Sydney Cup
| Group I race | |
Lucrative, 1941 winner Maurice McCarten up
|
|
| Location |
Randwick Racecourse Sydney, Australia |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1862 (as Jockey Club Handicap) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Sponsor | Schweppes (2017) |
| Website | Australian Jockey Club |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3,200 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Three year old and older |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | A$2,000,000 (2017) |
The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is the longest race in the club. Total prize money is A$2,000,000.
The origins of this race are associated with colonial Sydney and the growth of thoroughbred racing in the colony during the 1850s. The Australian Jockey Club initiated an Autumn race meet of initially two days and expanded it as horse racing became the most attended sport meeting.
The inaugural running of the race was 1 May 1862 as part of the Metropolitan Autumn Meeting at Randwick. The race was known as Jockey Club Handicap and it was the third race on the card. The race attracted 9 runners over the famed 2 miles and was won by the odds on favourite Talleyrand in a time of 3 minutes 52 seconds.
In 1863 the Randwick Autumn Meeting, the third race on the first day of the meet was the Randwick Grand Handicap. The race was run by five entrants with the winner Traveller in a time of 3 minutes 42 seconds.
By 1865 the race was called the Randwick Grand Handicap Sweepstakes. With influx of money that was being offered by the Victoria Racing Club in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup the AJC decided to change the name of the race in 1866 to the Sydney Gold Cup and move its scheduling to the second day of the meet.
Of the more famous horses to win the race was dual winner of the race The Barb (1868-69) and also winner of the Melbourne Cup and from the same era Carbine who also won the race twice (1889-90).
In the 20th century the race held its prominence and although it never overtook the Melbourne Cup the race complemented the Australian Racing Calendar by being held in the autumn.
Other dual winners include: Mosaic (1939-40), Veiled Threat (1942,1944), Tie The Knot (1998-99).
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