Fascinating Facts About The Melbourne Cup

It’s no secret that the Melbourne Cup is widely regarded as one of the most significant horse
racing events in the world – not to mention hugely prestigious.
Horse racing enthusiasts just love to hear interesting and little-known titbits of information
about the race, and we’ve got you covered.
Did You Know?
• Today, fashions on the field is a popular and long-standing instalment. This tradition was
born all the way back in 1962.
• The first Melbourne Cup ever was run on a Tuesday. This was in 1875.
• Over the years, there have been a total of six grey Melbourne Cup winners. The most
famous is probably Subzero, who raced to victory in 1992.
• The current Cup time record of 3 minutes 16.30 seconds was set in 1993 by Kingston
Rule.
• The very first winner, Archer, was the slowest winner ever. He finished the race in 3
minutes 52 seconds.
Multiple Cup Winners
It isn’t at all common for any one horse to win the Melbourne Cup more than once.
Below are the exceptions:
• Makybe Diva: 2003, 2004, and 2005
• Think Big: 1974 and 1975
• Rain Lover: 1968 and 1969
• Peter Pan: 1932 and 1934
• Archer: 1861 and 1862
Famous Jockey Facts
• The very first Aussie female jockey to compete in the Melbourne Cup was Claire Lindop.
She rode Debben in 2003.
• The first female jockey (overall) was Maree Lyndon. She competed together with
Argonaut Style, in 1987.
• Michelle Payne is the only female jockey ever to have won the Melbourne Cup. She did
so riding Prince Penzance as recently as 2015.

• The youngest jockey to win the Melbourne Cup was a boy named Peter St. Albans who
clearly enjoyed riding outdoors. At the time of his special victory in 1876, he was only 12
years old. Interesting also is that the required minimum age was 13. This was
“recorded” for Peter’s participation in the race.
Barrier Stats
• Barrier 18 has a fascinating history. Up until the “curse” was broken by a famous mare
Verry Elleegant in 2021, was the only gate to never produce a winner.
• Since 1925, Barrier 5 has managed to produce the most winners: a total of eight.
• Since 1983, Barriers 6, 15, 23, and 24 have all failed to produce a victor.
Saluting The Girls
• The most famous mare to win the Melbourne Cup is none other than Makybe Diva.
She’s also the girl with the most multiple wins – 2003, 2004, and 2005.
• Verry Elleegant is the most recent mare to win the Melbourne Cup (2021).
• Only three fillies have managed to win the Melbourne Cup.
Betting Fun
• In 2009, bettors spent a record $95.6 million at New South Wales and Victoria TABs.
• The record dividend won from a Melbourne Cup Trifecta is a whopping $61,867.90. This
was bagged back in 1993.
• Betting favourites have won 32 times.
• Even though Makybe Diva won the 2003 Cup, she didn’t start out as a favourite. Mamool
had the best Melbourne Cup odds but finished last (23rd).
• The tightest finish in Melbourne Cup history happened in 2011. It took officials more
than 5 minutes to name Dunaden the winner over Red Cadeaux.