Lyla Lindsey
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria. The race has been a tradition since 1861 and has been won by several Australian horses over the years. The first winner was a thoroughbred named Archer, who also won the race in 1862. Other notable Australian-bred winners include Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Rain Lover (1968 and 1969), Think Big (1974 and 1975), and Makybe Diva, who became the first horse to win the race three times consecutively from 2003 to 2005.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First Melbourne Cup winner | Archer, in 1861 |
| Number of times Archer won the Melbourne Cup | Twice (1861 and 1862) |
| Other notable Melbourne Cup winners | Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Comic Court (1951), Rising Fast (1954), Galilee (1966), Rain Lover (1968 and 1969), Kiwi (1983), Vintage Crop (1993), Saintly (1996), Might and Power (1997) |
| Only horse to win the race three times | Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005) |
| First female to ride in the Melbourne Cup | Maree Lyndon (1987) |
| First Australian-bred and trained Melbourne Cup winner since 2019 | Knight's Choice (2024) |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Makybe Diva, the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups
- Bart Cummings, the 'Cups King' trainer with 12 Melbourne Cup wins
- Phar Lap, the shortest-priced favourite in Cup history, won in 1930
- De Mestre, the owner with the most Melbourne Cup wins (5) before 1975
- The Melbourne Cup's history and its place in Australian culture
Makybe Diva, the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's premier thoroughbred horse race, held annually at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, over a distance of 3200 metres. The race has been a part of Australian culture since its inception in 1861, and has been run every year since, except during World War I and World War II.
Makybe Diva is the only horse to have won the Melbourne Cup three times. Her first victory came in 2003, followed by another win in 2004, and she made history by securing her third triumph in 2005.
Makybe Diva's story is one of the most famous in the industry. She began her racing career in 2002 in Australia, having been passed in at sale in England. Her early career was unusual due to her Northern Hemisphere birth, which meant she was at a disadvantage against Australian horses as she "aged-up" faster for racing purposes. Despite this setback, her talent became evident as she stepped up in distance, winning her first Listed Race, the Werribee Cup, at 2000 metres.
In the lead-up to her first Melbourne Cup victory in 2003, Makybe Diva displayed competitiveness in several races, including a fourth-place finish in the Group 2 Turnbull Stakes. Starting as the second favourite in the Melbourne Cup, she raced at the back of the field until the final straight, where jockey Glen Boss navigated her to a remarkable win.
Her campaign in 2004 aimed at securing a second Melbourne Cup victory. She demonstrated her improved racing form, finishing second in the Group 2 John F Feehan Stakes over 1,600 metres. Makybe Diva then faced a challenging field in the 2004 Melbourne Cup, including multiple Irish St. Leger winner Vinnie Roe and Caulfield Cup winners. Despite the tough competition, she emerged victorious in the driving rain, becoming the first mare to win two Melbourne Cups.
Makybe Diva's historic third Melbourne Cup victory in 2005 cemented her legacy in the world of horse racing. Her trainer, Lee Freedman, aptly described the magnitude of her achievement, suggesting that only the youngest person on the course might witness such a feat again. Makybe Diva's success in the Melbourne Cup, along with other prestigious races, earned her the title of Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year in 2005.
Australia's Island Detainees: A Dark Chapter
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Bart Cummings, the 'Cups King' trainer with 12 Melbourne Cup wins
James Bartholomew Cummings, also known as J. B. Cummings, is considered one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He was born in 1927 in Adelaide, South Australia, and started his career working for his father, Jim Cummings, as a strapper, despite being allergic to horses and hay. In 1953, Cummings received his trainer's licence and set up stables in Glenelg, South Australia.
Cummings first experienced the thrill of a Melbourne Cup win at 23 when he strapped the home-bred 'Comic Court' for his father in 1950. His first significant win came in 1958 when he won the South Australian Derby, his first Group 1 win. Cummings had a record total of 89 runners in the Melbourne Cup, starting in 1958 with Asian Court, who finished twelfth.
Cummings achieved 246 Group 1 victories and more than 776 stakes victories. In addition to his 12 Melbourne Cup wins, he won the Caulfield Cup seven times, the Golden Slipper Stakes four times, the Cox Plate five times, the VRC Oaks nine times, and the Newmarket Handicap eight times. He also won the Australian Cup thirteen times. Cummings trained both the first and second-placed horses in the Melbourne Cup in 1965, 1966, 1974, 1975, and 1991.
Cummings' first Melbourne Cup victory came in 1965 with 'Light Fingers', and he went on to train the winners of the following two years: ''Galilee' in 1966 and 'Red Handed' in 1967. His other Melbourne Cup winners include 'Think Big' (1974 and 1975), 'Gold and Black' (1977), 'Hyperno' (1979), and 'Kingston Rule' (1979). Cummings' final Melbourne Cup winner was 'Viewed' in 2008.
Due to his remarkable record in the Melbourne Cup, Cummings was labelled the "Cups King" and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1991. He was elevated to Legend of Australian Sport in 2008 for his contribution to horse racing.
Australia's 'After' Movie Rating: What's Next?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Phar Lap, the shortest-priced favourite in Cup history, won in 1930
Phar Lap, the New Zealand-born Thoroughbred racehorse, is revered as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He cemented his place in history by winning the Melbourne Cup in 1930, becoming the shortest-priced favourite in Cup history.
Phar Lap's victory in the Melbourne Cup was a significant moment in Australian racing history. Born in 1926, he became a crowd favourite during the Great Depression, providing hope to many Australians with his underdog story. By the time of his Melbourne Cup triumph, he had already achieved great success, including winning the Victoria Derby and coming third in the 1929 Melbourne Cup.
In the lead-up to the 1930 Melbourne Cup, Phar Lap faced a significant threat to his life. Just three days before the race, an attempt was made to shoot him as he returned to his stable. Despite this, Phar Lap went on to win the race in record time, watched by a crowd of over 60,000 people. He covered the 3200-metre distance in 3:27.75 minutes, beating the second-placed horse by three lengths.
Phar Lap's victory in the Melbourne Cup solidified his status as a champion racehorse. He combined stamina with speed, standing at an impressive 17 hands (1.73 m). His heart, which weighed 6.2 kilograms, was remarkably larger than that of a typical horse, which averages 3.2 kilograms.
Phar Lap's legacy extended beyond his racing achievements. His mounted hide is displayed at the Melbourne Museum, while his skeleton can be found at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. His heart, the object most requested to be seen by visitors, is exhibited at the National Museum of Australia. Phar Lap's story even inspired theories of criminal intrigue, with some believing he was poisoned by US gangsters to protect their illegal bookmaking operations.
Australia's Stance on Food Imitation Directives
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![A History of Violence (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71lqpbUFtWL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
De Mestre, the owner with the most Melbourne Cup wins (5) before 1975
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's premier thoroughbred horse race, held annually at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The race has been a part of the country's culture since its inception in 1861.
Etienne De Mestre, an Australian racehorse trainer, experienced the highs and lows of the turf during his career. De Mestre's parents settled in Terara, near the Shoalhaven River in New South Wales, where he established a horse stud and racetrack in the 1850s. De Mestre was already a skilled horseman at 15, winning a major event at Bathurst on his own horse, Sweetheart.
De Mestre's career as a trainer began with a bang, as owners from Monaro and the south coast eagerly sent him their best horses. In 1859, he trained Veno, who won the first inter-colonial Champion Challenge race between NSW and Victoria. De Mestre's success continued with Archer, a horse he leased from the "Exeter Farm" of Jembaicumbene, who won the first two Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862. Archer's win in the inaugural race was particularly impressive, as he defeated the Victorian champion, Mormon, by six lengths. De Mestre's success with Archer was not without drama, as in 1863, Archer was scratched from the race due to a late acceptance, causing De Mestre to boycott the race and prompting other owners to scratch their horses in solidarity.
Despite this setback, De Mestre went on to win two more Melbourne Cups in 1867 with Tim Whiffler and in 1877 with Chester, owned by James White. De Mestre's fifth and final Melbourne Cup victory came in 1878 with Calamia, a less-fancied horse that won easily by two lengths. This win brought De Mestre's total to five Melbourne Cup wins in the Cup's first 18 years, a record that stood unmatched for nearly a century until Bart Cummings won his fifth Melbourne Cup in 1975. De Mestre's success cemented his legacy in Australian racing history, earning him a place in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Exploring Australia's Statehood: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![The History of Sound [Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/01RmK+J4pJL._AC_UY218_.gif)
The Melbourne Cup's history and its place in Australian culture
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club. The race has been a part of Melbourne and Australian culture since it was first run in 1861. The Melbourne Cup has been run every year since, except during World War I and World War II.
The race is held on the first Tuesday of November and is known as "the race that stops the nation". It has been a public holiday in Victoria since 1876, with people from across Australia and New Zealand tuning in to watch the race. In 2000, a betting agency claimed that 80% of the adult Australian population placed a bet on the race that year.
The Melbourne Cup was introduced by the Victorian Turf Club, with the inaugural race won by Archer, who also won the following year. The race has seen many famous horses compete, with Phar Lap winning in 1930 at the shortest odds in the history of the race. Other notable winners include Makybe Diva, the first horse to win the race three times, and Rain Lover, who held the race record until it was adjusted due to the metric system's adoption.
The Melbourne Cup is also known for its rich prize money, with the winner receiving $4.4 million in 2023. The race has a long and storied history in Australian culture, with the National Museum of Australia celebrating the 150th anniversary of the event in 2016, showcasing its enduring fascination for Australians.
Ocean Energy in Australia: A Growing Industry?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Since the first running of the Melbourne Cup in 1861, there have been over 150 winners, many of them Australian. Notable Australian winners include Phar Lap, Carbine, Might And Power, and Makybe Diva, the only horse to win the race three times.
Makybe Diva is the only horse to win the Melbourne Cup three times, from 2003 to 2005.
Yes, four horses have won the Melbourne Cup twice: Archer (1861 and 1862), Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Rain Lover (1968 and 1969), and Think Big (1974 and 1975).
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria. It is Australia's richest horse race, with a prize pool of over $8 million in 2023.
The Melbourne Cup is held on the first Tuesday of November each year.
