Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is a VRC Group 1 for 3 year olds and over and is held under open handicap conditions. Free $200 Bet 

View 2012 Melbourne Cup betting odds and bet now to get best odds. Early favourites being at odds of over 20/1

The Melbourne Cup is contested over a distance of 3200 metres and is held annually at Flemington Racecourse on the first Tuesday in November.

Prize money for the Melbourne Cup is worth $6,175,000.

Races such as the Group 2 Lexus Stakes  or Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes on Victoria Derby Day are traditional lead up races to the Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne Cup has become a global event since 1993 with a number of international horses from a variety of countries making the trek to Australia in a hit or miss mission to win the big prize money on offer.

The Melbourne Cup was first raced on 7th November 1861 over a distance of two miles.

Melbourne Cup Day is the first Tuesday in November and has been a public holiday for the city since the mid 1870s.

The Melbourne Cup is celebrated as a special day around the country. For a good choice of hotels with discount prices, visit Where to stay in Melbourne for more information.

The winner of the first Melbourne Cup, Archer (6/1), there was 17 in the field. First prize was a gold watch and £170.

His was the slowest winning time yet recorded for the race (3:52). The Cup was first presented to a winner in 1916. Since 1875 the Melbourne Cup has been held on the first Tuesday in November. This Melbourne Cup race attracted just 4000 people. Over the next 20 years over 100,000 people would come to see the race each year.

The largest ever attendance for the Melbourne Cup was in 2000 when more than 120,000 people attended and saw Brew win the Melbourne Cup.

In 1972 the Melbourne Cup race was converted to the metric distance of 3200 metres which is 18.69 metres or 61.30 feet short of two miles. Melbourne Cup Trivia

2011 Melbourne Cup

The pace was only moderate in the early stages and the field was bunched as they came down the straight for the first time. Illo took up the running as they filed down the back straight but the field bunched up again on the turn and coming into the straight a wall of horses looked to have legitimate chances. Lucas Cranach hit the lead at the 200 metre mark but Red Cadeaux and Dunaden immediately challenged, fighting out a classic finish all the way to the post. Dunaden won in a photo, a whisker ahead of Red Cadeaux with Lucas Cranach running on for third.

2011 Melbourne Cup result

1. Dunaden
2. Red Cadeaux
3. Lucas Cranach

Then came:

4. Americain
5. Manighar
6. Lost In The Moment
7. Fox Hunt
8. Niwot
9. Unusual Suspect
10. At First Sight
11. Precedence
12. Drunken Sailor
13. The Verminator
14. Tullamore
15. Moyenne Corniche
16. Saptapadi
17. Older Than Time
18. Hawk Island
19. Illo
20. Jukebox Jury
21. Shamrocker
22. Glass Harmonium
23. Modun