With the spring carnival coming up just around the bend, we’re gearing up for the biggest Melbourne Cup event Brisbane has ever seen! But before we get all swept away by the fashion and frivolity of Flemington, let’s saddle up a little history and take a moment to look at the last 10 winners of the Melbourne Cup.
2015 Prince of Penzance
Who could forget last year’s spectacular Cinderella story when Michelle Payne rode into the history books on the back of horse with 100/1 odds? Proving once again that with the right attitude and perhaps a little luck on your side, anyone can prove the critics wrong, Prince of Penzance has been called one of the most “consistent staying types” in Victoria over the past two seasons. His dazzling race to victory in the 2015 Melbourne Cup catapulted the six-year-old onto the world stage, proving yet again that you can never under estimate that Australian (ok, so he’s from New Zealand, but when has that stopped us right?) will to succeed.
2014 Protectionist
A true seasoned veteran of the track, Protectionist blew the competition away in 2014 with a superb four length lead on Melbourne Cup day. Taking home an impressive $3.600.000 in prize money (is there such thing as a horse Jacuzzi?) It’s no wonder why Protectionist has earned its reputation as one of the top level, group one performers that we’ve seen in over a decade, even if he has turned out to be a bit of one trick pony.
2013 Fiorente
When the first lady of racing, Gai Waterhouse teamed up with the king of Australian jockeys, Damien Oliver the results were understandably spectacular. The electricity on the day of Fiorente’s win at Melbourne Cup 2013 was palpable as the 6-year-old snatched victory from favourite Red Cadeux by no less than 0.8 of a length, sending the bookies into a tizz and snatching Gai Waterhouse her first ever Melbourne Cup victory.
2012 Green Moon
Though he’s getting a little long in the tooth, if there’s one horse that proves that with age comes great experience it’s Green Moon. Boasting a proud Irish heritage, but trained right here in Australia, this feisty four legged champion has been a consistent performer across all 15 group one races it’s raced in and nabbing two superb victories in the process.
2011 Dunaden
We don’t like to use the words “sure bet” too often, but with a 71% success rate on the track, Dunaden has himself to be as reliable a horse as any. Taking home, its greatest victory at the 2011 Melbourne Cup, this feisty French thoroughbred earned his comfortable retirement in 2013 and is expected to sire a whole new generation of champions in the years to come.
2010 Americain
It was in 2010 that Americain became Ameri-can-do with his spectacular win at Flemington ahead of rivals Maluckyday and So You Think. With his dark velvety coat and inky black mane, this striking horse has been tipped to be most likely to sire another Melbourne Cup winner, an event that has surprisingly only occurred 5 times in the history of the race. Considering he is said to have sired up to 130 foals in 2013 alone, we think the odds are in his favour.
2009 Shocking
Shocking by name, shocking by nature this 2009 Melbourne Cup winner has taken home a whopping $4,981,275 in prize money since his debut – not bad for a horse that only cost his owner a measly $45,000 to purchase in 2007. Though his career has had its share of dips and peaks, put him on his home turf at Flemington and Shocking will show you what he can do.
2008 Viewed
Trained by the legend himself Bart Cummings, Viewed is a true blue Australian horse, trained by a true blue Australian horse trainer. Cementing Bart Cummings in the history books, Viewed was the 12th Melbourne Cup win for the white haired wizard of the racing world. Which is funny considering old Bart was allergic to both horses and hay.
2007 Efficient
The first grey horse to take home a cup win since 1992, Efficient justified his $220,000 price in 2007. The first horse since Phar Lap to win both the Victoria Derby and The Melbourne Cup, efficient raced his way into our hearts with a surprise win at Flemington just ahead of local favourite Master O’Reilly in a racing season most remembered for a particularly bad bout of equine influenza.
2006 Delta Blues
Remembered as the first ever Japanese horse to win the Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues managed to earn itself quite a reputation in only 2 short years. Credited by his own trainer has being ‘stubborn’ and ‘lazy’ he turned his reputation around when he clinched victory by a nose ahead of stable mate Pop Rock.
2005 Mackybe Diva
Saving the best ‘til last, Makybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who smashed her way into the record books by claiming victory at The Melbourne Cup three times in a row. The highest stakes-earner in Australasian horse racing history, finishing with winnings of more than A$14 million upon her retirement in November 2005. She is one of only five horses to have won the Cup more than once, and the only mare among the list of multiple winners. She is also one of only 14 female horses have won the Cup. Go you good thing!
Starting to get a little bit excited? Back a guaranteed winner this Melbourne Cup at Brisbane’s own little slice of Flemington with one of three great packages.