Adelaide Cup
| Group II race | |
| Location | Morphettville Racecourse, South Australia |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1864 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Sponsor | UBET (2017) |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3200 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old and older |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | A$400,000 (2017) |
The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race handicap race for three-year-old 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$400,000.
The first Adelaide Cup was raced 21 April 1864 at Thebarton Racecourse, where Mile End is today. The race had stakes of 500 sovereigns with an additional sweep of 50 sovereigns to induce owners from other colonies to compete in the race. Victoria's P. Dowling's Falcon carried 10 stone 1 pound and ridden by jockey J.Morrison won the race in a time of 3:50.50. A crowd of 7,000 or 8,000 was present for the event.
The race was run at as a Weight for Age over two miles from 1864–68. In 1869, still at Thebarton Racecourse, it was run as a handicap race over two miles. There was no Cup raced in 1870 or 1871. The Cup resumed in 1872 and was run at "The Old Course" (Victoria Park Racecourse) over two miles with a smaller stake of 200 sovereigns with an additional sweep of 15 sovereigns. In 1876 the race was held at Morphettville Racecourse. In 1884 the race was run over 13 furlongs or 1 5⁄8 miles (~2,600 metres), as was every race held until 1941.
The race in 1885 was held at Flemington, Victoria due to the Totalizator Repeal Act 1883 and was not held for three more years. In 1889 running of the Cup resumed at Morphettville when Sir Richard Baker and A. O. Whitington took over the course.
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