Melbourne Cup Facts

The Melbourne Cup is the most loved and anticipated horse race in Australia.  While other prestigious racing events also take place throughout the racing season, the Melbourne Cup attracts the attention of the public like no other.  A number of interesting statistics, facts, and trivia help to define this race, truly making it “the race that stops a nation.”

Historic Melbourne Cup Facts

• The first ever winner of the Melbourne Cup was Archer, who won 170 pounds and a gold watch.  Legend has it the stallion had to walk over 500 miles from Terara near New South Wales to participate in the race.

• The Melbourne Cup is held over a distance of 3200 metres, and takes place on the first Tuesday of November every year.

• The fastest winning time for the Melbourne Cup was recorded by Kingston Rule in 1990, crossing the line at 3:16.3.

• Bart Cummings has experienced the most wins as a trainer, with 12 victories in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2008.

• Michelle Payne is the only female jockey to have won the Melbourne Cup (2015).

• Makybe Diva is the most successful horse, winning the race three years in a row between 2003 and 2005.

• The Melbourne Cup did not originally allow women to compete, with Maree Lyndon becoming the first female to do so with horse Argonaut Style in 1987.  Unfortunately, she came second last on the day.

• The first woman to formally train a Melbourne Cup winner was Sheila Laxon, who won with New Zealand mare Ethereal in 2001.

• The largest ever attendance for the Melbourne Cup was in 2003, when more than 122,737 people attended to watch Makybe Diva win her first of three Melbourne Cups.

• 35 out of 150 favourites have won the Melbourne Cup, which is 23 percent.  71 favourites have finished in the first three placings, which is 47 percent.

•  The smallest number of starters for the Melbourne Cup was in 1863 with just 7 horses, with the largest field of 39 horses run in 1890.

•  The 11 winners of the Melbourne Cup/Caulfield Cup double are Poseidon in 1906, The Trump 1937, Rivette in 1939, Rising Fast in 1954, Even Stevens in 1962, Galilee in 1966, Gurner’s Lane in 1982, Let’s Elope in 1991, Doriemus in 1995, Might and Power in 1997, and Ethereal in 2001.

Melbourne Cup 2024 Facts

The Melbourne Cup is set to run on November 5th, 2024 at Flemington Racecourse.

The 2024 Melbourne Cup will be run over 3200 metres with a start time set for 3pm.

The Melbourne Cup will be worth a total of $8,000,000 in prize money in 2024.