Caulfield Cup

The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions. This is for all horses aged three years old and older. It takes place over a distance of 2400 metres at the Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in mid October. The prize money is A$5,000,000.^[1]

Caulfield Cup

1954 & 1955 winner Rising Fast
Class	Group 1
Location	Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia
Inaugurated	1879
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	Carlton Draught (2022)
Race information
Distance	2,400 metres (1.5 miles)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Horses three years old and older
Weight	Handicap
Purse	$5,000,000 (2022)
Bonuses	Winner ballot exemption from the Melbourne Cup

History

The race has become one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races. The race is held annually on the third Saturday in October, the third day and final day of the Caulfield Carnival. Performances in the Caulfield Cup are one of the possible qualification methods for a run in the Melbourne Cup which is held 17 days later.

1932 winner – Rogilla George Robinson

1906 & 1907 winner – Poseidon

1930 winner – Amounis Harold Jones

1931 winner – Denis Boy Andy Knox

1912 & 1914 winner – Uncle Sam

1920 winner – Eurythmic

1915 winner – Lavendo

During World War II the race was run at Flemington Racecourse and in 1943 the race was run in divisions.^[2]

Race qualification

The field is limited to 18 starters with four emergency entries which is decided by a ballot system. The prize money, wins and placings in lead up races are among the major factors that determine the eligibility of a horse. Automatic entry is awarded to winners of the Toorak Handicap, Herbert Power Stakes and the Mornington Cup.^[3]

Sponsors

• 1985–1999 - Foster's
• 2000–2005 - Carlton Draught
• 2006–2013 - BMW
• 2014 - Crown Golden Ale
• 2015–2017 - BMW
• 2018–2020 - Stella Artois
• 2021–2023 - Carlton Draught
• 2024–present - Sportsbet

Distance

• 1879–1971 - 11⁄2 miles (~2400 metres)
• 1972 onwards - 2400 metres

Grade

• 1879–1978 - Principal Race
• 1979 onwards - Group 1

Dual winners

The following thoroughbreds have won two Caulfield Cups.

• Paris (1892, 1894), Hymettus (1898, 1901), Poseidon (1906–07), Uncle Sam (1912, 1914), Whittier (1922, 1925), Rising Fast (1954-1955) and Ming Dynasty (1977, 1980).

Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double wins

The following thoroughbreds have won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in the same year.

• Poseidon (1906), The Trump (1937), Rivette (1939), Rising Fast (1954), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Gurner's Lane (1982), Let’s Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might and Power (1997), Ethereal (2001)^[4] and Without A Fight (2023).^[5]

Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate double wins

The following thoroughbreds have won the Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate double in the same year.

• Tranquil Star (1906), Rising Fast (1954), Tobin Bronze (1967) and Northerly (2002).

Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup triple wins

The following thoroughbreds have won the Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup triple in the same year.

• Rising Fast (1954).

Notable runnings

• Australian Test cricketer Clem Hill was the handicapper for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club (VATC) and responsible for setting the weights for the Caulfield Cup from 1937 to 1943.
• Jockey Scobie Breasley rode the winner of four consecutive Caulfield Cups from 1942 to 1945. This included a division of the 1943 race, which was run in two divisions. He also holds the record for most wins by a jockey of the race - five wins.^[3]
• Trainer Bart Cummings holds the record for training Caulfield Cup winners with seven - Galilee, Big Philou, Leilani, Ming Dynasty (twice), Let's Elope and Viewed.^[3]
• 2014 Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti died after his run in the Melbourne Cup from natural causes.^[6]
• Horses trained outside Australia and New Zealand have been participating in the race since 1998. Six have won the race. They are Taufan's Melody (1998) for British trainer Lady Herries, All the Good (2008) and Best Solution (2018) for Saeed bin Suroor of the Godolphin stables, Dunaden (2012) for French trainer Mikel Delzangles, Admire Rakti (2014) for Japanese trainer Tomoyuki Umeda and Mer De Glace (2019) for Japanese trainer Hisashi Shimizu.
• The worst race fall in Australian history occurred at the 1885 Caulfield Cup when 15 of the 44 horses competing fell as they turned onto the straight, resulting in the death of 25-year-old jockey Donald Nicolson.^[7]
• In 2007, Maldivian and Eskimo Queen were late scratchings. Maldivian, shortest price favourite for 41 years, misbehaved and injured himself in the starting stalls, frightening second priced favourite Eskimo Queen who for a time was trapped beneath the stalls.^[8][9] The race started almost nine minutes late.

1924 and 1934 racebooks

• 
  1924 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover
• 
  1924 VATC Caulfield Cup showing raceday officials
• 
  1924 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results showing the winner, Purser
• 
  1924 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results
• 
  Back cover showing entrance gate and railway charges
• 
  1934 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover
• 
  1934 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results showing the winner, Journal
• 
  1934 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results

1950 racebook

• 
  1950 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover
• 
  1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing raceday officials
• 
  1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing starters & results
• 
  1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing the winner, Grey Boots
• 
  1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing starters & results
• 
  Back cover showing railway arrangements and charges at the entrance gates

Tranquil Star, 1942 winner

Winners since 1988

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Time
2024	Duke De Sessa[10]	Harry Coffey	Ciaron Maher	2:31.42
2023	Without A Fight[11]	Mark Zahra	Anthony & Sam Freedman	2:26.45
2022	Durston[12]	Michael Dee	Chris Waller	2:33.68
2021	Incentivise[13]	Brett Prebble	Peter Moody	2:30.88
2020	Verry Elleegant[14]	Mark Zahra	Chris Waller	2:31.97
2019	Mer De Glace[15]	Damian Lane	Hisashi Shimizu	2:30.16
2018	Best Solution[16]	Pat Cosgrave	Saeed bin Suroor	2.33.72
2017	Boom Time[17]	Cory Parish	David and Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig	2:27.66
2016	Jameka[18]	Nicholas Hall	Ciaron Maher	2:28.88
2015	Mongolian Khan[19]	Opie Bosson	Murray Baker	2:27.76
2014	Admire Rakti[20]	Zac Purton	Tomoyuki Yumeda	2:32.12
2013	Fawkner[21]	Nicholas Hall	Robert Hickmott	2:29.10
2012	Dunaden[22]	Craig Williams	Mikel Delzangles	2:28.82
2011	Southern Speed[23]	Craig Williams	Leon MacDonald & Andrew Gluyas	2:28.44
2010	Descarado[24]	Chris Munce	Gai Waterhouse	2:35.69
2009	Viewed[25]	Brad Rawiller	Bart Cummings	2:29.70
2008	All The Good[26]	Kerrin McEvoy	Saeed bin Suroor	2:27.45
2007	Master O'Reilly[27]	Vlad Duric	Danny O'Brien	2:26.15
2006	Tawqeet[28]	Dwayne Dunn	David Hayes	2:27.69
2005	Railings[29]	Greg Childs	John Hawkes	2:27.96
2004	Elvstroem[30]	Nash Rawiller	Tony Vasil	2:31.37
2003	Mummify[31]	Danny Nikolic	Lee Freedman	2:25.98
2002	Northerly[32]	Greg Childs	Fred R. Kersley	2:30.38
2001	Ethereal[33]	Scott Seamer	Sheila Laxon	2:30.93
2000	Diatribe[34]	Jim Cassidy	George Hanlon	2:25.32
1999	Sky Heights[35]	Damien Oliver	Colin Alderson	2:30.10
1998	Taufan's Melody[36]	Ray Cochrane	Lady Herries	2:30.16
1997	Might And Power[37]	Jim Cassidy	Jack Denham	2:26.20
1996	Arctic Scent[38]	Brent Stanley	Jim Mason	2:30.27
1995	Doriemus[39]	Damien Oliver	Lee Freedman	2:28.10
1994	Paris Lane[40]	Damien Oliver	Lee Freedman	2:26.50
1993	Fraar[41]	Peter Hutchinson	David Hayes	2:28.00
1992	Mannerism[42]	Damien Oliver	Lee Freedman	2:34.90
1991	Let's Elope[43]	Steven King	Bart Cummings	2:30.30
1990	Sydeston[44]	Mick Dittman	Bob Hoysted	2:31.60
1989	Cole Diesel[45]	Michael Kerr	Greg Mance	2:27.20
1988	Imposera[46]	Brian York	Ross McDonald	2:29.40

Earlier winners

• 1987 – Lord Reims
• 1986 – Mr. Lomondy
• 1985 – Tristarc
• 1984 – Affinity
• 1983 – Hayai
• 1982 – Gurner's Lane
• 1981 – Silver Bounty
• 1980 – Ming Dynasty
• 1979 – Mighty Kingdom
• 1978 – Taksan
• 1977 – Ming Dynasty
• 1976 – How Now
• 1975 – Analight
• 1974 – Leilani
• 1973 – Swell Time
• 1972 – Sobar
• 1971 – Gay Icarus
• 1970 – Beer Street
• 1969 – ¶ Big Philou
• 1968 – Bunratty Castle
• 1967 – Tobin Bronze
• 1966 – Galilee
• 1965 – Bore Head
• 1964 – Yangtze
• 1963 – Sometime
• 1962 – Even Stevens
• 1961 – Summer Fair
• 1960 – Ilumquh
• 1959 – Regal Wench
• 1958 – Sir Blink
• 1957 – Tulloch
• 1956 – Redcraze
• 1955 – Rising Fast
• 1954 – Rising Fast
• 1953 – My Hero
• 1952 – Peshawar
• 1951 – Basha Felika
• 1950 – Grey Boots
• 1949 – Lincoln
• 1948 – Red Fury
• 1947 – Columnist
• 1946 – Royal Gem
• 1945 – St. Fairy
• 1944 – Counsel
• 1943 – † Saint Warden / Skipton
• 1942 – Tranquil Star
• 1941 – Velocity
• 1940 – Beaulivre
• 1939 – Rivette
• 1938 – Buzalong
• 1937 – The Trump
• 1936 – Northwind
• 1935 – Palfresco
• 1934 – Journal
• 1933 – Gaine Carrington
• 1932 – Rogilla
• 1931 – Denis Boy
• 1930 – Amounis
• 1929 – High Syce
• 1928 – Maple
• 1927 – Textile
• 1926 – Manfred
• 1925 – Whittier
• 1924 – Purser
• 1923 – Wynette
• 1922 – Whittier
• 1921 – Violoncello
• 1920 – Eurythmic
• 1919 – Lucknow
• 1918 – King Offa
• 1917 – Bronzetti
• 1916 – Shepherd King
• 1915 – Lavendo
• 1914 – Uncle Sam
• 1913 – Aurifer
• 1912 – Uncle Sam
• 1911 – Lady Medallist
• 1910 – Flavinius
• 1909 – ‡ Blue Book / Aborigine
• 1908 – Maranui
• 1907 – Poseidon
• 1906 – Poseidon
• 1905 – Marvel Loch
• 1904 – Murmur^[47]
• 1903 – Sweet Nell
• 1902 – Lieutenant Bill
• 1901 – Hymettus
• 1900 – Ingliston
• 1899 – Dewey
• 1898 – Hymettus
• 1897 – Amberite
• 1896 – Cremorne
• 1895 – Waterfall
• 1894 – Paris
• 1893 – ¶ Sainfoin
• 1892 – Paris
• 1891 – G'naroo
• 1890 – Vengeance
• 1889 – Boz
• 1888 – Chicago
• 1887 – Oakleigh
• 1886 – Ben Bolt
• 1885 – Grace Darling^[7]
• 1884 – Blink Bonny
• 1883 – Calma
• 1882 – Little Jack
• 1881 – Master Avenel
• 1881 – Blue Ribbon
• 1880 – Tom Kirk
• 1879 – Newminster

Key:
† Run in divisions^[2]
¶ Won by Protest^[3]
‡ Dead heat

Attendance

• 2024 – 25,676^[48]
• 2023 – 25,121
• 2022 – 24,289
• 2021 – 0 (no public attendance due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions)^[49]
• 2020 – 0 (no public attendance due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions)^[50]
• 2019 – 28,000
• 2018 – 30,000
• 2017 – 30,000
• 2015 – 30,000
• 2014 – 32,000
• 2013 – 33,056
• 2012 – 35,500
• 2011 – 30,097
• 2010 – 23,697
• 2009 – 43,210
• 2008 – 51,328
• 2007 – 48,529
• 2006 – 47,551^[51]
• 2005 – 52,000
• 2004 – 51,015
• 2003 – 46,873

^[52]

Sponsorship

In March 2015, BMW Australia and the Melbourne Racing Club announced a reunion in partnership, effective as of August 1, 2015^[53] after the eight-year partnership ended in 2014.

See also

• List of Australian Group races
• Group races

External links

• Caulfield Cup placegetters since 1949
• Caulfield Cup 2025