2011 Melbourne Cup Preview

The Melbourne Cup brings the nation of Australia to a standstill on the first Tuesday in November each year around 3pm, as over 100,000 people converge on Flemington racecourse for our most famous race - the Melbourne Cup. The race is run over a distance of 3200 metres under handicap conditions and worth $6,175,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Melbourne Cup was won by Dunaden from Red Cadeaux with Lucas Cranach third.

The 2012 Melbourne Cup celebrates 152 years for our greatest race and the race that stops a nation has grown to become the richest handicap event in the world over 2 miles.

Visit our 2012 Melbourne Cup Day information page for more Cup Day details including the schedule of races for the day. Our 2012 Melbourne Cup Carnival page has a full run down of racing action over the four days of the exciting Flemington carnival in November.

2012 Melbourne Cup info
Date:	Tuesday 6th November 2012
Track:	Flemington racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	3200 metres
Race Type:	Open Handicap
Status:	Group 1
Prizemoney:	$6,175,000
2011 Winner:	Dunaden
2011 Crowd:	105,979

The Melbourne Cup is a gruelling two mile race that assembles a field of up to 24 local and international horses under handicap conditions and finding the winner can often be very difficult, due to all the variables that make the race what it is.

Races such as the Gr2 The Lexus Stakes or Gr1 Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day are traditional lead up races to the Melbourne Cup, while the Gr3 Geelong Cup has provided the las ttwo winners of the Melbourne Cup in Dunaden (2011) and American (2010).

The Melbourne Cup also combines with the Caulfield Cup to form the major Cup's double of the Spring. Betting markets are announced a few months in advance before both Cups are run and huge money is outlaid trying to back the winner of both races to score a big multiple double result.

Former champion mare Makybe Diva won the Melbourne Cup three years in succession 2003, 2004 and 2005 and is the only thoroughbred to achieve that honour in the long history of the great race. The Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes is named in the brilliant mare's honour.

The Melbourne Cup has become a global event since 1993 with a number of international horses from a variety of countries making the trek to Australia in a hit and run mission to win the big prizemoney on offer.

The Irish owned and trained Vintage Crop won the Cup in 1993 and connections scored again with Media Puzzle in 2002, while the Godolphin's Central Park ran a top second place in 1999. Other visitors such as English stayers Give The Slip 2nd in 2001 and Persian Punch 3nd in 1998 and 2001 were top efforts.

Star Irish stayer Vinnie Roe was unlucky to run into three time winner Makybe Diva in 2004 when he finished a creditable second. The world class Japanese stayers Delta Blues and Pop Rock finished first and second by a big margin in 2006 and took the Melbourne Cup to new heights on the worldwide racing stage. English galloper Bauer just missed winning the Cup in 2008 when he flew home late to be beaten by the narrowest of margins.

Dunaden (2011) won the Geelong Cup over 2400m at Geelong prior to winning the 2010 Melbourne Cup and recent Melbourne Cup winners include Americain (2010) and Shocking (2009).

2011 Melbourne Cup result
1. $8.50 Dunaden 54.5 Christophe Lemaire
2. $31.00 Red Cadeaux 53.5 Michael Rodd
3. $13.00 Lucas Cranach 53.5 Corey Brown

then followed
4. $5.00 Americain 58.0 Gerald Mosse
5. $41.00 Manighar 54.0 Damien Oliver
6. $31.00 Lost In The Moment 53.0 William Buick
7. $31.00 Fox Hunt 53.5 Silvestre De Sousa
8. $9.00 Niwot 51.0 Dean Yendall
9. $31.00 Unusual Suspect 54.0 Brad Rawiller
10. $10.00 At First Sight 52.5 Steven King
11. $51.00 Precedence 53.5 Darren Beadman
12. $41.00 Drunken Sailor 54.0 Dwayne Dunn
13. $101.00 The Verminator 52.0 Craig Newitt
14. $21.00 Tullamore 52.0 Chris Munce
15. $31.00 Moyenne Corniche 52.0 Brett Prebble
16. $81.00 Saptapadi 52.0 Chris Symons
17. $101.00 Older Than Time 51.0 Tim Clark
18. $151.00 Hawk Island 53.0 Glyn Schofield
19 $21.00 Illo 53.0 Jim Cassidy
20 $15.00 Jukebox Jury 57.0 Neil Callan
21 $41.00 Shamrocker 52.0 Luke Nolen
22 $31.00 Glass Harmonium 54.0 Ms Lisa Cropp
23 $31.00 Modun 53.0 Kerrin McEvoy

Margin: Nose, 1 1/4 len
Time: 3:20.84

Melbourne Cup recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Dunaden	Red Cadeaux	Lucas Cranach	3:20.8
2010	Americain	Maluckyday	So You Think	3.26:8
2009	Shocking	Crime Scene	Mourilyan	3:23.8
2008	Viewed	Bauer	C'est La Guerre	3:20.4
2007	Efficient	Purple Moon	Mahler	3.23.3
2006	Delta Blues	Pop Rock	Maybe Better	3.21.5
2005	Makybe Diva	On A Jeune	Xcellent	3.19.1
2004	Makybe Diva	Vinnie Roe	Zazzman	3.28.5
2003	Makybe Diva	She's Archie	Jardine's Lookout	3.19.9
2002	Media Puzzle	Mr Prudent	Beekeeper	3.16.9
2001	Ethereal	Give The Slip	Persian Punch	3.21.0
2000	Brew	Yippyio	Second Coming	3.18.6
1999	Rogan Josh	Central Park	Lahar	3.19.6
1998	Jezabeel	Champagne	Persian Punch	3.18.5
1997	Might And Power	Doriemus	Markham	3.18.3
1996	Saintly	Count Chivas	Skybeau	3.18.8
1995	Doriemus	Nothin' Leica Dane	Vintage Crop	3.27.6
1994	Jeune	Paris Lane	Oompala	3.19.8
1993	Vintage Crop	Te Akau Nick	Mercator	3.23.4
1992	Subzero	Veandercross	Castletown	3.24.7
1991	Let's Elope	Shiva's Revenge	Magnolia Hall	3.18.9
1990	Kingston Rule	The Phantom	Mr Brooker	3.16.3
1989	Tawrrific	Super Impose	Kudz	3.17.1
1988	Empire Rose	Natksi	Na Botto	3.18.9
1987	Kensei	Empire Rose	Rosedale	3.22.0
1986	At Talaq	Rising Fear	Sea Legend	3.21.7
1985	What A Nuisance	Koiro Corrie May	Tripsacum	3.23.0
1984	Black Knight	Chagemar	Mapperley Heights	3.18.9
1983	Kiwi	Noble Comment	Mr Jazz	3.18.9
1982	Gurner's Lane	Kingston Town	Noble Comment	3.21.2
1981	Just A Dash	El Laurena	Flashing Light	3.21.2
1980	Beldale Ball	My Blue Denim	Lover Bandit	3.19.8
1979	Hyperno	Salamander	Red Nose	3.21.8
1978	Arwon	Dandaleith	Karu	3.24.3
1977	Gold And Black	Reckless	Hyperno	3.18.4
1976	Van Der Hum	Gold And Black	Kythera	3.34.1
1975	Think Big	Holiday Waggon	Medici	3.29.6
1974	Think Big	Leilani	Captain Peri	3.23.1
1973	Gala Supreme	Glengowan	Daneson	3.19.5
1972	Piping Lane	Magnifique	Gunsynd	3.19.3
1971	Silver Knight	Igloo	Tails	3.19.5
1970	Baghdad Note	Vansittart	Clear Prince	3.19.7