It all began on Thursday the 7th of November 1861. 17 horses lined up for a 2 mile race. The winner's prize; a gold watch. The winner, Archer was walked all the way down from Sydney, and won in the slowest time ever recorded in the Cup's history, 3.52. Archer also won the race the following year, making him one of only four horses to ever win 2 Cups. From 1875 onwards, the Cup has been run on a Tuesday.

1876 was a dramatic year, unequalled since. Apart from bookmakers bribing stable boys to injure horses, armed guards and trainers sleeping in stables and the defeat of an unbeatable Derby favourite, an appalling disaster at sea wiped out 9 class racehorses. The SS City of Melbourne was sailing from to Melbourne, when it a gale not far from Jervis Bay. The Captain refused to take shelter; consequently, many of the horses were thrown onto the deck and drowned. One unnamed colt that did survive was kept alive on beer and gin. It was later named Robinson Caruso.

Later in that year, a moderate field of horses was entered into the Derby, with the sole purpose of interfering with Newminster, the favourite. These proved to be successful tactics, with Newminster running 6th. The winner was Briseis. Three days later, Briseis won the Cup. Two days after that, she won the Oaks. Briseis also has the unique record of being the only 2yo to win the Doncaster Hcp.

The Melbourne Cup of the year 1888 was known as the Centennial Cup. The VRC marked the occasion by adding 3,000 Sovereigns to the sweepstakes, making the race the most valuable handicap in the world at that time. The year also marked the arrival of a New Zealand colt who had won all 5 of his 2yo starts. The colt's name was Carbine.

In all the history of the Australian turf, over 2 centuries, the memory of two horses is greater than all the rest. The two are Phar Lap and Carbine, proudly proclaimed by most Australians as the best horses the world has ever seen. We tend, however, to overlook the fact that both horses were foaled in New Zealand.

Carbine's Cup was in 1890. With the addition of another 10,000 pounds in stake money by the VRC, it was little wonder that a record 39 horses lined up. Carbine won it by 2 and a half lengths and returned to scale cheered by an exuberant crowd.

Known as 'Old Jack', Carbine loved applause. It is said that once he refused to leave the mounting yard until he felt that he'd had his due of applause. In his career he raced 43 times for 33 wins. In those 43 starts, he was only unplaced once: last in a field of four, due to a cracked heel.

Carbine's brief career at stud in Australia produced the winners of 203 races, before he was sold to English interests. Carbine's greatest service to Australian thoroughbred racing was to sire Wallace, one of the country's best sires, his progeny winning 949 races.

It is hard to compare the 'greatness' of horses from different eras. Both horses won more or less the same races, but under different conditions. That is, with different weights, and different classes of opposition horses. It is argued that the standard of horses Phar Lap raced against was inferior to those of Carbine's era. This, I think is true. But there is more to the 'greatness' of a horse than the number of races it wins. Both horses were much loved by the racing public. Phar Lap, I think was more loved. This is probably due to circumstances; Phar Lap raced during the depression years, when national spirit was at it's lowest ebb. Phar Lap carried the hopes of a nation on his back, and when he died, the entire Nation mourned the loss.

The Cup of 1896 was memorable for a couple of reasons. Apart form Newhaven's brilliant win, it was the first time in the history of Australia, Cinematograph films were taken of the Cup. Newhaven, a handsome chestnut horse bred at the famous St Albans stud (which was later disposed of by a lottery), won most of his races with such ease, that a Sydney journalist was prompted to write: 'Newhaven first, daylight second.'

The Melbourne Cup's history is steeped in coincidental stories. Possibly the most remarkable of all these concerned a colt, Chesney, and his grandfather, Robinson Caruso, which took place in 1899. After surviving the 1876 disaster, Robinson Caruso had a distinguished career both on the track and at stud. In 1899 he was 26 and living in quiet retirement in New Zealand. On the 16th of August, it is possible that he was gazing anxiously across the Tasman Sea, as the SS Thermopylate sailed from Melbourne to England. On board was Chesney, a top colt, and a steeplechaser named Kiora.

As the ship neared Capetown, it ran aground and was in imminent danger of being broken up. The carer of the horses had to be dragged to the lifeboats so determined was he not to leave the horses, as the crew abandoned ship. Police Constable Evans heroically swam out to save the two horses left on board, but only succeeded to get Chesney off the wreck, which broke in half shortly afterwards. Kiora was presumed drowned.

The Australian thoroughbred, however, has some very stout blood running through it's veins. Early the next morning, Kiora was found standing on a partly submerged rock several miles from the wreck. He had been swimming in mountainous seas along a rock strewn coastline for more than ten hours.

I mentioned earlier that the famous St Albans stud was disposed of by way of lottery in 1895. Amongst the horses in this lottery was Wallace, offered as the ninth prize, who, in succeeding years, proved to be a better bargain than the horses above him. On the death of the stud's new owner in 1900, the stud was again sold and the horses disposed of by auction. Strangely, history seems to have repeated itself, when a 3yo unraced filly described as 'A nice little mare by Trenton that should be worth a place in any stud' was sold for 310 guineas. That filly was Wakeful.

Over the years, an expression has become common when describing great mares: 'The best since Wakeful.' However, no-one has ever had the impertinence to suggest there was a better. Wakeful first raced as a 3yo, showing signs of the brilliance that led to he being called 'The First Lady of the Turf.'

The 1903 Cup was to be her last race. With 100 yards to go, Wakeful, in the lead, was joined by Lord Cardigan, whom she conceded four years in age, and nearly four stone in weight. It told it's tale, Lord Cardigan beating her by nearly a length. Her gallant second was a fitting climax to a career in which she started 44 times, for 25 wins and 16 placings.

The 1904 Cup was, at the time, popularly know as 'the Cripple's Cup'. At least half of the 34 runners were suffering from either lameness, soreness or coughs and colds and should never have lined up for the race. The Cup itself ended tragically, with the breakdown of the favourite and the sudden death, 4 days after the race, of Lord Cardigan.

One of the curious aspects of racing is the difficulty that the most experienced buyers of yearlings have in estimating the potential value of an untried youngster. The history of racing is studded with examples of unwanted yearlings that turned out to be champion racehorses; the immortal Phar Lap, that wonderful mare Flight and perhaps the greatest of them all - Tulloch - to mention three well known examples, were all sold for the proverbial song. And consider Poitrel, one of only 3 horses to have ever won the Melbourne Cup carrying 10 stone or more. When put in the sale ring in 1916, he failed to attract even his 300 guineas reserve. It is difficult to understand why he was unwanted; he was not big, but he was a well muscled, bright chestnut. After 3 starts for no placings as a 2yo, he showed some promise at 3 years, with 3 wins out of 5 starts. However, it wasn't until his 4th year that he showed his greatness.

Racegoers love a good horse and whether they have backed it or not, will always applaud a courageous winner. Poitrel received a rousing reception when he won the 1920 Cup with 10 stone on his back.

1925 was a vintage year for racing, with so many top horses competing in the major races. Almost from the day the first betting charts were issued on the Melbourne Cup, Windbag, Manfred and Pillewinkie were the first three favourites. They held their positions right up to the day of the race. They finished the race first, second and third.

In the AJC Derby earlier that year, Manfred put up what is considered by many to be the most extraordinary performance ever seen on an Australian racecourse. When the ropes went up for the start of the Derby, Manfred jumped back and ran across to the grandstand fence. He then turned face-about, his jockey trying in vain to make him chase the field. The clerk of the course rode over and flourished his riding whip at Manfred, who then reluctantly consented to begin his race - seven seconds after the barrier had risen. For the first furlong (200m), Manfred held his head high and hung out badly. When he finally settled into a smooth gait, he was at least 100m behind the second last horse.

Just after passing the mile post, Manfred caught the tail of the field and was allowed to stride past one horse after another until he ranged alongside his most feared opponent, Amounis, at the half mile. Manfred shot to the front soon after turning for home, winning on the bit.

History was also made that year when the ABC broadcast a description of the Melbourne Cup for the first time.

Although Trivalve is not one of the best remembered Cup winner, the details of his breeding, his season of glory, and his decent into oblivion make an intriguing page of the Cup story. Trivalve was sired by Cyklon, whose own career was unusual. A grandson of Carbine, Cyklon was successful in Germany for the Imperial Graditz Stud. Kaiser Wilhem II decided that Cyklon could bring reflected glory to Germany if he were sent to race in England. Strangely, Cyklon won no less than six Maiden Plates in England. To explain: these events were open to horses who were maidens at the time nominations were taken, which was six months before the race. Similar conditions used to obtain in Australia last century. Champion of the 1860's, The Barb, won a maiden race after he won the Melbourne Cup.

In the 1927 Cup, Trivalve outstayed his rivals, winning by a length to Silivious, who, on the last day of the meeting, defeated Amounis. At the beginning of hi campaign in the Autumn of 1928, Trivalve seemed to be the same great champion he had been in the spring. Then, unaccountably, he lost all form and never again won a race. He was a failure as a sire and ended his days in obscurity siring stock horses in the Northern Territory, where he ultimately died due to a snake bite.

The 1928 Cup winner, Statesman, was owned by the prominent racing family, the Kelso family. An amusing tale used to be told about a horse named All Sorts which the junior Kelso was riding for his father at Cantebury one day. The senior Kelso thought the horse had an excellent chance in the race and he intended to back it well. On the way to Cantebury, he called at a city hotel where his friend and fellow trainer, Tom Payten introduced him to a Sydney produce merchant named Patrick Hooligan. Mr Hooligan confessed that he had never been on a racecourse in his life..
'If that's the case,' said Mr Kelso, 'you are the man I'm looking for. Will you help me put a commission on a horse today?'
The good natured Mr Hooligan agreed and when betting opened on the race, Mr Kelso handed him 100 pounds, with instructions to put the money on All Sorts.

Unfortunately, the 'good thing' was narrowly beaten by Pastmaster. Mr Kelso was therefore greatly astonished when Mr Hooligan handed him 210 pounds.
'I did what you told me,' Mr Hooligan said. 'I backed all sorts.'
It transpired that the novice commissioner had placed a ten pound bet on each of the ten runners, and obtained 200 pounds to ten on Pastmaster.

Leafing through the pages of a sale catalogue, H.R Telford, a struggling Victorian trainer, was attracted by the breeding pattern of a chestnut gelding. However, his difficulty was that he lacked the money to buy the horse. He came in contact with a Mr D. J. Davis, then a newcomer to racing, who agreed to finance the purchase of the gelding. Telford then wrote to his brother in New Zealand, asking him to purchase the Night Raid - Entreaty gelding if he could be obtained for less than 200 guineas.

On the day the gelding was sold, high prices were paid for some yearlings. The gelding fetched 160 guineas. When it arrived in Australia, Mr Davis was not at all impressed with it's appearance and rather than pay for it's training expenses, leased it to Harry Telford for 3 years. The gelding, winner of the 1930 Melbourne Cup, was named Phar Lap, which in Cinglanese means Lightening. His hind fetlocks were both white and on his thighs he had patterns of black spots. On his right thigh, these spots clearly took on the shape of the Southern Cross.

By the autumn of 1930, Phar Lap had furnished from a leggy type into a magnificent thoroughbred. Never at his best first up, he was defeated in the St George Stakes, but was never again beaten as a 3yo. The pattern of these races was the same. At barrier rise, Phar Lap would dash to the lead, getting as far as 40 or 50 lengths clear of the field, then ambling home at his leisure. He began his 4yo career in the AJC Warwick stakes, and was beaten by Amounis. For the rest of the year, the only time his opponents got near him in a race was at the barriers. The rest of Phar Lap's story is well known. After being defeated in the Cup of the following year due to such a huge weight, the horse was sent to America, winning his only start before dying due to unknown causes.

In the results of the Cups of 1930-1933 a name recurs. This belongs to Shadow King, a son of previous Cup winner, Comedy King, who, in four consecutive years, ran a placing, giving rise to the saying, 'as unlucky as Shadow King.'

Although such an occurrence is now considered commonplace, it was regarded as a remarkable achievement when, in 1933, a film of the Cup was shown in Sydney, 600 miles from Melbourne, on Cup night. Sir Charles Kingsford - Smith, Fox Movitone News and Film Craft Laboratories combined to make the feat possible. Sir Charles left Essendon Airport at 4:07pm and arrived in Sydney at 7:52pm. Within 5 minutes, the film was at the laboratories and later in the evening, was show at Sydney's Regent Theatre.

The VRC made a very imaginative and heart-warming gesture at the 1935 Cup. Realising the measure of affection racegoers had for old Shadow King, the Club allowed the old warrior, who saddlecloth was number 7, to lead the Cup horses onto the track , ahead of the 2 previous Cup winners, Peter Pan and Hall Mark.

With the onset of the war, various restrictions meant that for the first time since 1869, the Cup was not run on the first Tuesday in November. Dubbed the 'Austerity Cup,' it lived up to it's name. It was run in the most miserable weather conditions imaginable and the attendance of 35,000 was the poorest for 70 years. Because of the state of the track, a proven wet tracker, Dark Felt, started favourite. Of the outsiders, the most fancied was Colonus, who had been 200/1 overnight, 66/1 early in the day and 33/1 by starting time. Colonus' jockey, a lad of 17, followed the owner's instructions, taking his mount across from barrier 24 to the rails and went to lead almost from the start. Thereafter, the Austerity Cup developed into a one horse race. While Colonus splashed happily through the mud, his opponents struggled without success to reduce his lead. Colonus went away to win easing up by 7 lengths.

One notable absence from the victory Cup of 1945, besides the pre-war splendour, was old Shadow King, who, since his racing days ended, had attended every cup as a trooper's horse. The gallant old fellow had died during the year and was resting beneath a little headstone at Bundoora Police Station.

1946 brought to the public eye the 'Toowoomba Tornado,' Bernborough. For reasons too complicated to unravel here, Bernborough was barred from racing anywhere else in Australia except in the Queensland provincial city of Toowoomba, until he was 6 years old. After he resumed unplaced in Sydney, the horse, in six short months, strung together such a remarkable series of victories that he was given the rating of super champion by the handicappers, when they framed the weights for the spring events of 1946. Given 10.10 for the Caulfield Cup and 10.9 for the Melbourne Cup, he was, at the time, considered the equal to Phar Lap. In the Caulfield Cup, he received check after check and did well to finish fifth. To the dismay of the crowd watching him in the Mackinnon Stakes, the champion faltered at the turn and was found to have fractured his sesamoid bone. He was sold to stud in America and died at Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky, 21 years old.

Illegal though they may be, sweeps on the Melbourne Cup are conducted in practically every factory, office and place of business in the land and even the nation's rulers like to have such an interest in the great race. In 1949, the holder of Foxzami, the cup winner, in the Federal Parliamentary sweep was the Hon. Joseph Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia.

On 24th November, 1956, during the Melbourne Racing Club's Williamstown Cup Meeting at Moonee Valley, Australian racegoers paid a spectacular farewell to the great champion, Rising Fast. Ridden by Bill Williamson and accompanied by Goldie, a midget pony who was his constant stable companion. Rising Fast led the Williamstown Cup runners onto the track. Amid deafening applause, Rising Fast paraded past the various stands and was given a furlong gallop down the straight. On reaching the winning post, Rising Fast ducked in his head, a trait which had characterised his racing career.

The 1956-57 racing season was notable for a brilliant array of fillies and colts that would all have been regarded as outstanding in a normal season. Unfortunately for them, this was an abnormal season, for it introduced two of the greatest thoroughbreds ever to race in Australia, Tulloch and Todman. Their early racing was, of course, over short distances and despite a humiliating defeat by Tulloch in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick, Todman was unquestionably the more brilliant sprinter. At distances over seven furlongs Tulloch was supreme and as a 3yo, he put together such a remarkable string of record breaking wins that many eminent judges declared Tulloch to be the peer of both Carbine and Phar Lap.

Tulloch's wins as a 3yo, culminating in the Caulfield Cup, meant that the horse, according to most people, only had to start in the Melbourne Cup to win it. His trainer was not worried about the weight Tulloch would get in the Cup, as the horse had been winning with around 10.0 anyway. Then began one of the greatest racing controversies of all time. Tulloch's owner, Mr Haley, had already intimated that he was opposed to running 3yo's in the Melbourne Cup. Everyone in Australia entered into the debate. Should he or shouldn't he start? On Sunday 20th October, Mr Haley announced that Tulloch would be scratched from the Cup. Early the next year, Tulloch contracted an internal ailment that kept him out of action for the next 2 years.

Tulloch made his start on the comeback trail on March 12, 1960, in winning form. Despite an allotted weight of 10.1, Tulloch started favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Conceding the leaders of the race 50 lengths 1200m from home, Tulloch needed to sprout wings to win, but still managed to make up 46 lengths, to finish 7th, only 4 lengths fro the winner, Hi Jinx. An undistinguished mare, Hi Jinx came back to scale to the quietest reception that could ever have been accorded a Melbourne Cup winner. Tulloch's career ended with a win on June 12, 1961. He was given an emotional farewell by the huge crowd of 50,000 at Eagle Farm that day. Tulloch's race record was 53 starts, 36 wins, 12 seconds, four thirds. His only unplaced run was in the Melbourne Cup.

The Cup of 1965 belonged to the best mare since Wakeful, Light Fingers. Upon being shown a photograph of the horse, prospective trainer Bart Cummings said, 'she's very small.' The filly's owner replied that the photo indicated she had a lovely head and impressive girth. Size apart, he asked what Cummings thought of her confirmation. He replied, 'she's quite a nice looking filly but she is very small.'

After he put her into work, it did not take Bart Cummings long to shed his reserves about Light Fingers. On Derby Day 1965, she ran a creditable third in the Mackinnon, but was upstaged by another 'filly,' who created a sensation that reverberated around the world. A young model from London, brought to Melbourne to judge the 'Fashions on the Field' contest, Jean Shrimpton, startled the elaborately dressed matrons in the Member's enclosure and delighted their escorts, by appearing in that hallowed reserve wearing a plain white sleeveless shift of mini length, no gloves or stockings.

A number of circumstances were against Light Fingers winning the Melbourne Cup. The first was a shoulder injury, the second, her allotted weight of 8.4, 0.4 over the highest weight a mare or filly had ever won with in the Cup and the fact that before her, only eight fillies or mares had ever won the Cup. She beat stablemate Ziema by mere inches. The following year Light Fingers was again battling injury and illness. Her chance of running in the Cups was slim at best. The Caulfield Cup was won by Galilee, a pigeon toed horse that would have started favourite for the Cups based on his previous runs, if it wasn't for the presence of a handsome reddish chestnut, Tobin Bronze, who had won every wfa race he contested with ridiculous ease.

No mare has ever won 2 Melbourne Cups. Just short of the furlong post, it seemed that Light Fingers, painstakingly cared for by Cummings, would be the first. But sweeping down the straight, four wide, Galilee raced past the leaders to an easy two length win. His stablemate, Light Fingers, held on for second. Bart Cummings also won the Melbourne Cup the following year with Red Handed, to be the only trainer to win the Cup three years running. Then at 38 years of age, it was speculated that he would break all kinds of records. So far, Cummings has 10 Melbourne Cups to his credit.

The 1971 Melbourne Cup turned out to be a survival of the fittest. 5 of the 21 runners broke down and another lost his rider. Some of the injuries were caused by the flint-hard surface of the Flemington track, baked dry by the hot sun. But it was not the track that brought about Caulfield Cup winner and Melbourne Cup favourite, Gay Icarus. Even newsworthy Big Philou, scratched from the previous year's Cup because someone (it was later revealed) had nobbled him, shifted in and cannoned into Gay Icarus, virtually putting him out of the race. The eventual winner, Silver Knight, was backed by a mysterious NZ punter back in July, to win the second leg of the Caulfield- Melbourne Cups double. He placed 8 bets, picking different horses to win the Caulfield Cup, but only Silver Knight for the Melbourne Cup. For an outlay of $2,200, won $100,000. In due course, this mysterious punter presented his winning vouchers to bookmakers Griffith and Attridge. He asked that his $100,000 be paid in Australian currency - fair proof that he was from New Zealand. It would never have occurred to an Aussie that he could be paid in any other way.

The first metric Cup was run in 1972. After the change to decimal currency in 1966, it was hoped the public would accept metric measurement as well. It was agreed by racing clubs to change races from miles and furlongs to metres, until they realised the change meant not only expressing the distances in metres, but actually altering the distances so that they could be given tidy round figures. Under the new system, the classic Derby and Oaks distance of a mile and a half became 2400m, a reduction of 46 feet and the two mile journey was shortened 61 feet to 3200m. One might have expected that the public would have been more disturbed by the alteration to the classics than the handicaps. The English Derby which is the touchstone of world racing has been run over a mile and a half since 1780 and is the pattern on which the Derbys in the Australian states are fashioned. But it is further evidence of the unique position the Melbourne Cup occupies in Australian racing that the criticism of change in the Derby distance was a zephyr breeze compared to the storm of opposition launched against interfering with the Melbourne Cup.

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