Sydney Cup

Winners and Past Results for the Sydney Cup.

One of the prestigious black type races held during the Sydney autumn racing carnival in April is the Sydney Cup hosted by the Australian Turf Club.

The Group 1 race is open to all horses and is a major handicap long distance event of the season. Horses travel 3200 metres of Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in a bid to take home a major portion of the $2,000,000 prize pool.

Other major features of the day include the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Group 1 Australian Oaks and the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

The Sydney Cup attracts plenty of local talent and a few interstate horses who have proved their staying ability. Horses travel the same distance as the Melbourne Cup although the event isn't a high profile affair.

Punters ought to follow the Group 2 2600 M Chairmans Handicap, which is held on the first day of the Randwick carnival in the quest to pick a winner and place getters.

Among the stayers to win both events are Aussie King in 1990, Linesman in 1997, Henderson Bay in 2002, No Wine No Song in 2008, while Jessicabeel also achieved a Chairmans Handicap/Sydney Cup double in 2010. In 2011, Stand To Gain was unplaced in the Chairmans Handicap before winning here. For the most part, these two events are a great betting double for punters. Many horses may go for a spell before returning in September.

Some of the country's best stayers have etched their name on the Sydney Cup. The invincible Makybe Diva, winner of 3 Melbourne cups also won the Sydney Cup in 2004 while Kingston Town won in 1980. The race was first held in 1862 as a principal race. One of the outstanding winners in its early years was The Barb in 1868-69 and Carbine in 1889-90. Tie The Knot is among the most recent with back to back wins in 1998-99.

Kingston Town was the first to win the Sydney Cup as a Group 1 race in 1980. The distinction for the fastest recorded time is 3 minutes and 19 seconds, set by Apollo Eleven in 1973 and equalled by Just A Dancer in 1991.