Geelong's got a golden ticket

The Geelong Cup joins other key lead in races such as the Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m); the Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m); the Belmont Gold Cup (3219m) in the USA; the Ebor Handicap (2814m) in the UK; the Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m); The Lexus Bart Cummings (2500m); the Caulfield Cup (October); W.S Cox Plate (2040m) and the also new edition, the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m). That makes ten golden ticket races, providing automatic entry into the Lexus Melbourne Cup. 

Fittingly, the Geelong Cup has a long history and it goes back; way back. 

According to Robert Windmill’s History of Horse Racing in Geelong titled Geelong Racing, it was decided the Geelong Cup would be first conducted in early 1872. Making it only eleven years younger than the Melbourne Cup.  

At the time it was recommended the Cup replace the 150 sovereign Geelong Criterion Handicap at Geelong as it was more or less deemed that three mile races had gone out of fashion, except in cases where a very high stakes was on offer.   

Highlighting the importance of the new race, the prizemoney was set at 250 sovereigns which exceeded the prizemoney on the first Caulfield Cup in 1879 by 50 sovereigns! 1 

More or less a new race was born and has predominantly been run over 2400 metres but there have variances from two miles (1872 to 1885) through to one mile (1914). It is currently run under open handicap conditions and at Group 3 level. 

In determining the importance of the Geelong Cup to the Melbourne Spring Carnival it should be kept in mind that Geelong was always a renowned centre for talented thoroughbreds.  

According to Dr Andrew Lemon’s History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing, the district of Geelong provided many of the Port Phillip district’s greatest racehorses, largely in the ownership of the Austin family.

Horses the calibre of Banker (1863 Melbourne Cup), Barwon (1862 VRC Derby; 1863 Australian Cup), Petrel, Bunyip and Bessy Bedlam all traced to the Austin family. They were founding fathers, so to speak, for racing not only in Geelong but across the Port Philip district.   

The first official Geelong race meeting was held in 1844, with a trial meeting having been held in October 1843. The site of the first race-meeting was Airey’s Flat, on the Moorabool River, about three miles out of town.  

The course was later moved to a new course at Marshalltown on the banks of the Barwon River near Lake Connewarre. The course was permanently reserved as a racecourse in 1864, but in 1906 the Geelong course was moved to its present site, more convenient to the town centre. 2

Significantly, the Geelong Cup has always attracted the cream of Australian trainers who have looked to have the Geelong Cup trophy sitting on their mantel piece.

Gai Waterhouse, David Hayes, Peter Moody, Mike Moroney, Danny O’Brien……they have all targeted and won the race in recent times on the way through to Flemington. And in a previous era, Geoff Murphy, George Hanlon and even dating back to James Scobie, James Wilson, John Tait and even Etienne De Mestre, have all have their names embedded in the race’s history.

But, over the past twenty odd years, the race has gained an international flavour opening up to international trainers who have become more familiar with the race.

Legendary Irish trainer, Dermot Weld was the first to place his name on the trophy back in 2002 with Media Puzzle. 

A horse that ultimately thrived on arrival from Ireland, Media Puzzle would play a star role when winning the 2002 Melbourne Cup for Damien Oliver writing a dramatic chapter in the history of the two mile handicap at Flemington following the death of his brother, Jason only days before. So amazing a story, they made a film out of it! Simon Wincer’s The Cup. 

Bauer would secure the race in 2008 for Italian legend, Luca Cumani prior to running the narrowest (short half head) of seconds to the Bart Cummings-trained, Viewed in the Melbourne Cup soon after. 

Two years later (2010), Alain de Royer-Duprè would bring the much travelled stayer, Americain to Geelong in the hope he would kick through to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup. Of course, history records Americain as the 150th winner of the Melbourne Cup providing de Royer-Duprè with a signature win as well as for star French jockey, Gèrald Mossè.

Twelve months later it was almost a case of déjà vu when Mikel Delzangles, another Frenchman, would train the Geelong Cup prior to winning the Melbourne Cup with entire Dunaden. Delzangles, who was formerly head trainer for de Royer-Duprè, openly admitted copying the plan for what his former boss did twelve months earlier. By now, the mould was well and truly set. 

Gatewood, trained by Englishman, John Gosden, would add to the international list in 2012 and Qewy would provide UK trainer, Charlie Appleby a sweet taste of success down under in 2016.  

In the most recent years UK trainer, Charlie Fellowes has targeted the race with perennial Melbourne Cup place-getter Prince Of Arran having won in 2019 before running second to Vow And Declare in the Melbourne Cup 13 days later. He of course was promoted to second following the stewards’ protest for Il Paradiso against Master Of Reality over the closing stages of the race.