Melbourne Cup: A Rich History of Horse Racing

The Melbourne Cup is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. First run in 1861, the race has a rich history and has produced many memorable moments and records.

Key Facts and Stats

• The race is run over 3200 metres at the Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.
• The race is open to horses aged three years and above.
• The race is run under handicap conditions, with each horse allocated a weight based on a number of factors such as sex, age and past performances.
• The race is currently limited to 24 runners, although sometimes there are less due to late scratchings.

History

The Melbourne Cup has a long and storied history. Here are some of the key moments and records from the race's past:

Most Successful Horses

• Makybe Diva is the most successful horse in the race's history, winning the Melbourne Cup three times (2003, 2004, and 2005).
• Four other horses have won the Cup twice: Think Big (1974, 1975), Rain Lover (1968, 1969), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), and Archer (1861, 1862).

Most Successful Jockeys

• Bobby Lewis and Harry White are the only jockeys to have won the race on four occasions.
• Damien Oliver, Glen Boss, and Kerrin McEvoy have each won the race three times.

Most Successful Trainers

• Legendary trainer Bart Cummings won the Melbourne Cup on 12 occasions.
• He also fielded the quinella of the race five times.

Largest and Smallest Fields

• The largest Melbourne Cup field consisted of 39 runners in 1890.
• The smallest field to contest the race was just seven in 1963.

Most Successful Barriers

• Barriers five and 14 have been the most successful, producing eight winners each.
• The barrier now with the longest drought is six, having not produced a winner since Light Fingers in 1965.

Record Winning Time

• Kingston Rule (1990) holds the current record for the 3200m race with a time of 3:16.3.
• The biggest winning margin is shared by Archer (1862) and Rain Lover (1968) with eight lengths.

Dead Heats

• There has never been a dead heat in the Melbourne Cup.

Essential Weight

• There is no 'essential' weight, per se, but weight is still a factor.
• The largest weight carried to victory was 66kgs by Carbine in 1890, while the lightest-weighted winner was Banker who had just 33.5kgs on his back in 1863.

Age of Winning Horse

• Four-year-olds have the best record in the race with 45 winners, while five-year-olds have won the race 44 times, together accounting for almost 55% of all winners.

Mares vs. Stallions

• Stallions (or entires) have dominated the Melbourne Cup with 72 wins, as have geldings with 55. Only 14 mares have won the race.

Favourites

• As of 9am [AEDT] Oct. 28, Chris Waller's Via Sistina is the current favourite after her stunning Cox Plate win in which she broke the track record previously set by champion mare Winx, while Jan Brueghel has been a hyped runner ever since trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed the inexperienced colt by Galileo would be his sole contender for this year's race. Last year's favourite Vauban, Caulfield Cup runner-up Buckaroo, and Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator are also among the key chances.

Prize Money

• The Melbourne Cup is worth $8 million, with the winner receiving $4.4 million. Trainers receive 10% of the winnings, jockeys 5%, and 85% goes to the owners of the horse. The second-placed runner earns $1.1 million, third takes $550,000, fourth $350,000, fifth $230,000, and sixth to 12th $160,000.

Crowd Attendance

• The very first edition of the race welcomed 4,000 racegoers, but the record attendance was set when 2003 attracted 122,736 spectators. That figure dipped to 98,161 the following year, before the next 11 years saw crowds in six figures. Due to COVID-19, there were no patrons on course in 2020, while the crowd capacity was capped at 10,000 just for 2021. Last year, the official attendance at Flemington was 84,492 – up 14.5% from 2022.

How to Watch

• Channel Nine has the free-to-air rights to the Melbourne Cup this year, as well as the rest of the carnival (Derby Day on November 2, Oaks Day on November 7, and Champions Stakes Day on November 9), after striking a six-year deal with the VRC and Tabcorp. It will also be available on the TAB app, Sky Racing, and Racing.com. Make sure to also stay tuned to ESPN.com.au for a complete form guide and Cup day tips.