The autumn racing season in Australian horseracing is one of the most exciting times in the sport, as racing enthusiasts and punters turn out in droves to watch their favourite sprinters compete in hugely popular events like the Darley Australian Cup 2014. The Australian Cup is part of the Melbourne autumn racing carnival, and is one of the premier events of the carnival. Consider the following information about this year’s Australian Cup, and about the race’s long and celebrated history, so you can make the magic surrounding this event work for you when it comes to making next year’s big wager.
All the Details from This Year’s Race, so You’ll Know What to Expect Next Year
Held in March on what is known as “Super Saturday” at the storied Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, this annual race has seen many of Australia’s finest sprinters compete for the championship, and this past year was no different. Australian Cup favourite Fiorente, his jockey Damien Oliver, and Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse were rewarded for their hard work this season, as Fiorente won the big purse at this year’s Australian Cup. Favoured over thoroughbreds Shamus Award, Thunder Fantasy, and Foreteller, and listed at a quote of $2.20, Fiorente provided Waterhouse with another Group 1, weight for age, 2000-metre race. Although the favourite started the race off the pace of the leader, Green Moon, Fiorente displayed his incredible ability to break from the pack by exhibiting an inspiring final 300-metre burst away from Green Moon to win the purse of one million dollars. Fiorente finished the race in 2:03.6, which is at least two seconds faster than the winners from the last three years. In recent years, the Group 2 St. George Stakes that takes place earlier in the autumn season has become a helpful guide in terms of predicting who will win the Australian Cup, as Fiorente won the St. George Stakes before taking this race, as did recent Australian Cup winners Manighar and Super Cool.
A Brief History of the Australian Cup (and Past Winners)
The Australian Cup is traditionally a race reserved for the highest quality sprinters, producing a long list of winners who tend to rise to stardom on Australian turf after winning this event. Some of the finest gallopers to ever set foot on Australian turf have captured victory at the Australian Cup. This includes Zipping, who won the event in 2010, Makybe Diva, who won in 2005, and Northerly, who won the event twice, in 2003 and again in 2001. The distance that sprinters have had to cover over the history of the cup has changed over the years to make the race more exciting, and to keep in line with other prestigious Australian championship races. For instance, the first Australian Cup was claimed in 1863 when Barwon ran for the cup over 3600 metres, and the race has been run since 1964 over 2000 metres. Some of the most celebrated names in Australian horseracing have seen great success at the Australian Cup, such as the legendary Bart Cummings, who trained 13 horses to victory between 1968 and 2008, or the renowned hoop Tom Hales, who won the event eight times from 1875 to 1890.
The Flemington Racecourse has been providing horseracing enthusiasts with a great venue to watch some of Australia’s best sprinting since 1840, and is truly a treasure in the sport. If you have the chance to make it out to Super Saturday next year, keep this guide with you, as history tends to inform the present, and you might find that knowing about the cup’s rich history and having detailed knowledge regarding last year’s race can give you a notable edge when it comes to picking next year’s big winner. Next year’s race is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2015.