Doomben Cup Race Information

The Doomben Cup is a 2000 metre race for three-year-olds and over run under weight-for-age conditions. It is held in May by the Brisbane Racing Club at Doomben during the Winter Carnival.

  • Race Type: Group 1
  • Distance: 2000 metres
  • Conditions: WFA, 3YO & upwards
  • Track: Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, Queensland
  • Prizemoney: $1,000,000
  • Date: Saturday 25 May 2024

Doomben Cup Race History

See the 2024 Doomben Cup Preview and results.

See the 2023 Doomben Cup Preview and results.

See the 2022 Doomben Cup Preview and results.

See the 2021 Doomben Cup Preview and results.

The Doomben Cup was first held in 1933 over a distance of 10 furlongs (about 2000 metres) and was won by Pentheus. From 1973 to 1988 it has been held over 2200 metres, 2160 metres in 1989 then 2020 metres from 1990 apart from 2040 metres in 1996 and 2200 metres in 2002 and 2003. The juggling of distances between 2000 and 2200 metres makes it difficult to line up past form. It was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The major lead-up race to the Doomben Cup is the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes over 1800 metres held at the Gold Coast two weeks earlier. History has shown this to be a great guide to the Doomben Cup with many horses taking out the Hollindale Stakes – Doomben Cup double. After the Cup many horses go on to race in the Group 2 P J O’Shea Stakes over 2400 metres.

Favourites and second favourites have a good strike rate in this race and in recent years older geldings, and therefore horses carrying maximum weights, have dominated the race. Mares have a poor record and when Cinque Cento won in 2007 she was the first mare to win a Doomben Cup since Dream in 1950.

In 2022 the Doomben Cup meeting scheduled for 21 May was washed out and transferred to Eagle Farm a week later.

Useful Facts

Last mare to win: Kenedna (2019)

Last 3YO to win: C&G  – Akhenaton (2000); Filly – ?

Multiple winners: Huetor (2022 & 2023); Scenic Shot (2009 & 2011); Rough Habit (1991, 1992 & 1993); Earlwood (1959 & 1960)

Fastest time (2000m): Zaaki (2021) 2:01:06

Interesting trivia: Maurice McCarten won as a jockey in 1933, 1934 and 1940, then as a trainer in 1952.

Past winners of the Doomben Cup

The Doomben Cup is a test of endurance and strength and its greatest horse was Rough Habit who won in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Other famous winners include Might And Power, Durbridge, Danewin, Intergaze, Juggler, Lord Hybrow, Winfreux and Bernborough.

Year Winner Second Third
2024 Bois D’argent New Endeavour Fawkner Park
2023 Huetor Numerian Kovalica
2022 Huetor Maximal Zaaki
2021 Zaaki Toffee Tongue Brandenburg
2020 ** Race not run **
2019 Kenedna Life Less Ordinary Sixties Groove
2018 Comin’ Through Egg Tart Ambitious
2017 Sense Of Occasion Star Exhibit Rudy
2016 Our Ivanhowe Hauraki It’s Somewhat
2015 Pornichet Weary I’m Imposing
2014 Streama Leebaz Junoob
2013 Beaten Up Foreteller Secret Admirer
2012 Mawingo Lights Of Heaven Manighar
2011 Scenic Shot My Kingdom Of Fife Glass Harmonium
2010 Metal Bender (NZ) Gold Water Triple Honour (NZ)
2009 Scenic Shot Racing To Win Sir Slick (NZ)
2008 Sarrera Rampant Lion Like It Is
2007 Cenque Cento Gaze Pentathon
2006 Above Deck Octopussy Roman Arch
2005 Perlin (NZ) Platinum Scissors Natural Blitz
2004 Defier Pentastic Upsetthym (NZ)
2003 Bush Padre Freemason Maguire (NZ)
2002 Mr Bureaucrat Galroof (NZ) Freemason
2001 King Keitel (NZ) Shogun Lodge Khazakh Belle
2000 Akhenaton Integrate Cruzeiro (NZ)
1999 Intergaze Lahar Joss Sticks
1998 Might And Power Intergaze I Like Him
1997 Sapio Pakaraka Star Shame
1996 Juggler Doriemus All Our Mob
1995 Danewin Danasinga Turridu
1994 Durbridge Paris Lane Pure Lust
1993 Rough Habit Kiwi Golfer Palate
1992 Rough Habit Kinjite Captain Cook
1991 Rough Habit Rays Hope Multisync
1990 Eye Of The Sky Solar Circle Rough Habit
1989 Abstraction Eye Of The Sky Miss Fleet
1988 Lord Hybrow Algonquin Club Sound Horizon
1987 Dandy Andy El Vaquero Palmyra Bay
1986 Les’ Choice Restoration Home Office
1985 Mr. Trick Astrolin Coober’s Gold
1984 Hussar’s Command Coober’s Gold Handsome Heir
1983 Lord Seaman My Axeman Avitt
1982 Double You Em Astrolin El Laurena
1981 Pelican Point Belmura Lad Golden Rhapsody
1980 Golden Rhapsody Prince Ruling Bahroona Sahib
1979 Waitangirua Bunkers Leonitis
1978 Marceau Lloyd Boy Ming Dynasty
1977 Grey Affair Yo Tambien Denise’s Joy
1976 Cheyne Walk Spassky Manawapoi
1975 Golden Khan Helmsman Purple Patch
1974 Lord Ben Gladman El Karpe
1973 Lord Nelson Gold Skin All Shot
1972 Knee High Rough N Tumble Dale’s Gift
1971 Tails Bluelough Makata
1970 Divide And Rule Rajah Sahib Shorengro
1969 Dual Control Black Onyx Rajah Sahib
1968 Sandy’s Hope Invictus Speed Of Sound
1967 Bore Head Man About Town Bouyrbon Beau
1966 Winfreux Avenium Peppino
1965 River Seine Winfreux Samson
1964 Striking Force Confidence Victory Roll
1963 Maspero Prince Regoli Merthyr
1962 Samson Dalriada River Seine
1961 High Society Persian Lyric Oreka
1960 Earlwood Mediterranean Dow St
1959 Earlwood Skyline Chilly Glance
1958 Book Link Baystone Sailor’s Guide
1957 Prince Delville Farquhar Baystone
1956 Fair Chance Farquhar Teranyan
1955 Persian Link Hutton Clever Beau
1954 Euphrates Paper Strip Rising Fast
1953 French Echo Earldom Double Blank
1952 Tossing Grey Boots Daasrae
1951 Gay Felt Shanalen Daasrae
1950 Dream Spellman
Carapooe
 * dead-heat 2nd
1949 Rio Fe Battle Abbey One Up
1948 Forge Jean Buzzard Clatterbag
1947 Dark Marne Hiraji Good Idea
1946 Bernborough Tea Cake Craigee
1945 Repshot Harvest Blueness
1944 Bahtheon Brumond Wiseland
1943 Qualeta Samaritan Eve Felt
1942 Wiseland Gold Salute Hyspring
1941 Lord Valentine Speeder Buzalong
1940 Beaulivre Gilltown Brown Bread
1939 Cooranga Hilarious Teringa
1938 Brown Lance Vivat Rex Spearbleu
1937 First Buzzard Black Laughter Brown Force
1936 Verdun Silver Standard Capris
1935 Serlodi Lough Neagh Moorenbar
1934 Whittingham Rivali Soft Step
1933 Pentheus Sun Eagle Rivali

From the archives:

Doomben Cup Preview & Tips 2018

Track: Good   Weather: Fine

Following the early scratching of It’s Somewhat there are 12 runners remaining for the $650,000 2018 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup, and eight of them had their last start in the Hollindale. The early favourite is Oregon’s Day who won the Hollindale by 1.5 lengths last start. Second favourite is Ambitious who only beat 2 runners home in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes after losing 3 plates. Third favourite is Satono Rasen who ran on for 4th in the Hollindale and has 2 wins at this distance.

Comin’ Through ran on for 6th in the Hollindale while Tom Melbourne finished 2nd and Egg Tart was 5th. Life Less Ordinary followed a 2 length win over 1800m at Flemington with a 3.3 length win in the Wagga Cup over 2000m. Tradesman charged clear for a 3 length win over 1700m at the Warrnambool Carnival last start while Abbey Marie chased hard after being held up for 5th in the Coolmore. All other runners are currently 16 to 1 or longer.

The following are the top 4 selections from our tipster panel for this years race.

Jo’s Tips
12 Oregon’s Day
10 Tradesman
8 Life Less Ordinary
4 Tom Melbourne