1974 Melbourne Cup

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1974 Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
Location Flemington Racecourse
Date5 Nov 1974
Distance3200m
Winning horse Think Big
Winning time3:23.2
Final odds12/1
Jockey Harry White
Trainer Bart Cummings
Owner Dato Tan Chin Nam & Rick O'Sullivan
Conditions Good
SurfaceTurf
←  1973
1975  →

Battle Heights is up going for the lead now, on the outside coming out to have a crack at Igloo, Leilani is looking for a run between them will need it and here comes Captain Perri down the outside and Turfcutter, Turfcutter is mowing grass! Battle Heights went to the front at the 200 meter mark, from Leilani, Captain Peri on the outside then is Turfcutter and Think Big. Leilani is getting to Battle Heights and on the outside Captain Perri. Leilani just in front, Think Big is picking it up down the outside and Think Big has got up to win the Cup! Think Big has won, Leilani is second, third in the race then was Captain Perri.

Commentator Bert Bryant describes the climax of the race

The 1974 Melbourne Cup was a handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 5 November 1974 over 3200m, at Flemington Racecourse.

The race was won by the gelding Think Big, trained by Bart Cummings and ridden by Harry White. The runner up was Leilani also trained by Bart Cummings, [1] and third place went to Captain Peri. [2] The winning margin was one length with a further length to third place.

This win gave Bart Cummings his fourth Melbourne Cup win and his third quinella of the race. Bart went on to record twelve Melbourne Cup training victories. [3] [4]

Bred by the estate of the late L. A. Alexander, Think Big was purchased by Bart for Dato Tan Chin Nam at the Trentham yearling sales in New Zealand at a price of $10,000. Think Big was sired by Sobig and his dam Sarcelle was by Oman. Think Big also won the 1975 Melbourne Cup for Bart and was once again ridden by Harry White. [5]

As well as two victories on Think Big, Harry White also won the 1978 Melbourne Cup on Arwon and the 1979 race on Hyperno. [6] [7]

Field

The following are the placegetters in the 1974 Melbourne Cup.

PlaceHorseTrainerJockeyWeightSP
1st Think Big Bart Cummings Harry White 53kg12/1
2nd Leilani Bart Cummings Peter Cook 55.5kg7/2 fav
3rdCaptain Peri (NZ)J E WoodM Baker52kg14/1
4thLord MetricMerv Ritchie Noel Harris 53kg20/1
5th Piping Lane R W TrinderJ Stocker53kg50/1
6thTurfcutter (NZ)Ray VernerDavid Peake53kg7/1
7th Battle Heights (NZ)Tim DouglasGary Willets61kg11/2
8thIgloo (NZ) Tommy Smith N Voigt57.5kg33/1
9thBelotta (NZ)R CampbellS Aitkin51kg14/1
10thGrand ScaleM WillmottP Trotter53kg20/1
11thHerminiaD JuddB Gilders50kg8/1
12thCaptain Peri (NZ)J E WoodM Baker52kg14/1
13thTaras Bulba George Hanlon L Harbridge47kg20/1
14thCorroboreeT HoweR McCarthy55.5kg80/1
15thPaaetreul Tommy Smith K Langby56.5kg40/1
16thTop OrderT Hughes Malcolm Johnston 43.5kg200/1
17thPilfer (NZ) Colin Hayes J Miller53kg40/1
18thGay MasterT HughesE Didham51kg50/1
19thOur PocketB J Boyle John Letts 53kg12/1
20thSequesterR WinksR Setches48kg250/1
21stBig AngelE W Laing Pat Hyland 52kg33/1
22ndHigh Sail (NZ)T HughesA Cooper53kg200/1

Scratched: Quick Answer (16), Stop The Music (23)

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References

  1. ↑ "Leilani: The one that got away". 10 play. 12 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Past Winners - 1971 to 1980 Melbourne Cup Winners - Races.com.au". www.races.com.au. 22 September 2009.
  3. ↑ https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/image-gallery/2d3ed522011c7441c02d4a5375cb339b
  4. ↑ "Bart Cummings – Twelve Melbourne Cups. Thirteen Australian Cups". www.vrc.com.au.
  5. ↑ "Think Big racehorse Melbourne Cup winner 1974 - 75". www.racerate.com.
  6. ↑ "Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Harry White dies, aged 78". racenet.com.au. 22 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Four-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Harry White passes away aged 78 > Australia and International Horse Racing news updated daily". www.thoroughbrednews.com.au.
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