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The Moonee Valley Cup, officially the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, is the major distance event held at the Moonee Valley Racecourse during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in late October. The 2500m event usually attracts a niche group of stayers that could be looking to back-up on the first Tuesday of November in the iconic $8 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Flemington.

The last Melbourne Cup winner to come off a Moonee Valley Gold Cup run was Prince Of Penzance (2nd in 2015) who won the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Melbourne Cup odds of $101! Prince Of Penzance earlier won the 2014 edition of the MV Cup further franking the form lines of the race. A few years before, French raider Americain won the Moonee Valley Cup in 2011 one year after claiming the Melbourne Cup (2010). Kingston Rule (1990) is the last horse to complete the Moonee Valley Cup – Melbourne Cup double in the same year.

Now worth a lucrative $1 million in prize money as of 2021, the set weights and penalties event is open to all horses aged four years and over. The October event takes place on the Cox Plate Day that also includes a host of other Group raced headlined by the $5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m).

The Moonee Valley Cup is part of Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day and in 2021 ran on Saturday October 23, 2021 with the Grahame Begg-trained mare Lunar Flare saluting at $12.  

2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup
Date:	Saturday October 23, 2021
Track:	Moonee Valley Racecourse
Distance:	2500m
Race Type:	4YO+ Set Weights & Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$1,000,000

2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Results

• 1st: #13 Lunar Flare
• 2nd: #12 Floating Artist
• 3rd: #1 Sound

Michael Moroney’s consistent mare Lunar Flare ($12) was good again holding off a luckless Floating Artist after coming from third last to win the Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 on Cox Plate Day.

Click here to read more on the narrow victory by Lunar Flare in the 2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	13	LUNAR FLARE	Grahame Begg	Michael Dee		4	54kg		$12
	2	12	FLOATING ARTIST (GB)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Teodore Nugent (a)	0.1L	8	55kg		$3.80
	3	1	SOUND (GER)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	0.85L	10	57kg		$26
	4	10	PONDUS (GB)	Robert Hickmott	Jye McNeil	1.05L	3	56kg		$2.20F
	5	11	MIAMI BOUND (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	Daniel Moor	4.55L	9	55kg		$12
	6	6	FUTURE SCORE (IRE)	Matt Cumani	Dean Yendall	5.3L	5	56kg		$41
	7	5	SECRET BLAZE	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	5.5L	6	56kg		$19
	8	4	ATTORNEY (FR)	Matthew Smith	Craig Williams	6.25L	1	56.5kg		$19
	9	9	STARCASTER (GB)	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Blaike McDougall	7.75L	7	56kg		$21
	10	2	GOOD IDEA	Phillip Stokes	Craig Newitt	27.75L	2	57kg		$21
		7	HARPO MARX (IRE)	Bjorn Baker	Damian Lane		0
		3	LE DON DE VIE (GB)	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Damien Oliver		0
		8	THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jordan Childs		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Betting Odds

The latest Moonee Valley Cup 2021 odds and betting markets provided by Ladbrokes.com.au will listed below complete with links for you to lock in your Moonee Valley Gold Cup tips at the right price this Cox Plate Day.

2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Field

The Moonee Valley Gold Cup field attracts a quality line-up of spring stayers, many eyeing a run in the Melbourne Cup field at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November. Good lead-up races into the Moonee Valley Gold Cup field include Sydney’s St Leger (2600m) race at Randwick and even the previous weekend’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

The 2021 Moonee Valley Cup field and barrier draw are released on the Wednesday of race week and will be provided in full below once announced.

The Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 final field features a line-up of potential Melbourne Cup hopefuls led in betting by the Maher/Eustace trained Floating Artist.

• Scratched: #3 Le Don De Vie (8); #7 Harpo Marx (4); #8 The Good Fight (13) 

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	1x62309x97	SOUND (GER)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	12	57kg		104
2	855167×033	GOOD IDEA	Phillip Stokes	Craig Newitt	2	57kg		95
3	5x57170x50	LE DON DE VIE (GB)	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Damien Oliver	8	56.5kg		101
4	241441×060	ATTORNEY (FR)	Matthew Smith	Craig Williams	1	56.5kg		100
5	8227×05516	SECRET BLAZE	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Luke Currie	7	56kg		101
6	53x6133x08	FUTURE SCORE (IRE)	Matt Cumani	Dean Yendall	6	56kg		99
7	2×54151163	HARPO MARX (IRE)	Bjorn Baker	Damian Lane	4	56kg		102
8	0x31851447	THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jordan Childs	13	56kg		97
9	851175×331	STARCASTER (GB)	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Blaike McDougall	9	56kg		88
10	0x22x722x5	PONDUS (GB)	Robert Hickmott	Jye McNeil	3	56kg		103
11	878333×009	MIAMI BOUND (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	Daniel Moor	11	55kg		103
12	5x55x01113	FLOATING ARTIST (GB)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Teodore Nugent (a)	10	55kg		99
13	8×33149221	LUNAR FLARE	Grahame Begg	Michael Dee	5	54kg		91

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Nominations

Nominations on the Moonee Valley Cup in 2021 close the Monday of race week and will be published for the punters in full below.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	241441×060	ATTORNEY (FR)	G	7	Matthew Smith	100
2	21345×2446	BARADE (FR)	G	7	Archie Alexander	89
3	528434×172	BARTHOLOMEU DIAS (GB)	G	7	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	90
4	x14x4x4x07	CORMORANT (IRE)	G	5	Robert Hickmott	96
5	13616x2x00	DAWN PATROL (IRE)	G	5	Robert Hickmott	103
6	0238375×58	DJUKON (GB)	G	6	Chris Waller	87
7	35×5282536	DR DRILL (GB)	G	7	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	98
8	5x55x01113	FLOATING ARTIST (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	99
9	53x6133x08	FUTURE SCORE (IRE)	G	7	Matt Cumani	99
10	855167×033	GOOD IDEA	G	7	Phillip Stokes	95
11	x221211251	GRAND PROMENADE (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	103
12	2×54151163	HARPO MARX (IRE)	G	6	Bjorn Baker	102
13	329431×009	JOHNNY GET ANGRY (NZ)	G	4	Denis Pagan	103
14	43x8511x90	KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE)	G	7	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	103
15	5x57170x50	LE DON DE VIE (GB)	G	6	Anthony & Sam Freedman	101
16	8×33149221	LUNAR FLARE	M	6	Grahame Begg	91
17	51111×7631	MAHASHAKTI	M	5	Mitchell Freedman	83
18	878333×009	MIAMI BOUND (NZ)	M	5	Danny O’Brien	103
19	308×826845	MIRAGE DANCER (GB)	H	8	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	104
20	51716×8078	MOSH MUSIC	M	7	Archie Alexander	99
21	0x22x722x5	PONDUS (GB)	G	6	Robert Hickmott	103
22	00x00x5030	ROSTROPOVICH (IRE)	G	7	Ben & JD Hayes	95
23	4071251×08	ROYAL CROWN	G	5	Michael Kent	79
24	8227×05516	SECRET BLAZE	G	6	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	101
25	1x62309x97	SOUND (GER)	H	9	Michael Moroney	104
26	851175×331	STARCASTER (GB)	G	7	Anthony & Sam Freedman	88
27	0x31851447	THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ)	G	7	Michael Moroney	97
28	79288611×0	TOKEN SPIRIT	G	4	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	71
29	116x510x42	WENTWOOD (GB)	G	7	Maddie Raymond	94

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Moonee Valley Cup History

First held in 1883, the Moonee Valley Cup was originally an eight furlong event when it was won by Castaway. Over the years the event has changed its distance over six times ranging from eight, six and seven furlongs to eleven, twelve, ten, thirteen furlongs. Eventually it became a 2600m race before it was reduced down to 2500m.

Originally a Principal race, the Moonee Valley Cup became a Group 3 race in 1979 and was then elevated to Group 2 status in 1980. Also known as the Cathay Pacific Gold Cup, Grosby Gold Cup and Governors’ Stakes, the event has had several double winners including Little Bob (1891-92), Gladwyn (1914-15), Gilltown (1939-40) and Valcurl (1945-46).

Kingston Rule went on to win the Melbourne Cup after winning the Moonee Valley Cup in 1990, but the Cox Plate Day race has produced a number of other Melbourne Cup winners and placegetters since including in 2015 when Prince Of Penzance improved on his second to win the ‘race that stops a nation’ at 100/1 odds.

Trainer Chris Waller prepared the Moonee Valley Gold Cup quinella in both 2016 and 2017, Who Shot Thebarman improving on his second in 2016 to win the 2017 edition over stablemate Libran on way to his fourth Melbourne Cup.

In 2018 the Moonee Valley Cup winner Ventura Storm set a new record winning in 2 minutes 34.37 seconds.

Moonee Valley Cup results, winners and winning times since 2000 are listed below.

Recent Moonee Valley Cup Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2021 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Lunar Flare	2 minutes 40.12 seconds
	2nd	Floating Artist
	3rd	Sound
2020 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Miami Bound	2 minutes 39.66 seconds
	2nd	Shared Ambition
	3rd	Oceanex
2019 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Hunting Horn	2 minutes 39.48 seconds
	2nd	Mr Quickie
	3rd	Downdraft
2018 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Ventura Storm	2 minutes 34.34 seconds (R)
	2nd	Trap For Fools
	3rd	Libran
2017 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Who Shot Thebarman	2 minutes 37.38 seconds
	2nd	Libran
	3rd	Cismontane
2016 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Grand Marshal	2 minutes 41.42 seconds
	2nd	Who Shot Thebarman
	3rd	Pentathlon
2015 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	The United States	2 minutes 34.4 seconds
	2nd	Prince Of Penzance
	3rd	Bohemian Lily
2014 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Prince Of Penzance	2 minutes 36.0 seconds
	2nd	Le Roi
	3rd	Au Revoir
2013 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Precedence	2 minutes 36.9 seconds
	2nd	Shoreham
	3rd	Gotta Take Care
2012 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Vatuvei	2 minutes 35.73 seconds
	2nd	Reuben Percival
	3rd	Ironstein
2011 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Americain	2 minutes 36.41 seconds
	2nd	Tullamore
	3rd	Illo
2010 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Precedence	2 minutes 38.94 seconds
	2nd	Above Average
	3rd	Capecover
2009 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	The Sportsman	2 minutes 37.3 seconds
	2nd	Irazu
	3rd	Think Money
2008 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Gallopin	2 minutes 36.5 seconds
	2nd	Baughurst
	3rd	Ice Chariot
2007 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Gallic	2 minutes 36.5 seconds
	2nd	Lazer Sharp
	3rd	Jukebox Johnny
2006 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Zipping	2 minutes 38.9 seconds
	2nd	Show Barry
	3rd	Gallic
2005 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Umbula	2 minutes 45.1 seconds
	2nd	Bazelle
	3rd	Kindjhal
2004 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Another Warrior	2 minutes 37.1 seconds
	2nd	Rizon
	3rd	Hard To Get
2003 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Frightening	2 minutes 38.5 seconds
	2nd	Legible
	3rd	County Tyrone
2002 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Thong Classic	2 minutes 40.9 seconds
	2nd	Rain Gauge
	3rd	Mr Prudent
2001 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Rain Gauge	2 minutes 37.6 seconds
	2nd	Spirit Of Westbury
	3rd	Big Pat
2000 Moonee Valley Cup	1st	Yippyio	2 minutes 41.3 seconds
	2nd	Brew
	3rd	Cronus