2018 Melbourne Cup Explained

2018 Melbourne Cup
Horse Race:Melbourne Cup
Location:Flemington Racecourse
Melbourne, Australia
Date:6 November 2018
Winning Horse:Cross Counter
Winning Jockey:Kerrin McEvoy
Winning Trainer:Charlie Appleby (UAE)
Surface:Grass
Attendance:83,471[1]
Previous:2017
Next:2019

The 2018 Melbourne Cup (known commercially as 2018 Lexus Melbourne Cup) was the 158th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race was run over 3200m (10,500feet) on 6 November 2018 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.

Lexus commenced a five-year naming rights sponsorship deal, taking over from Emirates.[2] It was the last Melbourne Cup broadcast by the Seven Network before Network Ten takes over in 2019.[3]

The race was won by Cross Counter, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy and trained by Charlie Appleby.[4] [5]

Field

NumberHorseTrainerJockeyBarrierPlacing
1Best SolutionSaeed bin Suroor (UAE)Pat Cosgrave68[6]
2The CliffsofmoherAidan O'Brien (Ireland)Ryan Moore9Did not Finish
3Magic CircleIan Williams (Great Britain)Corey Brown1716
4Chestnut CoatYoshito Yahagi (Japan)Yuga Kawada414
5MuntahaaJohn Gosden (Great Britain)Jim Crowley139
6Sound CheckMichael MoroneyJordan Childs1618
7Who Shot ThebarmanChris WallerBen Melham1817
8Ace HighDavid PayneTye Angland2220
9MarmeloHughie Morrison (Great Britain)Hugh Bowman102
10AviliusJames CummingsGlyn Schofield1122
11YucatánAidan O'Brien (Ireland)James McDonald2311
12AuvrayRichard FreedmanTommy Berry121
13FincheChris WallerZac Purton154
14Red CardinalDarren WeirDamien Oliver523
15Vengeur MasqueMichael MoroneyPatrick Moloney215
16Ventura StormDavid HayesMark Zahra710
17Prince of ArranCharlie Fellowes (Great Britain)Michael Walker203
18NakeetaIain Jardine (Great Britain) Regan Bayliss312
19Sir Charles RoadLance O'Sullivan (New Zealand)Dwayne Dunn147
20ZacadaMurray Baker (New Zealand)Damian Lane2413
21RunawayGai WaterhouseStephen Baster1219
22YoungstarChris WallerCraig Williams86
23Cross CounterCharlie Appleby (UAE)Kerrin McEvoy191
24RostropovichAidan O'Brien (Ireland)Wayne Lordan215

Fatality

Irish colt The CliffsofMoher was euthanised after he suffered a fractured right shoulder.[7]

Horse naming

Overseas horses may be forced to be raced under a different name if horses with the same name are raced in Australia. Sound Check was renamed as Sound, Cliffs of Moher renamed as The CliffsofMoher and Prince of Arran as A Prince of Arran (raced as Prince of Arran on 2019 and 2020 Melbourne Cup). Sound Check was permitted to be raced with its original name in the Melbourne Cup.

Penalties

After the races, 6 jockeys were fined.

Hugh Bowman was cited on three separate charges in the $7.3 million race - an incident of careless riding at the 500m, excessive whip use prior to the final 100m and the fact that he weighed in more than half a kilogram over his prescribed weight of 55 kg aboard runner-up Marmelo.

Kerrin McEvoy was fined $3000 after using the whip nine times - four more than what is permitted under the rules - on Cross Counter in the final 400m of the race.

Jim Crowley and Christine Puls were also suspended for careless riding on the undercard at Flemington.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Track records and Attendances. Flemington.com.au. 3 November 2019. 20 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320224301/https://www.flemington.com.au/racing/track-records-and-attendances. dead.
  2. https://www.racing.com/news/2018-02-13/lexus-melbourne-cups-new-sponsor Lexus Melbourne Cup's new sponsor
  3. https://mumbrella.com.au/ten-wins-melbourne-cup-broadcast-rights-from-seven-538503 Ten wins Melbourne Cup broadcast rights from Seven
  4. News: Melbourne Cup: 2018 field, form guide and sweep. 6 November 2018. ABC News. 4 November 2018.
  5. News: Melbourne Cup 2018: Cross Counter takes out the Melbourne Cup. 6 November 2018. The Age. 6 November 2018.
  6. Matthey, James. "Melbourne Cup 2018: Final finishing order" news.com.au, 6 November 2018. Retrieved on 6 November 2018.
  7. News: Melbourne Cup: The CliffsofMoher breaks down during run, unable to be saved . Wide World of Sports . 6 November 2018 . 6 November 2018 .
  8. Web site: Hugh Bowman handed hefty suspension.