Phar Lap was the shortest-priced favourite in Cup history, winning at 8-11 ($1.72) in 1930. The race was initially two miles long (approximately 3,218 meters), but once Australia adopted the metric system in the 1970s, the present distance of 3,200 meters was established in 1972.
The favorite's price reflected the fact that there were no jockeys available to ride him because most had been hired by owners who expected their horses to win or at least place. Only one owner had brought a jockey from overseas: Englishman John Parker, who rode Phar Lap for the last time at age 31. Before that final race, however, he suffered a heart attack while riding another horse and died at the scene.
Parker was the only foreign rider available for the Cup, which meant that Australian jockeys had to train and mount the horses themselves. Many of them were inexperienced and some were even children. One 12-year-old boy won three races during the season.
In addition, most owners did not provide their horses with suitable training conditions or enough food during the season. As a result, many of them failed to meet their fitness requirements for the Cup and were withdrawn from the race.
Phar Lap himself came close to being disqualified for health reasons.
The Cup was won in 1954, amid one of the most incredible campaigns ever run on Australian racetracks. Rising Fast is the only horse to have won the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate, and the Melbourne Cup all in the same year. The most effective Phar Lap won Australia's big race in 1930, at the height of his abilities. But even he had difficulty beating more established horses, so when Rising Fast beat three such opponents in Melbourne's spring carnival, it made him a popular choice as an outsider.
Rising Fast's victory broke several records including the oldest age for winning the Cup (he was aged four). He also became the first horse to win the Cup while carrying top weight (1,074 pounds), and the first to do so without being placed. His owner and trainer were both Englishmen called William Robinson (1880-1957) and Joseph O'Brien (1879-1965), who had arrived in Australia two years earlier. They had formed a partnership called "Robinson, O'Brien and Co." which owned the horse. Rising Fast died in 1958 at the age of eight.
William Robinson had trained in England before coming to Australia, where he set up camp near Melbourne with his wife and two children. He soon gained a reputation for producing fast horses that other trainers dismissed as too easy to ride. In addition to Rising Fast, he had success with Sizzler, who won the 1953 Caulfield Cup.
Carbine in 1890 and Phar Lap in 1930 were two of the most popular victors of the event. Phar Lap's victory has been thoroughly chronicled, and the library houses a variety of artifacts related to his career. The Melbourne Museum has a permanent display of Phar Lap. In 1876, Bresis, a three-year-old filly, won the Cup. She is the only female winner of the race.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, a state in Australia. It is known for its festivals, museums, and gardens. The annual Melbourne Cup is held each year at the world-famous Flemington Racecourse. The cup itself is a valuable trophy owned by the National Trust - it is believed to have been given to the city of Melbourne by Sir Joseph Banks, who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to Australia. The original cost £15 ($31.25) but today it is valued at over $A750,000 ($1 million).
Carbine won the Cup with J.W. Stevens as driver. He also trained Phar Lap before he died in 1920 at the age of 31. Carbine had several subsequent victories including the British Classic, The Derby. He lived out his days in retirement in Australia until he died in 1889 at the age of 36.
Phar Lap's owner, Mr. G.J. "George John" Allen, originally from New Zealand, bought him for $10,000 ($A22,500) at an auction in Sydney.
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most renowned horse race, conducted over 3200 meters at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. Information on the Melbourne Cup.
| Date | Tuesday 2nd November, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Race Distance | 3200 metres |
| Conditions | Handicap |
| Status | Group I |
| Prize Money | $7,750,000 |
The 1985 Melbourne Cup, won by "What a Nuisance," was Australia's first race with a $1 million purse. The winner of the Cup presently receives a $500,000 extra if he or she also wins the group one Irish St. Leger the preceding September. The total prize money for the two races is thus $1 million.
The original prize fund of £50,000 was increased to £100,000 in 1931 and again to £150,000 in 1935. In 1945 the prize money was reduced to £125,000 to help finance World War II. It was not exceeded until 1973 when it was raised to its present level of $A1 million.
In addition, there is a supplementary award of £10,000 (currently $A20,000) for winners of the Melbourne Cup. This is given as a bonus award for winning both the Cup and the related St. Leger. The first person to do so was Tulloch who received the prize on 1 November 1872.
Winners of the Cup since 1945 have included many top horses from around the world. In Australia they are known as "Cup winners" or "Cup entries."
The most recent winners of the Cup were Kingman who beat Prince Khalid by a length after running the whole distance of 2 miles and 55 yards.
It is the world's richest "two-mile" handicap and one of the wealthiest turf events. The event, known locally as "the race that stops the country," begins at 3:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of November. The Melbourne Cup has a lengthy history, with the inaugural race taking place in 1861.. The unintentional-but-not-quite-accidental contact is a solid indicator that someone is interested in you. Similarly, men touching a woman's elbow or the small of her back to assist her, such as from the table to the dance floor, is an indication of interest.
| Race information | |
|---|---|
| Purse | A$8,000,000 (2020) |
Three million dollars The first reward was three million dollars. The awards were worth $75,000 each. The Melbourne Cup trophy is worth $80,000.00. The Cup was upgraded from 9ct to 18ct gold. The new award was called the "Shilling".
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most prestigious horse race and one of the world's oldest annual sports events. It is held on Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, every year on the Tuesday after the last Monday in October. The cup winner will usually receive a prize money of A$3 million ($2.4 million or £1.5 million). The event is sponsored by the Australian Racing Board and the race is open to Thoroughbred horses aged four years old and above.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and the largest metropolitan area in Australia. With an estimated population of 4 million people, it is also the fastest growing city in Australia. Melbourne lies on the Indian Ocean coast 150 miles (240 km) south of Sydney and about 600 miles (965 km) north of Adelaide. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parks that include the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Queen Victoria Market.
Caulfield Racecourse is a private racecourse located in Caulfield North, a northern suburb of Melbourne.
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