRE) | G | 5 | Matt Cumani | 92 |
21 | 042874×974 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | H | 7 | Archie Alexander | 103 |
22 | 2251110596 | GARBHAN | G | 6 | Brent Stanley | 74 |
23 | 3x5559x864 | GLORY DAYS (NZ) | M | 7 | Bill Thurlow | 104 |
24 | 621816×700 | HUSH WRITER (JPN) | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 105 |
25 | 22x171353x | IL PARADISO (USA) | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 107 |
26 | 55121×1071 | ILWENDO (GER) | H | 6 | Matthew Smith | 80 |
27 | 82112×5147 | JUST BENJAMIN (GB) | G | 4 | Anthony Freedman | 80 |
28 | 1x3349x211 | KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) | G | 5 | Danny O’Brien | 91 |
29 | 54×2561165 | LUVALUVA (NZ) | M | 5 | John Sargent | 107 |
30 | 516530×887 | MIDTERM (GB) | G | 7 | Michael & Luke Cerchi | 95 |
31 | 2348126789 | MORTON’S FORK | G | 6 | Richard Litt | 94 |
32 | x156x11126 | MUGATOO (IRE) | G | 5 | Kris Lees | 84 |
33 | 235160×122 | MUSTAJEER (GB) | G | 7 | Kris Lees | 111 |
34 | x058321023 | PLATINUM INVADOR (NZ) | G | 4 | Lisa Latta | 99 |
35 | 142×821950 | PRIMITIVO | G | 5 | John Thompson | 96 |
36 | x23960x661 | RAHEEN HOUSE (IRE) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 104 |
37 | 170x540x38 | RED CARDINAL (IRE) | G | 8 | Kris Lees | 105 |
38 | 4554x057x5 | SAUNTER BOY (FR) | G | 7 | Kris Lees | 89 |
39 | 11x111x310 | SHARED AMBITION (IRE) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 97 |
40 | x07005x532 | SOUND (GER) | H | 7 | Michael Moroney | 103 |
41 | 6441301×79 | SOUTHERN FRANCE (IRE) | H | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 110 |
42 | 40490×5445 | STARS OF CARRUM | G | 4 | Pat Carey | 86 |
43 | 16x2026x43 | SUPERNOVA (GB) | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 95 |
44 | 15x600x477 | SWEET THOMAS (GER) | G | 8 | Matthew Smith | 98 |
45 | 12x50x7102 | TE AKAU CALIBURN (IRE) | H | 5 | Jamie Richards | 91 |
46 | 91950×3857 | THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) | H | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 103 |
47 | x71502x880 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 8 | Michael Moroney | 107 |
48 | 34121×7556 | WARNING | G | 3 | Anthony Freedman | 103 |
49 | x185310x39 | WOLFE (JPN) | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 100 |
50 | 6110×97730 | WU GOK | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 102 |
51 | 50x23x7896 | YOGI (NZ) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 101 |
52 | 11x56x19x1 | YOUNG RASCAL (FR) | G | 5 | William Haggas | 106 |
The Sydney Cup nominations are first taken by Racing NSW on a Monday in early-mid February about two months out from the race and can attract up to 100 stayers.
The Sydney Cup was first run in 1862 as a Principal race over 16 furlongs, and Talleyrand won the inaugural race. The distance and conditions of the Sydney Cup remained the same for over a century until Australia’s adoption of the metric system caused the length to be converted to 3200m in 1973. In 1980 the Sydney Cup was elevated to Group 1 status.
The event has gone by a number of different names over the years including the Randwick Grand Handicap, Randwick Grand Handicap Sweepstakes and the Sydney Gold Cup.
In 2017 the Sydney Cup was run on April 8, but declared a No Race after the fall of Almoonqith. It ran for a second time a fortnight later with the same horse, UK raider Polarisation, first past the post again.
In 2018 Who Shot Thebarman made history winning the Sydney Cup as a nine-year-old at his fifth attempt in the two mile classic.
Sydney Cup Records | |
---|---|
Time Record: | 3:19.0 set by Apollo Eleven in 1973 and equalled by Just A Dancer in 1991. |
Most Heavily Weighted Winner (since 1970): | My Good Man with 60kg in 1978. |
Lightest Weighted Winner (since 1970): | Palace Revolt with 48.5kg in 1989. |
Year | Place | Horse | Time |
---|---|---|---|
2020 Sydney Cup |
1st | Etah James | 3 minutes 28.46 seconds |
2nd | The Chosen One | ||
3rd | Raheen House | ||
2019 Sydney Cup |
1st | Shraaoh | 3 minutes 22.06 seconds |
2nd | Vengeur Masque | ||
3rd | Glory Days | ||
2018 Sydney Cup |
1st | Who Shot Thebarman | 3 minutes 20.04 seconds |
2nd | Zacada | ||
3rd | Sir Charles Road | ||
2017 Sydney Cup |
1st | Polarisation | 3 minutes 29.16 seconds |
2nd | Who Shot Thebarman | ||
3rd | Big Duke | ||
2016 Sydney Cup |
1st | Gallante | 3 minutes 24.5 seconds |
2nd | Libran | ||
3rd | Grand Marshal | ||
2015 Sydney Cup |
1st | Grand Marshal | 3 minutes 24.70 seconds |
2nd | Who Shot Thebarman | ||
3rd | Like A Carousel | ||
2014 Sydney Cup |
1st | The Offer | 3 minutes 23.86 seconds |
2nd | Opinion | ||
3rd | Sertorius | ||
2013 Sydney Cup |
1st | Niwot | 3 minutes 20.4 seconds |
2nd | Efficient | ||
3rd | Once Were Wild | ||
2012 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mourayan | 3 minutes 24.29 seconds |
2nd | Norsqui | ||
3rd | Aliyana Tide | ||
2011 Sydney Cup |
1st | Stand To Gain | 3 minutes 29.1 seconds |
2nd | Older Than Time | ||
3rd | Solid Billing | ||
2010 Sydney Cup |
1st | Jessicabeel | 3 minutes 21.86 seconds |
2nd | Divine Rebel | ||
3rd | Harris Tweed | ||
2009 Sydney Cup |
1st | Ista Kareem | 3 minutes 27.4 seconds |
2nd | Divine Rebel | ||
3rd | Mr Tipsy | ||
2008 Sydney Cup |
1st | No Wine No Song | 3 minutes 25.5 seconds |
2nd | Pentathon | ||
3rd | Lang | ||
2007 Sydney Cup |
1st | Gallic | 3 minutes 27.3 seconds |
2nd | Irazu | ||
3rd | No Wine No Song | ||
2006 Sydney Cup |
1st | County Tyrone | 3 minutes 22.6 seconds |
2nd | Zabeat | ||
3rd | Three Chimneys | ||
2005 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mahtoum | 3 minutes 27.6 seconds |
2nd | County Tyrone | ||
3rd | Philosophe | ||
2004 Sydney Cup |
1st | Makybe Diva | 3 minutes 21.1 seconds |
2nd | Manawa King | ||
3rd | Mummify | ||
2003 Sydney Cup |
1st | Honor Babe | 3 minutes 30.5 seconds |
2nd | County Tyrone | ||
3rd | Grey Song | ||
2002 Sydney Cup |
1st | Henderson Bay | 3 minutes 26.7 seconds |
2nd | Mr. Prudent | ||
3rd | Spirit Of Westbury | ||
2001 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mr. Prudent | 3 minutes 26.9 seconds |
2nd | Prophet’s Kiss | ||
3rd | Starina | ||
2000 Sydney Cup |
1st | Streak | 3 minutes 30.3 seconds |
2nd | Sharscay | ||
3rd | Ears’ Ronny |