The Melbourne Cup began in 1861 and has since become Australia’s most iconic horse race. Over the years, it has produced incredible moments and records. Here’s a look at some of the key facts, stats, and history from the Cup’s rich past.
When is the 2024 Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup will jump at 3pm on Tuesday, Nov. 5. It’s the seventh race on a 10-race card at Flemington.
Which horse has won the most Melbourne Cups?
Makybe Diva is the most successful horse in this race, winning the Melbourne Cup three times (2003, 2004, and 2005). Meanwhile, another four horses have won the Cup twice — Think Big (1974, 1975), Rain Lover (1968, 1969), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), and the winner of the first two editions of the race, Archer (1861, 1862).
Who is the most successful Melbourne Cup jockey?
Both Bobby Lewis (1902, 1915, 1919, 1927) and Harry White (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979) have won the race on four occasions and are the only jockeys to do so.
More recently, retired duo Damien Oliver (1995, 2002, 2013) and Glen Boss (2003, 2004, 2005) each have three wins, as does current rider Kerrin McEvoy (2000, 2016, 2018).
Who is the most successful Melbourne Cup trainer?
Legendary trainer Bart Cummings won the Melbourne Cup on 12 occasions: 1965 (Light Fingers), 1966 (Galilee), 1967 (Red Handed), 1974 (Think Big), 1975 (Think Big), 1977 (Gold and Black), 1979 (Hyperno), 1990 (Kingston Rule), 1991 (Let’s Elope), 1996 (Saintly), 1999 (Rogan Josh), and 2008 (Viewed). He also fielded the quinella of the race five times (1965, 1966, 1974, 1975, 1991).
How big is the Melbourne Cup field?
The field is currently limited to 24 runners, making it one of the biggest fields in Australian racing. Of course, sometimes there are less runners due to late scratchings. Believe it or not, the largest Melbourne Cup field consisted of a whopping 39 runners back in 1890! The smallest field to contest the race? There were just seven in 1963.
Has the Melbourne Cup always been run at Flemington?
Yep! The richest two-mile handicap in the world has always been run at the famous Flemington racecourse, but it wasn’t always held on a Tuesday — that didn’t become a tradition until 1875. Before that, it was actually run on a Thursday, and in three of the five years during World War II (1942, 1943 and 1944) it was held on a Saturday.
Which barrier has produced the most Melbourne Cup winners?
While there have been 163 editions of the race, barriers were not introduced until 1924. Nevertheless, barriers five and 14 have been the most successful, producing eight winners each.
In 2021, Verry Elleegant made history by winning the race from barrier 18, becoming the first horse to triumph from this position.
The barrier now with the longest drought is six, having not produced a winner since Light Fingers in 1965.
Since 2000, nine of the 23 winners have come from barriers between 10-14, with no gate to produce more than two winners since the turn of the century. Seven barriers are still winless in that time, those being two, six, 15, 16, 20, 23, and 24.
What about Melbourne Cup saddlecloths?
Horses that have been assigned with the No. 4 saddle have been the most successful with 12 wins, Verry Elleegant the most recent in 2021. Numbers one and 12 each have 11 wins, while No. 6 has 10. As for the unluckiest numbers — seven, 16, 18, and 21 have the least amount of wins with two each.
What’s the record Melbourne Cup winning time?
Kingston Rule (1990) holds the current record for the 3200m race with a time of 3:16.3. But the biggest winning margin is shared by Archer (1862) and Rain Lover (1968) with eight lengths. For comparison, last year’s winner, Without A Fight, won the race with a time of 3:18.37, the eighth-fastest time on record.
This century, the slowest winning time was the second of Makybe Diva’s three straight wins, running it in 3:28.55 in 2004 — the track was very rain-affected, though.
Archer and Lantern both took 3:52.00 to win in 1961 and 1964 respectively, the slowest winning time on record.
Has there ever been a dead heat in the Melbourne Cup?
Not yet! But there have certainly been some tight finishes, and you don’t need to think back too far. In 2011, Dunaden beat home Red Cadeaux by just millimetres in a memorable, heart-stopping photo finish. There was also a thriller three years prior when Cummings’ Viewed held off a fast-finishing Bauer by the barest of margins in 2008.
The first photo finish was back in 1948 when Rimfire won from Dark Marne, perhaps controversially, but that’s a story for another day…
What’s the essential weight a horse needs to carry to be a winning Melbourne Cup chance?
There is no ‘essential’ weight, per se, but weight is still a factor. And even then, the best horses usually still win regardless.
Firstly, because the race is run under handicap conditions, each horse will be allocated a weight by the handicapper which is based on a number of key factors such as sex, age and past performances, as a way of levelling out the field.
The largest weight carried to victory was 66kgs by Carbine in 1890, while the lightest-weighted winner was Banker who had just 33.5kgs on his back in 1863.
Since 2010, the average weight carried by a winning horse is just over 54kgs. In that time, Gold Trip (2022) has won with 57.5kgs, and Cross Counter (2018) has won with 51kgs. In fact, in the past four years, 55.5kgs is the lightest weight carried to Melbourne Cup victory.
What aged horse has had the most success in the Melbourne Cup?
Four-year-olds have the best record in the race with 45 winners, while five-year-olds have won the race 44 times, together accounting for almost 55% of all winners.
In saying that, last year’s winner, Without A Fight, won as a seven-year-old, while Gold Trip (2022) and Verry Elleegant (2021) were both six. In 2020, Irish raider Twilight Payment became just the third eight-year-old to win the race, and the first since Catalogue in 1938.
Skipton (1941) was the last three-year-old to win, but both Cross Counter (2018) and Rekindling (2017), although officially listed as four-year-olds, were both European three-year-olds at the time they won.
Do mares or stallions have a better record in the Melbourne Cup?
Stallions (or entires) have dominated the Melbourne Cup with 72 wins, as have geldings with 55. Only 14 mares have won the race, Verry Elleegant in 2021 the most recent — and she was the first to do so since Makybe Diva’s third Cup win in 2005.
Who is the favourite to win this year’s Melbourne Cup?
As of 9am [AEDT] Oct. 28, Chris Waller’s Via Sistina is the current favourite after her stunning Cox Plate win in which she broke the track record previously set by champion mare Winx, while Jan Brueghel has been a hyped runner ever since trainer Aidan O’Brien revealed the inexperienced colt by Galileo would be his sole contender for this year’s race. Last year’s favourite Vauban, Caulfield Cup runner-up Buckaroo, and Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator are also among the key chances.
What prize money is on offer?
The Melbourne Cup is worth $8 million, with the winner receiving $4.4 million. Trainers receive 10% of the winnings, jockeys 5%, and 85% goes to the owners of the horse. The second-placed runner earns $1.1 million, third takes $550,000, fourth $350,000, fifth $230,000, and sixth to 12th $160,000.
What is the biggest crowd to attend the Melbourne Cup?
The very first edition of the race welcomed 4,000 racegoers, but the record attendance was set when 2003 attracted 122,736 spectators. That figure dipped to 98,161 the following year, before the next 11 years saw crowds in six figures. Due to COVID-19, there were no patrons on course in 2020, while the crowd capacity was capped at 10,000 just for 2021.
Last year, the official attendance at Flemington was 84,492 — up 14.5% from 2022.
How can you watch the race in 2024?
Channel Nine has the free-to-air rights to the Melbourne Cup this year, as well as the rest of the carnival (Derby Day on November 2, Oaks Day on November 7, and Champions Stakes Day on November 9), after striking a six-year deal with the VRC and Tabcorp. It will also be available on the TAB app, Sky Racing, and Racing.com.
Make sure to also stay tuned to ESPN.com.au for a complete form guide and Cup day tips.
DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored a goal in his club’s must-win Game 6 of the second-round playoff series at Dallas on Saturday night, hours after the unexpected death of his father.
But he also had the penalty that set up the Stars’ power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 win that knocked the top-ranked Jets out of the playoffs.
Jets captain Adam Lowry went and got Scheifele out of the box when the game ended.
“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” Lowry said. “You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”
During the handshake line afterward, Scheifele hugged and talked to just about everyone, with Stars players clearly offering their support to him in a heartwarming moment.
Scheifele scored his fifth goal of the playoffs 5½ minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He scored on a short snap shot from just outside the crease after gathering the rebound of a shot by Kyle Connor.
“I just I know we have a great group here. I knew, going in, once we found out the news that he’s going to have a great support group and we’re going to be there for him through the highs and the lows and obviously today was a real low,” defenseman Neal Pionk said of Scheifele. “[We] did everything we could to give him some words of encouragement, [and] for him to play tonight, and play the way he did, is flat out one of the most courageous things we’ve ever seen.”
The game was tied at 1 when Sam Steel, who had already scored for Dallas, was on a break. Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line with 14.8 seconds in regulation. Scheifele and the Jets avoided a penalty shot on the play, but ended up losing on the power play when Thomas Harley scored 1:33 into overtime.
Jets coach Scott Arniel said the news of Brad Scheifele’s passing overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was told before the optional morning skate.
“On behalf of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It rocked us all this morning when we found out,” Arniel said before the game. “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that’d be the wishes of his dad. He would have wanted him to play.”
Scheifele was the last Jets player to leave the ice following pregame warmups, and during at least part of the singing of “O Canada,” he had his head bowed and his eyes closed. He took the opening faceoff against Roope Hintz.
“The thing about Mr. Scheifele is he’s part of our family. He’s part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was first drafted here,” Arniel said. “We have a lot of players that came in around the time that are still here that he’s been a big part of their life, along with their family. So it’s certainly, obviously devastating for Mark, but also for a lot of guys on this team.”
Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the organization was doing everything it can to support Scheifele. There was no immediate word on the cause of Brad Scheifele’s death.
The 32-year-old Mark Scheifele finished with 11 points (five goals, six assists) while playing in 11 of the Jets’ 13 games this postseason. He missed Games 6 and 7 of the first-round series against St. Louis with an undisclosed injury after taking a pair of big hits early in Game 5 of that series.
In Game 5 against the Stars on Thursday night, a 4-0 win by Winnipeg that extended the series, Scheifele was sucker-punched by Stars captain Jamie Benn during a late scrum. Benn got a game misconduct penalty and was fined by the NHL the maximum-allowed $5,000 but avoided a suspension.
Scheifele had 87 points (39 goals and 48 assists) in the 82 regular-season games.
DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final for the third season in a row, beating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets hours after the unexpected death of his father, but also had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left in regulation that set up Dallas to start overtime with a man advantage.
Sam Steel, who had scored earlier for Dallas, was on a break when Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line. The Stars called a timeout, but missed a shot and had another one blocked before the end of regulation.
The Stars move on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the West final for the second year in a row and will host Game 1. Connor McDavid and his club, which won in six games last year, wrapped up their second-round series with a 1-0 overtime win over Vegas on Wednesday night in Game 5.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to wrap up his sixth playoff series win over the past three seasons. He made an incredible diving save with 8½ minutes left in regulation, leaning to the right before having to lunge back across his body toward the left post to knock down a shot by Mason Appleton.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots but couldn’t prevent a loss that assured a winless record for his club on the road this postseason. Meanwhile, his final goal allowed continued a magical season for Harley, Dallas’ breakout blueliner who also played for Team Canada this season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Not surprising to the guys in here,” Oettinger said of Harley’s rise to prominence. “We’re very lucky.”
Steel notched his first goal of the playoffs midway through the second period. He shot a long rebound from the top of the right circle, sending the puck into the upper right corner of the net just above Hellebuyck’s glove.
“I’m just disappointed,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said. “We couldn’t get that [penalty] kill for [the fans], and get it back to win in Winnipeg for Game 7. But you know, [I’m] really proud of this group, and the way they handled everything, and the way we fought back. … It just came up short.”
The Jets become the next in a long line of Presidents’ Trophy winners to bow out early. The award, which goes to the NHL’s top regular-season team, was won by the New York Rangers last season before they lost in the Eastern Conference final. Two years ago, the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.
“We lost to a great team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We lost to a team that was in our rearview mirror all year long.”
Scheifele’s effort was a focus for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer, who began his postgame media availability by saying what the Jets star forward did in playing Saturday was “courageous,” adding “I’m sure his dad would’ve been really proud of him and what he did.”
For the Stars, it’s off to the NHL’s final four, as the franchise continues to seek its second Stanley Cup title.
“I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again,” DeBoer said. “You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and haven’t taken the next step, so that’s the challenge.”
As the Vegas Golden Knights absorb being knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, they don’t have to wait long before planning for their future. Jack Eichel, who has one season left on his eight-year, $80 million contract, is eligible for an extension beginning July 1.
“He’s one of the top guys in the NHL,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s got great character, great leadership. You see night in, night out what he does for our team, so that will be a really important piece of business for us. We certainly hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here, so I would hope we could find common ground.”
Eichel, 28, comes off the best season of his 10-year career, the past four with the Golden Knights. He set career highs with 66 assists and 94 points to go with 28 goals as the center on the team’s top line. He also skated for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where his club finished second to Canada.
“Can’t say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is,” Eichel said. “I’m super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.”
Management, which is not known for sitting on its hands, will have other significant decisions to make as well on the team’s direction after the Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round for the second year in a row.
“I like our team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t have a problem with any player in that room. I think every one of them is a great teammate. They care about one another. Are there areas of our game we could complement better? Probably. We’ll evaluate that.
“All the guys that were up, their contracts, they were all good players for us. All good players. No disappointments at all. We’ll probably have to look at areas because we’re not the last team standing. Usually, you think, ‘Where can we upgrade? Where can I upgrade what I do?'”
McCrimmon offered a similar assessment.
“I feel our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon said.
The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup two years ago and thought they had another contender this season after capturing the Pacific Division and securing the Western Conference’s second-best record. But Vegas had to rally from a 2-1 series deficit to beat Minnesota in the opening round, winning twice in overtime. Then the Golden Knights lost two overtime games in the 4-1 series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
“I didn’t walk away from Edmonton saying, ‘We had no chance. They’re just better,'” Cassidy said. “I didn’t feel that way. I felt we needed to execute better in a few of the games and we could be the team moving on.”
Forward William Karlsson said losing to the Oilers made it “a wasted season.” McCrimmon wasn’t as blunt, instead labeling the loss as “a missed opportunity.”
Change will come, but at least given the tenor of the comments by Cassidy and McCrimmon, the Golden Knights will largely return their roster intact next season.
“I think we have a great organization,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “Best management I’ve been under. I think they’re going to do the things that they see fit for [the] roster, whether it’s keeping it the same or whether it’s changing up a few things. I don’t know. That’s their decision, above my paygrade, but it will be exciting to see. We know that we’re going to be contenders every year.”
Forward Reilly Smith made it clear he wants to return. An original Golden Knight, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Stanley Cup and then sent to the New York Rangers a year later. The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old on March 6.
Smith made a smooth transition back into the lineup with three goals and eight assists in 21 games. Then he delivered the play of the postseason for the Golden Knights, scoring with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Oilers in Game 3, and finished with three goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.
“Probably the best hockey I’ve played in my career has been wearing this jersey,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of and a fun place to call home. My family loves it here, so if there’s a way to make it work, it’d be great. At the end of the day, it’s a business. My contract negotiations, I probably know as little as [the media does] right now.”
