Group I race | |
Lucrative, 1941 winner Maurice McCarten up | |
Location | Randwick Racecourse Sydney, Australia |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1862 (as Jockey Club Handicap) |
Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
Sponsor | Schweppes (2023) |
Website | Australian Jockey Club |
Race information | |
Distance | 3,200 metres |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Right-handed |
Qualification | Three year old and older |
Weight | Handicap |
Purse | A$2,000,000 (2023) |
The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is the longest race in the club. [1] Total prize money is A$2,000,000.
The origins of this race are associated with colonial Sydney and the growth of thoroughbred racing in the colony during the 1850s. The Australian Jockey Club initiated an Autumn race meet of initially two days and expanded it as horse racing became the most attended sport meeting.
The inaugural running of the race was 1 May 1862 as part of the Metropolitan Autumn Meeting at Randwick. [2] The race was known as Jockey Club Handicap and it was the third race on the card. [2] The race attracted 9 runners over the famed 2 miles and was won by the odds on favourite Talleyrand in a time of 3 minutes 52 seconds. [2]
In 1863 the Randwick Autumn Meeting, the third race on the first day of the meet was the Randwick Grand Handicap. [3] The race was run by five entrants with the winner Traveller in a time of 3 minutes 42 seconds. [3]
By 1865 the race was called the Randwick Grand Handicap Sweepstakes. [4] With influx of money that was being offered by the Victoria Racing Club in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup the AJC decided to change the name of the race in 1866 to the Sydney Gold Cup [5] and move its scheduling to the second day of the meet. [6] The 1866 Sydney Cup was presented to jockey Samuel Holmes and the immensely popular colonial horse, Yattendon, who demonstrated prowess by winning 11 out of his 17 starts. The gold cup was presented for the first time in this race and was made of 18 carat gold. [7]
Of the more famous horses to win the race was dual winner of the race The Barb (1868–69) and also winner of the Melbourne Cup [8] and from the same era Carbine who also won the race twice (1889–90). [1]
In the 20th century the race held its prominence and although it never overtook the Melbourne Cup the race complemented the Australian Racing Calendar by being held in the autumn.
Other dual winners include: Mosaic (1939–40), Veiled Threat (1942, 1944), Tie The Knot (1998–99).
In 1973 the race was set at a distance of 3,200 metres due to the metric conversion in Australia.
Kingston Town was the first to win the Sydney Cup as a Group 1 race in 1980. The distinction for the fastest recorded time is 3 minutes and 19 seconds, set by 'Apollo Eleven' in 1973 and equalled by Just A Dancer in 1991. [1]
The Champagne Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 horse race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds at set weights run at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia over a distance of 1,600 metres during the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$1,000,000.
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. Total prize money for the race is A$302,250.
The Australian Derby is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April, during the Autumn ATC Championships Carnival. The race is considered to be the top ranked event for three-year-olds in Australian and New Zealand race classifications.
The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carnival. Total prize money for the race is A$3,000,000.
The Epsom Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, under handicap conditions over a distance of 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early October. Prize money is A$1,500,000.
The Metropolitan is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under open handicap conditions, for horses aged three years old and older, over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early October. The total prize money for this race is A$750,000.
The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the first day of the ATC Championships Carnival at Royal Randwick. Total prize money is A$4,000,000.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, formerly known as the Queen's Plate, AJC Plate, and AJC King's Cup, is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia, in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. Prize money in 2013 was A$500,000 and was increased to A$4,000,000 in 2014 to become the richest race of the Sydney Autumn Carnival and as of 2020 the third richest WFA race in Australia.
The All Aged Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April or May during the ATC Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$1,500,000.
The Oakleigh Plate is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late February. Total prize money is A$750,000.
The Verry Elleegant Stakes, registered as the Chipping Norton Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in February or March. Prizemoney is A$1,000,000.
The George Ryder Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and over at Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in March or April. It is run on the same day as the Golden Slipper Stakes. The prize money is A$1,000,000.
The Winx Stakes, registered as the Warwick Stakes, is a Group 1 Australian Turf Club thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, for three-year-olds and older over a distance of 1400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in August. Prize money is currently A$500,000.
The WATC Derby, also known as the Western Australia Derby is a Perth Racing Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, at set weights, over a distance of 2400 metres at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Western Australia in April. Total prizemoney is $400,000.
The Southern Cross Stakes, registered as the Frederick Clissold Stakes, is an Australian Turf Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1200 metres, held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in February. Total prize money for the race is A$200,000.
The Canterbury Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards at weight for age, over a distance of 1300 metres, held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, in March.
The Tramway Stakes, registered as the Tramway Handicap, is a City Tattersalls Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older run with set weights and penalties, over a distance of 1400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in September. Total prizemoney for the race is A$250,000.
The Colin Stephen Quality Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 3 Thoroughbred open quality handicap horse race for horses three years old and older, over a distance of 2400 metres, held annually at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney, Australia, in September. Total prize money for the race is A$250,000.
The Chairman's Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 2 Thoroughbred quality handicap horse race for horses three years old and older, held over a distance of 2600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April. Prizemoney is A$300,000.
The winner of this race is exempt from ballot and penalty in weights for the ATC Sydney Cup.
The Wenona Girl Quality is an Australian Turf Club Group 3 Thoroughbred quality handicap horse race, for mares aged four-years-old and upwards, over a distance of 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March. Total prize money for the race is A$160,000.
(it was an English gold cup won at the Randwick Autumn Meeting of 1866 that started the tradition gold cups awarded to winners of this key Sydney race)