Wikipedia / Adelaide Cup
Wikipedia / Adelaide Cup
The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March.
History
The first Adelaide Cup was raced on 21 April 1864 at Thebarton Racecourse, where Mile End is today. The race had stakes of 500 sovereigns with an additional sweep of 50 sovereigns to induce owners from other colonies to compete in the race. Victoria's P. Dowling's Falcon carried 10 stone, 1 pound () and ridden by jockey J. Morrison won the race in a time of 3:50.50. A crowd of 7,000 or 8,000 was present for the event.
The race was run at Weight for Age over two miles from 186468. In 1869 the Autumn meeting returned to "the Old Course" (Victoria Park Racecourse) where the Cup was run as a handicap race over two miles. There was no Cup raced in 1870 or 1871. The Cup resumed in 1872 and was run at "The Old Course" over two miles with a smaller stake of 200 sovereigns and an additional sweep of 15 sovereigns. In 1876 the race was held at the "Elder course", Morphettville Racecourse. In 1884 the race was run over 13 furlongs or miles (~2,600 metres), as was every race held until 1941.
The Totalizator, whose operation on South Australian racecourses became legal in 1880, was abolished by the Totalizator Repeal Act of 1883, and the SAJC suffered a financial collapse. The racecourse was mortgaged and the 1885 Adelaide Cup was held at Flemington, Victoria, and was not held for three more years. In 1889, running of the Cup resumed at Morphettville when Sir Richard Baker and A. O. Whitington took over the course.
Starting on 1 March 1942, there was a ban on racing due to World War II and thus the race was not held in 1942 and 1943.
In 1980 due to renovation of Morphettville Racecourse the race was run at Victoria Park Racecourse and in 2000 the Cup race day was abandoned due to rain and was rescheduled later and also run at Victoria Park.
The highest ever Cup attendance was in 1951 when 50,000 spectators attended.
The cup is held on the second Monday of March since March 2006. Before 2006 it was held in May. It was first run in 1864, just three years after the Melbourne Cup commenced. The day received public holiday status in 1973 and became a major social event in South Australia. In the decade since the move of the Adelaide Cup to March, attendance has fallen to a third of previous levels, seeing 10,500 people trackside in 2015. This is due to use of the public holiday by other "Mad March" events (the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, the associated Adelaide Fringe Festival, the WOMAD world music festival, a touring car race the weekend prior). Thoroughbred Racing SA and the South Australian Jockey Club wish to move the race and its associated public holiday out of March. However, in 2015, the South Australian government Minister for Racing, Leon Bignell said "We can't be at the whim of a racing club that wants to dictate when the public holiday is going to be" and suggests if the race be moved again then it be held on a Saturday.
Grade
The race was a Principal Race from 1864 until 1979 and a Group 1 race from 1979 until 2006. The race was downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 status following a decision by the Australian Pattern Committee in 2007.
1937 racebook
Winners
Past winners of the race are as follows.
2026 - American Wolf
2025 - Silent Surrente
2024 - Excelleration
2023 - Rebel Racer
2022 - Daqiansweet Junior
2021 - Good Idea
2020 – King Of Leogrance
2019 – Surprise Baby
2018 – Fanatic
2017 – Annus Mirabilis
2016 – Purple Smile
2015 – Tanby
2014 – Outback Joe
2013 – Norsqui
2012 – Rialya
2011 – Muir
2010 – Capecover
2009 – Zavite
2008 – Lacey Underall
2007 – Gallic
2006 – Exalted Time
2005 – Demerger
2004 – Pantani
2003 – Pillage 'N Plunder
2002 – The A Train
2001 – Apache King
2000 – Bohemiath
1999 – Sheer Kingston
1998 – The Hind
1997 – Cronus
1996 – French Resort
1995 – Scrupulous
1994 – Our Pompeii
1993 – Our Pompeii
1992 – Subzero
1991 – Ideal Centreman
1990 – Water Boatman
1989 – Lord Reims
1988 – Lord Reims
1987 – Lord Reims
1986 – Mr. Lomondy
1985 – Toujours Mio
1984 – Moss Kingdom
1983 – Amarant
1982 – Dealer's Choice
1981 – Just A Dash
1980 – Yashmak
1979 – Panamint
1978 – Hyperno
1977 – Reckless
1976 – Grand Scale
1975 – Soulman
1974 – Phar Ace
1973 – Tavel
1972 – Wine Taster
1971 – Laelia
1970 – Tavel
1969 – Gnapur
1968 – Rain Lover
1967 – Fulmen
1966 – Prince Camillo
1965 – Hunting Horn
1964 – Jamagne
1963 – Woolstar
1962 – Cheong Sam
1961 – Far Away Places
1960 – Lourdale
1959 – Mac
1958 – Star Aim
1957 – Borgia
1956 – Pushover
1955 – Storm Glow
1954 – Spearfolio
1953 – Royal Pageant
1952 – Aldershot
1951 – Peerless Fox
1950 – Peerless Fox
1949 – Colin
1948 – Sanctus
1947 – Beau Cheval
1946 – Little Tich
1945 – Blankenburg
1944 – Chief Watchman
1943 – †race not held
1942 – †race not held
1941 – Yodvara
1940 – Apostrophe
1939 – Son Of Aurous
1938 – Dartford
1937 – Donaster
1936 – Cape York
1935 – Mellion
1934 – Sir Roseland
1933 – Infirmiere
1932 – Romany Rye
1931 – Suzumi
1930 – Temptation
1929 – Parallana
1928 – Altimeter
1927 – Three Kings
1926 – Spearer
1925 – Stralia
1924 – Wynette
1923 – King Ingoda
1922 – Repique
1921 – Sir Marco
1920 – Wee Gun
1919 – Dependence
1918 – Elsdon
1917 – Greencap
1916 – St. Spasa
1915 – Naxbery
1914 – Hamburg Belle
1913 – Midnight Sun
1912 – Eye Glass
1911 – Eye Glass
1910 – Medaglia
1909 – Kooringa
1908 – Destinist
1907 – Spinaway
1906 – Dynamite
1905 – Troytown
1904 – Sport Royal
1903 – Sojourner
1902 – The Idler
1901 – Gunga Din
1900 – Tarquin
1899 – Contrast
1898 – Paul Pry
1897 – Mora
1896 – Warpaint
1895 – Elswick
1894 – Port Admiral
1893 – Vakeel
1892 – Jericho
1891 – Stanley
1890 – Shootover
1889 – The Lawyer
1888 – race not held
1887 – race not held
1886 – race not held
1885 – ‡Lord Wilton
1884 – Malua
1883 – Sting
1882 – Euclid
1881 – Totalisator
1880 – First Water
1879 – Banter
1878 – Glenormiston
1877 – Aldinga
1876 – Impudence
1875 – Lurline
1874 – Ace Of Trumps
1873 – Dolphin
1872 – Australian Buck
1871 – race not held
1870 – race not held
1869 – Norma
1868 – Cupbearer
1867 – Cowra
1866 – Cowra
1865 – Ebor
1864 – Falcon
† Race not held due to a ban on war time racing in the state. ‡ Race held at Flemington, Victoria after financial collapse of the SAJC which followed the Totalizator Repeal Act 1883.
See also
References