The Big Dance

The $3 million Big Dance race is a Special Conditions feature run at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day each year.

2023 The Big Dance Results

  • 1st: #3 Attractable
  • 2nd: #1 Cepheus
  • 3rd: #14 Super Helpful



The Big Dance is a new $3 million Special Conditions race introduced by Racing NSW that runs at Randwick Racecourse on Melbourne Cup Day each year.

A key addition to the lucrative Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, the mile showdown takes place over 1600m on the first Tuesday of November, the same date as Flemington’s famous Melbourne Cup.

Further adding to the prestige of the wider The Everest Carnival, offering in excess of $50 million in prize money, The Big Dance is a quality handicap event open to horses aged three-years-old and upwards.

Eligibility for the event is via a win or second place in 25 selected Country Cup races held throughout the year including the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) and the Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).

The winner and runner-up in The Big Dance Wild Card event at Randwick on The Everest Day are also exempt from ballot for the feature.

The second edition of The Big Dance in 2023 ran on Tuesday November 7, 2023 at Royal Randwick offering $3 million in prize money and was won in an impressive one-length upset by the Sara Ryan-trained Attractable ($19). 

The Big Dance 2023
Date: Tuesday November 7, 2023
Track: Randwick Racecourse
Distance: 1600m
Race Type: Quality Handicap – 3YOs & Upwards – Eligibility via runs in selected 25 Country Cup races annually
Status: Special Condition
Prize Money: $3 million

2023 The Big Dance Results

  • 1st: #3 Attractable ($19)
  • 2nd: #1 Cepheus
  • 3rd: #14 Super Helpful

The Sara Ryan-trained Attractable ($19), coming off a $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes fourth, was excellent second-up off an on-pace ride to hit the front at the 300m and hold off the top-weight Cepheus in a strong second edition of the $3 million The Big Dance race.

Click here to read more on the impressive upset by Attractable in The Big Dance 2023 results.

The official The Big Dance 2023 race results and finishing order will be updated below following the inaugural running of the $3 million event this Melbourne Cup Day in Sydney.

2023 The Big Dance Results & Finishing Order

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 3 ATTRACTABLE Sara Ryan Regan Bayliss 7 56.5kg $19
2 1 CEPHEUS (GB) Matthew Dunn Nash Rawiller 1.17L 1 62kg $4.80F
3 14 SUPER HELPFUL Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones Andrew Adkins 2.6L 11 52kg $19
4 12 KING OF THE CASTLE (NZ) Joseph Pride Ms Kathy O’Hara 3.24L 14 52kg $10
5 9 CAMAGUEY Kim Waugh Tom Sherry 3.42L 20 53kg $61
6 13 WATEGOS Bjorn Baker Jay Ford 3.87L 8 52kg $11
7 2 BANJU Lyle Chandler Jean Van Overmeire 4.52L 13 58kg $101
8 5 SUPERIUM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Adam Hyeronimus 4.81L 10 55kg $41
9 16 HIGHLIGHTS Bjorn Baker Brock Ryan 5.63L 5 52kg $16
10 10 HOLLYWOOD HERO (NZ) Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 5.81L 17 53kg $16
11 7 AKASAWA Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich Chad Schofield 5.91L 18 54kg $14
12 4 WICKLOW (IRE) Chris Waller Tommy Berry 6.03L 2 55.5kg $5.50
13 11 FULL PRESS Brett Dodson Adin Thompson 6.16L 15 53kg $201
14 17 HIGH COURT Rodney Northam Grant Buckley 6.5L 12 52kg $151
15 6 COMMANDO HUNT Cameron Crockett Reece Jones 9.62L 19 54.5kg $101
16 8 IKNOWASTAR Bjorn Baker Tyler Schiller 9.92L 3 53kg $5.50
17 20 MANDERBOSS (NZ) Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones Quayde Krogh 10.24L 9 52kg $151
18 18 UNAMERICAN Richard & Will Freedman Ms Anna Roper (a) 11.71L 16 52kg $201
19 15 PRINCE OF HELENA Craig Weeding Jake Duffy 13.55L 6 52kg $19
20 19 CRACKALACKA Theresa Bateup Ms Molly Bourke (a) 13.78L 4 52kg $101
23e JUST A BROTHER Terry Croft 0
24e LION’S ROAR (NZ) John O’Shea 0
21e PEPPER’S GHOST Brett Cavanough 0
22e KNIFE’S EDGE Garry Lunn 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 The Big Dance Betting Odds

The Big Dance 2023 betting odds and links to the latest prices at Ladbrokes.com.au will be available below as soon as all-in markets on the event open.

There was a notable upset in the inaugural event with Rustic Steel (2022) winning at Big Dance odds of $12 and again in 2023 with Attractable winning the second edition at $19.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 THE BIG DANCE ODDS (Final Field)

2023 The Big Dance Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 BIG DANCE FORM GUIDE

2023 The Big Dance Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Big Dance 2023 Tips on the $3 million event this Melbourne Cup Day.

  • To Win: #8 Iknowastar ($6.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Typically open edition of this Melbourne Cup Day race in Sydney but Iknowastar is absolutely airborne and is hard to knock coming off four straight wins. The Bjorn Baker-trained Star Witness four-year-old is ultra-consistent and is five-from-five at the Big Dance distance. He is back up to his pet mile distance for the first time since his Dubbo Cup triumph in September. Carried a hefty 61kg to victory at Kensington last start over 1550m to set a new track record. In the big city now and will relish coming down to just 53kg. Tyler Schiller comes aboard and drawn a treat in gate three. Can keep the wins coming.

2023 The Big Dance Field

The confirmed The Big Dance 2023 field of eligible Country Cup performers is announced on Friday the 27th of October, 2023 and will be published below once confirmed.

The 2023 The Big Dance final field features a capacity line-up of Country Cup winners including Matthew Dunn’s 62kg top-weight Cepheus who has won the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) and the $1.5 million The Alan Brown (1400m) at his latest two starts at the Rosehill track.

Click here to read more on the key runners in The Big Dance 2023 field and betting markets.

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 1023421511 CEPHEUS (GB) Matthew Dunn Nash Rawiller 1 62kg 111
2 1112x19x00 BANJU Lyle Chandler Jean Van Overmeire 15 58kg 100
3 72761141×4 ATTRACTABLE Sara Ryan Regan Bayliss 7 56.5kg 97
4 25x45137x3 WICKLOW (IRE) Chris Waller Tommy Berry 2 55.5kg 95
5 08795×9631 SUPERIUM Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Adam Hyeronimus 10 55kg 94
6 0x54131x00 COMMANDO HUNT Cameron Crockett Reece Jones 21 54.5kg 93
7 52x18711x7 AKASAWA Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich Chad Schofield 20 54kg 87
8 1119×41111 IKNOWASTAR Bjorn Baker Tyler Schiller 3 53kg 90
9 8x56251x06 CAMAGUEY Kim Waugh Tom Sherry 22 53kg 78
10 x912624312 HOLLYWOOD HERO (NZ) Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 19 53kg 76
11 4544534717 FULL PRESS Brett Dodson Adin Thompson 17 53kg 70
12 1917322×81 KING OF THE CASTLE (NZ) Joseph Pride Ms Kathy O’Hara 16 52kg 88
13 416×411128 WATEGOS Bjorn Baker Jay Ford 8 52kg 87
14 438910×517 SUPER HELPFUL Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones Andrew Adkins 11 52kg 85
15 3380351×57 PRINCE OF HELENA Craig Weeding Jake Duffy 6 52kg 82
16 78304×5272 HIGHLIGHTS Bjorn Baker Brock Ryan 5 52kg 79
17 32120×0050 HIGH COURT Rodney Northam Grant Buckley 12 52kg 78
18 57001740×0 UNAMERICAN Richard & Will Freedman Ms Anna Roper (a), (late alt) 18 52kg 68
19 195234×003 CRACKALACKA Theresa Bateup Ms Molly Bourke (a) 4 52kg 66
20 140×663567 MANDERBOSS (NZ) Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones Quayde Krogh 9 52kg 66
21e 5501844×04 PEPPER’S GHOST Brett Cavanough 24 52kg 66
22e 139×225325 KNIFE’S EDGE Garry Lunn 14 54kg 65
23e 743×707130 JUST A BROTHER Terry Croft 13 54kg 64
24e x80020x506 LION’S ROAR (NZ) John O’Shea 23 56.5kg 97

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 The Big Dance Nominations

Early The Big Dance 2023 nominations are updated following the official results from the qualifying races throughout the year.

2023 Big Dance Qualifying Races

Race Distance Date Winner
Goulburn Cup 1400m 30 October 2022 Oscar Zulu
Snake Gully Cup (Gundagai) 1400m 11 November 2022 Super Helpful
Taree Cup 2000m 20 November 2022 Military Mission
Mudgee Cup 1600m 2 December 2022 Camaguey
Nowra Cup 1600m 4 December 2022 French Bonnet
Armidale Cup 1900m 11 December 2022 Pepper’s Ghost
Coonabarabran Cup 1600m 23 December 2022 Knife’s Edge
Moruya Cup 1425m 2 January 2023 Crackalacka
Ballina Cup 1590m 13 January 2023 Point Counterpoint
Bega Cup (Sapphire Coast) 1600m 29 January 2023 Manderboss
Albury Gold Cup 2000m 24 March 2023 Beltoro
Wellington Cup 1700m 26 March 2023 High Court
Muswellbrook Gold Cup 1500m 31 March 2023 Commando Hunt
Orange Gold Cup 2000m 15 April 2023 Unamerican
Tamworth Cup 1400m 22 April 2023 Banju
Wagga Wagga Gold Cup 2000m 5 May 2023 Wicklow
Scone Cup 1600m 12 May 2023 Commando Hunt
Gunnedah Cup 1600m 28 May 2023 Akasawa
South Grafton Cup 1600m 9 July 2023 Cepheus
Narrandera Cup 1600m 16 July 2023 Prince Of Helena
Coffs Harbour Cup 1600m 4 August 2023 Attractable
Forbes Cup 1600m 6 August 2023 Just A Brother
Murwillumbah Cup 1550m 25 August 2023 Wategos
Dubbo Gold Cup 1600m 10 September 2023 Iknowastar
Lismore Cup 2100m 21 September 2023 Full Press
Bathurst Cup 1800m 24 September 2023 Super Pursuit
Port Macquarie Cup 2000m 6 October 2023 Superium
Coonamble Cup 1600m 8 October 2023 Hollywood Hero
Wild Card (Randwick) 1600m 21 October 2023 King Of The Castle

The Big Dance History

The Big Dance ran for the first time on Melbourne Cup Day 2022 at Randwick Racecourse and was won by Scone Cup winner Rustic Steel for Newcastle horseman Kris Lees and jockey Nash Rawiller.

The qualification process for the inaugural The Big Dance race in 2023 starts with the Goulburn Cup on October 30, 2022.

The Big Dance Winners

Previous The Big Dance winners going back to the race’s inauguration in 2022 are detailed below following the first edition on Melbourne Cup Day.

YEAR WINNER 2ND 3RD TIME
2023 Attractable Cepheus Super Helpful 1 minute 34.49 seconds
2022 Rustic Steel Cisco Bay Sibaaq 1 minute 33.87 seconds

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