Caulfield Cup Race Information

The Caulfield Cup is one of the world’s great 2400 metre handicap races. It is the major Group 1 event held by the Melbourne Racing Club and is normally held on the third Saturday in October.

  • Race Type: Group 1
  • Distance: 2400 metres
  • Conditions: Open handicap
  • Track: Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Prizemoney: $5,000,000
  • Date: Saturday 21 October 2023

History Of The Caulfield Cup Race

See the 2023 Caulfield Cup Preview and results

See the 2022 Caulfield Cup Preview and results

See the 2021 Caulfield Cup Preview and results

See the 2020 Caulfield Cup Preview and results

The Caulfield Cup was first held in the autumn of 1879 over 1½ miles and was won by a horse named Newminster. It was moved from the autumn to the spring in 1881, which means two races were run that year. In 1972 the metric distance of 2400 metres was adopted, and in 1979 it became a Group 1 race.

Major lead-up races are the Group 1 AJC Metropolitan, Turnbull, Underwood and Caulfield Stakes, the Makybe Diva Stakes, formerly known as the Craiglee Stakes, and the Group 3 Craven Plate. Three-year-olds that go well in the Caulfield Cup will normally contest the Victoria Derby two weeks later, while the older horses will try their hand at the WFA Cox Plate over 2040 metres the following week, the Mackinnon Stakes over 2000  metres two weeks later or the 3200 metre Melbourne Cup.

The race has always been held at Caulfield except for 1940 to 1943 when Caulfield racecourse was used as a troop base and it was held at Flemington. The race has now grown into one of Australia’s toughest handicap races and with prize money worth over 2 million dollars it is an important lead up race to the Melbourne Cup.

Only six horses have won more than one Caulfield Cup in its long history, with the most recent being Ming Dynasty who won in 1977 and 1980. Eleven horses have won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, with the latest being Ethereal in 2001. The race is well- known as the first leg in Australia’s most popular betting double, the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup.

When Verry Elleegant with 55kg won in 2020, giving trainer Chris Waller his first Caulfield Cup, she carried the second highest weight for a winning mare in Caulfield Cup history behind Tranquil Star’s 56kg in 1942.

Useful Facts

Last mare to win: Verry Elleegant (2020)

Last 3YO to win: C&G – Mighty Kingdom (1979); Filly – Sweet Nell (1903)

Multiple winners: Ming Dynasty (1977 & 1980); Rising Fast (1954 & 1955); Whittier (1922 & 1925); Uncle Sam (1912 & 1914); Poseidon (1906 & 1907); Paris (1892 & 1894).

Fastest time (1400m): Diatribe (2000) 2:25:21

Interesting trivia: The first $1 million Caulfield Cup was in 1996 when Arctic Scent won.

Previous Caulfield Cup Winners

The 2012 race was won by French horse Dunaden who out-stayed one of the best Caulfield Cup fields in recent years. Second past the post by only half a length was Alcopop followed by Lights Of Heaven for third.

See below for a list of previous winners for one of Australian horse racings most prestigious events.

Year Winner Second Third
2023 Without A Fight West Wind Blows Gold Trip
2022 Durston Gold Trip Knights Order
2021 Incentivise Nonconformist Persan
2020 Verry Elleegant Anthony Van Dyck The Chosen One
2019 Mer De Glace (JPN) Vow And Declare Mirage Dancer (GBR)
2018 Best Solution (IRL) Homesman The Cliffsofmoher (IRL)
2017 Boom Time Single Gaze Johannes Vermeer (IRE)
2016 Jameka Scottish (IRE) Exospheric (GB)
2015 Mongolian Khan Trip To Paris (IRE) Our Ivanhowe (GER)
2014 Admire Rakti (JPN) Rising Romance (NZ) Lucia Valentina (NZ)
2013 Fawkner Dandino (GB) Dear Demi
2012 Dunaden Alcopop Lights Of Heaven
2011 Southern Speed Green Moon Tullamore
2010 Descarado Harris Tweed Monaco Consul
2009 Viewed Roman Emperor Vigor
2008 All The Good Nom Du Jeu Barbaricus
2007 Master O’Reilly Douro Valley Princess Coup
2006 Tawqeet Aqua Damore Delta Blues
2005 Railings Eye Popper Mummify
2004 Elvstroem Makybe Diva Grey Song
2003 Mummify Grey Song Distinctly Secret
2002 Northerly Fields Of Omagh Republic Lass
2001 Ethereal Sky Heights Celestial Show
2000 Diatribe Kaapstad Way Fairway
1999 Sky Heights Laebeel Inaflury
1998 Taufan’s Melody Lisa’s Game Tie The Knot
1997 Might And Power Doriemus Catalan Opening
1996 Arctic Scent Circles Of Gold Iron Horse
1995 Doriemus Count Chivas Beaux Art
1994 Paris Lane Alcove Tenor
1993 Fraar Air Seattle The Phantom
1992 Mannerism Veandercross Aquidity
1991 Let’s Elope Ivory Way Royal Creation
1990 Sydeston Water Boatman Shuzohra
1989 Cole Diesel Nayrizi The Phantom
1988 Impoera Congressman Authaal
1987 Lord Reims Beau Zam Cossack Warrior
1986 Mr. Lomondy At Talaq Our Sophia
1985 Tristarc Our Sophia Lacka Reason
1984 Affinity Bounty Hawk Al Dwain
1983 Hayai Cossack Prince La Cocette
1982 Gurner’s Lane Gala Mascot Veloso
1981 Silver Bounty No Peer Deck The Halls
1980 Ming Dynasty Hyperno Kingston Town
1979 Mighty Kingdom Warri Symbol Sonstone
1978 Taksan Arwon Father’s Day
1977 Ming Dynasty Unaware Salamander
1976 How Now Battle Heights Van Der Hum
1975 Analight Leica Lover Suleiman
1974 Leilani Broadway Hit Turfcutter
1973 Swell Time Gala Supreme Young Ida
1972 Sobar Stormy Seas Gunsynd
1971 Gay Icarus Igloo Big Philou
1970 Beer Street Voleur Baghdad Note
Royal Show
1969 Big Philou Nausori Tobermory
1968 Bunratty Castle Future Arctic Coast
1967 Tobin Bronze Red Handed Garcon
1966 Galilee Gala Crest Pharaon
1965 Bore Head Ziema Ziema
1964 Yangtze Royal Sovereign Elkayel
1963 Sometime Gatum Gatum Grand Print
1962 Even Stevens Mamburdi Cheong Sam
1961 Summer Fair Lord Fury Dhaulagiri
1960 Ilumquh Dhaulagiri Mac
1959 Regal Wench Sir Blink Trellios
1958 Sir Blink Pandie Sun Humber Hawk
1957 Tulloch Mac’s Amber Sailor’s Guide
1956 Redcraze Evening Peal Prince Delville
1955 Rising Fast Ray Ribbon Historic Era
1954 Rising Fast Electro Advocate
1953 My Hero Wodalla Most Regal
1952 Peshawar King Amana Durham
1951 Basha Felika Blue Vest Davey Jones
1950 Grey Boots Chicquita Saxony
1949 Lincoln St. Razzle Comic Court
1948 Red Fury Howe De La Salle
1947 Columnist Hiraji Fresh Boy
1946 Royal Gem Columnist Two Grand
1945 St. Fairy Rainbird Punctilia
1944 Counsel Lawrence Huntingdale
1943 (Div 1) Saint Warden Heart’s Desire Simmering
1943 (Div 2) Skipton Amana Centenary
1942 Tranquil Star Heart’s Desire El Gole
1941 Velocity Reading Evergreen
1940 Beaulivre Gladynev Historian
1939 Rivette Maikai Respirator
1938 Buzalong St. Constant Marauder
1937 The Trump Sir Regent Doncaster
1936 Northwind Silver Standard Talking
1935 Palfresco Hot Shot Marabou
1934 Journal Farndale Sir Simper
1933 Gaine Carrington Jimmie Boy Oro
1932 Rogilla Segati Top Hole
1931 Denis Boy Prince Dayton First Acre
1930 Amounis Soulton Alcman
1929 High Syce Amounis Prince Viol
1928 Maple Black Duchess Gothic
1927 Textile Affirm Star d’Or
1926 Manfred The Banker Royal Charter
1925 Whittier Raith Lemina
1924 Purser Feathernest All Sunshine
1923 Wynette Easingwold Yacamunda
1922 Whittier Tangalooma Purser
1921 Violoncello Purser Lionel Attwill
1920 Eurythmic Accrington Tangalooma
1919 Lucknow Night Watch Chrome
1918 King Offa Wolaroi Eusebius
1917 Bronzetti Chrome Rael Lochin
1916 Shepherd King Amata Sasanof
1915 Lavendo William The Silent Cyklon
1914 Uncle Sam Rathlea St. Carwyne
1913 Aurifer Anna Carlovna Wassail
1912 Uncle Sam Lady Medallist Royal Scotch
1911 Lady Medallist Flavian Aurofodina
1910 Flavinius Apple Pie Britain
1909 Blue Book
Aborigine
 * dead-heat 1st Pendil
1908 Maranui Tulkeroo Iolaire
1907 Poseidon Apologue Welcome Tryst
1906 Poseidon Simoda Booran
1905 Marvel Loch Warroo Torah
1904 Murmur Acrasia Emir
1903 Sweet Nell The Idler Flagship
1902 Lieutenant Bill Flagship Vanity Fair
1901 Hymettus Wakeful Flagship
1900 Ingliston Mora Alix
1899 Dewey Gauleon Ballistite
1898 Hymettus Massinissa The Chief
1897 Amberite Parthenopaeus Ayrshire
1896 Cremorne Straightfire Le Var
1895 Waterfall Trenchant Quiver
1894 Paris Devon Bruin
1893 Sainfoin Oxide Moscow
1892 Paris Yarran Clonard
1891 G’Naroo Forest King Clonard
1890 Vengeance Loyalstone Enuc
1889 Boz The Charmer Bravo
1888 Chicago Tradition Bravo
1887 Oakleigh Remus Dunlop
1886 Ben Bolt Silvermine Britisher
1885 Grace Darling Britisher Coriolanus
1884 Blink Bonny Lord Wilton Vergy
1883 Calma Stockdale Anglesey
1882 Little Jack Verdure Gipsy Cooper
1881 Spring Master Avenel Pirate  ?
1881  Autumn Blue Ribbon Robbie Burns Aspen
1880 Tom Kirk Robbie Burns Timothy
1879 Newminster Levant Mountaineer

Caulfield Cup Ballot-Exempt Races

There are several races in both Australia and overseas where if you win that race your horse is exempt from the ballot for the Caulfield Cup:

In Australia

Overseas:

  • Nikkei Shin Hun Hai (Japan)
  • Kyoto Kinen (Japan)
  • Sheema Classic (UAE)
  • Jockey Club Stakes (UK)
  • Champions and Chater Cup (Hong Kong)
  • Meguro Kinen (Japan)
  • Grand Prix de Chantilly (France)
  • Hardwicke Stakes (UK)
  • Princess of Wales’s Stakes (UK)

2020 Caulfield Cup

2020 Caulfield Cup Preview

Visit here

2019 Caulfield Cup Preview

Track: Good  Weather: Fine

There is a full field of 18 runners plus 4 emergencies for the $5,000,000 Stella Artois Caulfield Cup, with 7 four-year-olds, and the rest ranging up to nine-year-old Hartnell. There is only one mare, Qafila and the 3rd emergency is also a mare. Many of the overseas horses are having their first Australian start here. Five of the runners had their last start in the Turnbull Stakes over 2000m,  three had their last run in the Metropolitan over 2400m and three in the Herbert Power over 2400m.

The early favourite is Finche, one of the 2 Chris Waller runners, who was a fast closing 2nd in the Turnbull stakes last outing. Second favourite is Japanese stayer Mer De Glace who has won his last 5 starts over distances of 2000m and 2200m. Third favourite is the beautifully-bred import Constantinople who will be having his first Australian start for the Hayes/Dabernig team who won a Group 3 in Ireland earlier in the year and has ran 2nd at his last 3 outings.

Mr Quickie won the Queensland Derby over this distance in the winter and resumed with a solid 3rd in the Makybe Diva, Vow And Declare resumed for 4th in the Turnbull and should improve on that. Mustajeer is a UK import having his first run for Kris Lees and won the Ebor Handicap at York in the UK last start. Hartnell is currently 20 to 1 and has raced well this campaign without winning. He finished 3rd in the Turnbull and is a definite each-way chance. Most of the field is at 20 to 1 or longer.

Bet Now

2019 Caulfield Cup Tips

The following are the top 5 selections for this years race.

Jo’s Tips
6 Finche
1Hartnell
11 Constantinople
3 Mer De Glace
13 Crown Prosecutor
Bet Now