The Easter Cup is a Group 3 open handicap race held annually each April on Easter Saturday at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne. The race is run over a distance of 2000 metres and has prizemoney of $125,000. The 2011 Easter Cup was won by Paddy O'Reilly from Fanjura with Launay third.
The Gr3 Victoria Handicap is held on the same day as the Easter Cup and these two races are the only two group races that take place during this time in Melbourne.
The Easter Cup is a middle distance staying race that takes place at Easter and more often than not the race simply attracts a field of handy horses, rather than a top class affair, as most of the elite gallopers will be in Sydney at this time of year for the big money races on offer at the Sydney autumn racing carnival.
Occasionally a top class galloper will make their way to the Easter Cup and 2008 WS Cox Plate winner Maldivian won this race in 2007 beating the handy stayer Douro Valley, who then went on to run second in that year's Caulfield Cup.
Paddy O'Reilly (2011) won the Albury Cup over 2000m at Albury prior to winning this race and recent Easter Cup winners have been Fanjura (2010) and Miss Maren (2009).
2011 Easter Cup result
1. $ 8.50 Paddy O'Reilly 54.5 J Maskiell
2. $ 9.00 Fanjura 56.5 N Callow
3. $ 11.00 Launay 56.5 M Zahra
Then followed
4. $ 9.00 Spacecraft 57.5 C Newitt
5. $ 41.00 Wind Shear 55.5 S Baster
6. $ 19.00 De Fine Lago 53.5 J Benbow
7. $ 6.00 Kutchinsky 54.0 J Noonan
8. $ 14.00 Extra Zero 54.0 carr 54.5 J Winks
9. $ 41.00 Zoomin 55.5 D Yendall
10. $ 11.00 Luen Yat Forever 58.0 S Arnold
11. $ 9.00 Niblick 53.5 M Walker
12. $ 31.00 Field Hunter 56.0 B Melham
13. $ 81.00 Abitofado 53.5 Ms L Cropp
14. $ 20.00 Belgietto 53.5 C Symons
15. $ 7.50 Shamoline Warrior 54.0 W Egan
Margins: Short head, 1 1/4 len Time: 2:02.72
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