Hobart Cup

Winners and Past Results for the Hobart Cup.

The Hobart Cup is an open handicap race hosted by Tasmanian Racing Club at Hobart Racecourse in Hobart each year in February during the Tasmanian summer racing carnival.

The Group 3 Hobart Cup will return to a distance of 2400 metres as from 2013.The feature event of the Summer Carnival will return to its traditional trip after approval was given from the Australian Pattern Committee (APC) to increase the distance from 2200 metres.

From 2013 horses will  travel a distance of 2400 metres in this Group 3 event for a chance to take home prize money worth $250,000.

The Hobart Cup is a major event on the social calendar in the city and among the only three group races held in Tasmania, which also includes the Group 3 Launceston Cup and Bow Mistress Stakes. The premier staying event brings out the best local stayers with a few interstate horses adding to the competition.

Although not a race tackled by high quality stayers, the Hobart Cup does boast of a few winners of major Group 1 races held later during the Sydney autumn racing carnival. After winning the 2007 edition of the Hobart Cup, Blutigeroo ran fifth in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington Racecourse, one of the major follow up races for stayers that perform well in the Hobart Cup, and then scored an impressive win in the Group 1 The BMW over an extended distance of 2400 metres at the Rosehill racetrack. Other races that horses may aim for includes the gruelling Group 1 Sydney Cup over 3200 metres at Randwick in April.

Top performers in Hobart Cup may look to repeat their performance in the Group 3 Launceston Cup at Launceston a few weeks later. St. Andrews in 2002, Zacielo in 2004, and third placed Itsa Kareem in 2008 went on to win at Launceston. 2009 runner up, Zavite, also took home the Launceston Cup. Horses may come from a variety of handicap and listed races. Bid Spotter finished third in the 2011 Australia Day Cup, a listed race over 2200 metres at Warwick Farm before winning here. Ella won the first Hobart Cup back in 1875.

The Hobart Cup remained a principal race until 1980 when it was granted Group 3 status by Tasmanian Racing Club. Between 2004 and 2006 it enjoyed the status of a Group 2 event but has been a Group 3 race ever since.

The other feature of the day is the Listed Hobart Guineas run over 2100 metres. Offenbach in 2008, Gotta Keep Cool in 2009, and Growl in 2010 are among the recent winners. In earlier times, several horses scored back to back victories in the Hobart Cup.