Caulfield 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.

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

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.

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 - 1 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), Without A Fight (2023) and Half Yours (2025).

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.
• 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.
• 2014 Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti died after his run in the Melbourne Cup from natural causes.
• 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.
• 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. The race started almost nine minutes late.

1924 and 1934 racebooks

File:1924 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P1.jpg|1924 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover File:1924 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P2.jpg|1924 VATC Caulfield Cup showing raceday officials File:1924 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P3.jpg|1924 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results showing the winner, Purser File:1924 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P4.jpg|1924 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results File:1924 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P5.jpg|Back cover showing entrance gate and railway charges File: 1934 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P1.jpg|1934 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover File: 1934 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P3.jpg|1934 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results showing the winner, Journal File: 1934 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P4.jpg|1934 VATC Caulfield Cup starters and results

1950 racebook

File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P1.jpg|1950 VATC Caulfield Cup racebook front cover File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P2.jpg|1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing raceday officials File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P3.jpg|1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing starters & results File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P4.jpg|1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing the winner, Grey Boots File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P5.jpg|1950 VATC Caulfield Cup showing starters & results File:1950 VATC Caulfield Cup Racebook P6.jpg|Back cover showing railway arrangements and charges at the entrance gates

Winners since 1988

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
• 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
• 1884 – Blink Bonny
• 1883 – Calma
• 1882 – Little Jack
• 1881 – Master Avenel
• 1881 – Blue Ribbon
• 1880 – Tom Kirk
• 1879 – Newminster

Key:

† Run in divisions

¶ Won by Protest

‡ Dead heat

Attendance

• 2024 – 25,676
• 2023 – 25,121
• 2022 – 24,289
• 2021 – 0 (no public attendance due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions)
• 2020 – 0 (no public attendance due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions)
• 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
• 2005 – 52,000
• 2004 – 51,015
• 2003 – 46,873

Sponsorship

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

References

References

1. (2018). "Prize Money increase for the Caulfield Cup". Just Horse Racing.
2. (25 October 1943). "DETAILS OF CAULFIELD CUP MEETING (Race Results from 23 October 1943)". Trove.
3. (2014). "Winners and Past Results for the Caulfield Cup". Progroupracing.com (Aus).
4. "Article Dashboard". Article Dashboard..
5. (21 September 2015). "Admire Rakti died from natural causes". justhorseracing.com.au.
6. (19 October 1885). "THE CAULFIELD CUP FATALITY. FALL OF FIFTEEN HORSES. ONE JOCKEY KILLED AND SEVERAL INJURED.". Trove.
7. (20 October 2007). "Blood, tears as trainer's luck ends". Theage.com.au.
8. (20 October 2007). "Injuries mar race". Theage.com.au.
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36. "1997 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
37. "1996 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
38. "1995 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
39. "1994 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
40. "1993 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
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44. "1989 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
45. "1988 Caulfield Cup | MillersGuide".
46. Called 'Whisper' the horse [[John Wren. Jack West]] is supposed to have rigged to win the Cup, according to [[Frank Hardy]] 's novel [[Power Without Glory]].
47. "Bravado, fashion and protesters on show at the Caulfield Cup".
48. (20 September 2021). "MRC concedes defeat on Caulfield Cup crowds". Fairfax Media.
49. (5 October 2020). "Racing has kept going against the odds amid COVID-19, but what will the Spring Carnival look like?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
50. [http://www.melbourneracingclub.net.au/news/211006/ Tawqeet brings BMW Caulfield Cup glory for Hayes and Dunn]
51. "Caulfield Racecourse Crowds".
52. (March 2015). "BMW partners MRC for 2015 Caulfield Cup Carnival".