The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 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 that forms part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest two-mile handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation".
James Bartholomew Cummings, also known by his initials J. B. Cummings, was one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He was known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as he won 'the race that stops a nation' a record twelve times. During his lifetime, Cummings was considered an Australian cultural icon and an Australian National Living Treasure. His status as a racing icon in the 20th century was generally considered equivalent to that of Etienne L. de Mestre in the 19th century.
Michelle J. Payne is an Australian jockey. She won the 2015 Melbourne Cup, riding Prince of Penzance, and is the first and only female jockey to win the event.
The 2011 Emirates Melbourne Cup, the 151st running of Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race, was held on Tuesday, 1 November 2011 at 3:00 pm (AEDT), at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. Dunaden won in a photo finish over Red Cadeaux in the closest finish in Melbourne Cup history.
The 2012 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 152nd running of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race. The race, held on Tuesday, 6 November 2012, at Flemington Racecourse, was won by Green Moon, ridden by jockey Brett Prebble, trained by Robert Hickmott, and owned by businessman Lloyd Williams.
The 2013 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 153rd running of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race. The race, held on 5 November 2013, at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, was won by Fiorente. The horse, owned by Andrew Roberts and Barry Pang, was bred in Ireland, trained in Australia by Gai Waterhouse, and ridden by jockey Damien Oliver. It was Oliver's third victory in the event, after previous wins in 1995 and 2002, and his first start after a ten-month ban for a betting offence. Waterhouse, the daughter of Tommy J. Smith, who trained winners in 1955 and 1981, became the first Australian woman to train a winner.
The 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 154th running of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres, was held on 4 November 2014, at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Protectionist, ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by German Andreas Wöhler, won the race by four lengths, becoming the first German-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup. Red Cadeaux placed second and Who Shot Thebarman third, with Red Cadeaux the first horse to place second on three occasions.
Prince of Penzance is a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2015 Melbourne Cup. He was trained by Darren Weir. In the race, he was ridden by Michelle Payne, who became the first female jockey to win the race.
Red Cadeaux was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was a triple runner up in the Melbourne Cup in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
Palentino is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire trained and bred in Australia. He won the Australian Guineas and Makybe Diva Stakes, both Group One races. He won over 1.3 million dollars.
The 1998 Melbourne Cup was the 138th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi), was held on Tuesday, 3 November 1998 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
The 2016 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 156th running of the Melbourne Cup, an Australian thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi), was held on 1 November 2016 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. The date was a public holiday in the state of Victoria. The final field for the race was declared on 29 October. The total prize money for the race was A$6.2 million, the same as the previous year.
The 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 157th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi), was held on 7 November 2017 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
The 2018 Melbourne Cup was the 158th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race was run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi) on 6 November 2018 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
Wotan was a racehorse that won the 1936 Melbourne Cup. He is notable for winning the Cup despite being at odds of over 100 to 1, a feat also achieved by The Pearl (1871), Old Rowley (1940), and Prince of Penzance (2015).
The 2019 Melbourne Cup was the 159th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi), was held on 5 November 2019 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
Ride Like a Girl is a 2019 Australian biographical sports drama film directed by Rachel Griffiths in her feature film directing debut and starring Teresa Palmer and Sam Neill. It is based on the true story of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015.
Verry Elleegant is a New Zealand-bred Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse that has won 11 Group One races. She was crowned the 2020/2021 Australian Racehorse of the Year, and was the winner of the 2021 Melbourne Cup and 2020 Caulfield Cup.
The 2020 Melbourne Cup was the 160th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres (1.988 mi), was held on 3 November 2020 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
