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Caulfield Cup

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

DUKE DE SESSA winning the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup at Caulfield in Australia.
DUKE DE SESSA winning the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup at Caulfield in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

The Caulfield Cup is a Group 1 race run under Handicap conditions for open age stayers at Caulfield conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club.

The Caulfield Cup is run over 2400m. It was first run in 1879 and was won by Newminster.

It has been at the mile and a half for all runnings.

The Caulfield Cup was a Principal Race until graded at Group 1 in 1979.

It is the richest 2400m handicap in the world. The Caulfield Cup was worth $5,000,000 in 2024.

There are 18 runners plus emergencies with several races around the world which are exempt from ballot.

Highest recent weights to win are Admire Rakti, Dunaden and Northerly's 58kg (Best Solution 57.5kg) while lightest was Arctic Scent with 49kg in last 30 years.

Only five mares have won in the last 30 years (Verry Elleegant, Jameka, Southern Speed, Ethereal & Arctic Scent).

14 of the last 31 winners have been 4yos (including Best Solution).

Since 2008, five internationals have won - All The Good, Dunaden, Admire Rakti, Best Solution and Mer De Glace.

Tulloch bolted away as a 3yo in 1957. He ran the race and track record. The owner did not want to press on to the Melbourne Cup with the young horse.

Those to do the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double include Poseidon, The Trump, Rivette, Rising Fast, Even Stevens, Galilee, Gurner's Lane, Let's Elope, Doriemus, Might And Power, Ethereal and Without A Fight.

Big Philou won the Caulfield Cup in 1969 and was warm favourite for the Melbourne Cup when withdrawn close to the race.

Sobar won as a 3yo in 1972 beating the likes of Gunsynd (who was carrying 62kg).

In 1992, Mannerism won courtesy of a great Damien Oliver ride but most remember it more for the ride of Shane Dye on Veandercross. Dye took the kiwi very wide down the side about 800m out and into the straight. He was there to win but weakened the last furlong and missed by a nose.

As part of Godolphin's foray down under, Best Solution gave Saeed bin Suroor his second Caulfield Cup a decade apart following All The Good's victory. Best Solution was a well performed horse around the world winning G1s in Germany before holding on at Caulfield by a nose in 2018.

Japan won for the second time in 2019 when Mer De Glace swept around the field much like Admire Rakti had done five years earlier.

The 2021 story was all about the Queenslanders as Incentivise overcame several obstacles in a dominant display roaring away with the Cup.

Simon & Ed Crisford brought Without A Fight to the Melbourne Cup in 2022 and a year later they got knocked off on West Wind Blows by that same horse now with the Freedmans. Without A Fight would go on to complete the Cups double.

Notable winners of the Caulfield Cup include Without A Fight (2023), Incentivise (2021), Verry Elleegant (2020), Mer De Glace (2019), Best Solution (2018), Jameka (2016), Admire Rakti (2014), Dunaden (2012), All The Good (2008), Elvstroem (2004), Mummify (2003), Northerly (2002), Ethereal (2001), Might And Power (1997), Doriemus (1995), Let's Elope (1991), Gurner's Lane (1982), Ming Dynasty (1977/1980), Leilani (1974), Sobar (1972), Big Philou (1969), Tobin Bronze (1967), Galilee (1966), Tulloch (1957), Redcraze (1956), Rising Fast (1954/1955), Tranquil Star (1942), Amounis (1930), Manfred (1926) and Poseidon (1906/1907).

The 2024 Caulfield Cup was won by Duke De Sessa from Buckaroo and Land Legend.


Racing and Sports

Previous Caulfield Cup Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) 5G
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) - DARK CRUSADER (IRE) CAPE CROSS (IRE)
HARRY COFFEY 52.0 CIARON MAHER 5
WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) 6G
TEOFILO (IRE) - KHOR SHEED (GB) DUBAWI (IRE)
M J ZAHRA 55.5 A & S FREEDMAN 7
DURSTON (GB) 6G
SEA THE MOON (GER) - CARIBANA (GB) HERNANDO (FR)
MICHAEL DEE 51.5 CHRIS WALLER 6
INCENTIVISE (AUS) 5G
SHAMUS AWARD (AUS) - MISS ARGYLE (AUS) IGLESIA (AUS)
B PREBBLE 55.5 PETER G MOODY 18
VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) 5M
ZED (NZ) - OPULENCE (NZ) DANROAD (AUS)
M J ZAHRA 55.0 CHRIS WALLER 8
MER DE GLACE (JPN) 4H
RULERSHIP (JPN) - GLACIER BLUE (JPN) SUNDAY SILENCE (USA)
DAMIAN LANE 55.5 H SHIMIZU 17
BEST SOLUTION (IRE) 4H
KODIAC (GB) - AL ANDALYYA (USA) KINGMAMBO (USA)
PAT COSGRAVE 57.5 SAEED BIN SUROOR 15
BOOM TIME (AUS) 6H
FLYING SPUR (AUS) - BIT OF A RIDE (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS)
C J PARISH 52.0 D & B HAYES & T DABERNIG 3
JAMEKA (AUS) 4M
MYBOYCHARLIE (IRE) - MINE GAME (AUS) GENERAL NEDIYM (AUS)
NICHOLAS HALL 52.5 CIARON MAHER 11
MONGOLIAN KHAN (AUS) 4H
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - CENTAFIT (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS)
O P BOSSON 55.0 MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN 6
ADMIRE RAKTI (JPN) 6H
HEART'S CRY (JPN) - ADMIRE TERESA (JPN) HELISSIO (FR)
Z PURTON 58.0 T UMEDA 7
FAWKNER (AUS) 6G
RESET (AUS) - DANE BELLTAR (AUS) DANEWIN (AUS)
NICHOLAS HALL 55.0 ROBERT HICKMOTT 10
DUNADEN (FR) 6H
NICOBAR (GB) - LA MARLIA (FR) KALDOUNEVEES (FR)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 58.0 M DELZANGLES 18
SOUTHERN SPEED (AUS) 4M
SOUTHERN IMAGE (USA) - GOLDEN EAGLE (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 52.5 LEON MACDONALD & ANDREW GLUYAS 3
DESCARADO (NZ) 4G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - KARAMEA LADY (NZ) LORD BALLINA (AUS)
C MUNCE 52.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 15
VIEWED (AUS) 6H
SCENIC (IRE) - LOVERS KNOT (NZ) KHOZAAM (USA)
B RAWILLER 57.0 BART CUMMINGS 13
ALL THE GOOD (IRE) 5H
DIESIS (GB) - ZARARA (USA) MANILA (USA)
K MCEVOY 54.5 SAEED BIN SUROOR 6
MASTER O'REILLY (NZ) 5G
O'REILLY (NZ) - WITHOUT REMORSE (NZ) BAKHAROFF (USA)
V DURIC 50.5 DANNY O'BRIEN 4
TAWQEET (USA) 4H
KINGMAMBO (USA) - CAERLESS (IRE) CAERLEON (USA)
D DUNN 53.5 D A HAYES 2
RAILINGS (AUS) 4G
ZABEEL (NZ) - LA SUFFRAGETTE (NZ) PALACE MUSIC (USA)
G CHILDS 52.0 JOHN HAWKES 9
ELVSTROEM (AUS) 4H
DANEHILL (USA) - CIRCLES OF GOLD (AUS) MARSCAY (AUS)
N RAWILLER 54.0 TONY VASIL 3
MUMMIFY (AUS) 4G
JEUNE (GB) - CLEOPATRA'S GIRL (AUS) AT TALAQ (USA)
D NIKOLIC 53.0 D L FREEDMAN 13
NORTHERLY (AUS) 6G
SERHEED (USA) - NORTH BELL (AUS) BELLWATER (FR)
G CHILDS 58.0 FRED KERSLEY 9
ETHEREAL (NZ) 4M
RHYTHM (USA) - ROMANEE CONTI (NZ) SIR TRISTRAM (IRE)
S SEAMER 50.0 SHEILA LAXON 10
DIATRIBE (AUS) 4H
BRIEF TRUCE (USA) - GABBING GLORIA (USA) DESERT WINE (USA)
J CASSIDY 52.5 GEORGE HANLON 11

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