| 2019 Melbourne Cup | |
| Horse Race: | Melbourne Cup |
| Location: | Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, Australia |
| Date: | 5 November 2019 |
| Distance: | 3,200 metres |
| Winning Horse: | Vow And Declare |
| Starting Price: | $11 |
| Winning Jockey: | Craig Williams |
| Winning Trainer: | Danny O’Brien |
| Surface: | Grass |
| Attendance: | 81,408[1] |
| Previous: | 2018 |
| Next: | 2020 |
The 2019 Melbourne Cup (known commercially as 2019 Lexus Melbourne Cup) was the 159th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3200m (10,500feet), was held on 5 November 2019 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
The race was overshadowed by recent news of the ill-treatment of horses in the Australian racing industry,[2] [3] and by the pulling out of notable celebrities including pop-star Taylor Swift,[4] model Megan Gale,[5] and X-Men actress Lana Condor.[6]
The final field for the race was declared on 2 November.[7] The total prize money for the race was A$8 million, an increase of the previous year.[8]
The race was won by Vow And Declare, ridden by Craig Williams and trained by Danny O'Brien.[9]
| Number | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight (kg) | Barrier | Placing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Counter | Charlie Appleby (United Arab Emirates) | 57.5 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2 | Mer De Glace | Hisashi Shimizu (Japan) | Damian Lane | 56 | 2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Master of Reality | Joseph O’Brien (Ireland) | Frankie Dettori | 55.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Mirage Dancer | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Ben Melham | 55.5 | 13 | 14 | |
| 5 | Southern France | Ciaron Maher-David Eustace | Mark Zahra | 55.5 | 14 | 19 | |
| 6 | Hunting Horn | Aidan O'Brien (Ireland) | Seamie Heffernan | 55 | 11 | 15 | |
| 7 | Latrobe | Joseph O’Brien (Ireland) | James McDonald | 55 | 22 | 18 | |
| 8 | Mustajeer | Kris Lees | Damien Oliver | 55 | 6 | 23 | |
| 9 | Rostropovich | David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 55 | 12 | 24 | |
| 10 | Twilight Payment | Joseph O’Brien (Ireland) | Hugh Bowman | 55 | 19 | 11 | |
| 11 | Finche | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 54 | 4 | 7 | |
| 12 | Prince Of Arran | Charlie Fellowes (Great Britain) | Michael Walker | 54 | 8 | 2 | |
| 13 | Raymond Tusk | Richard Hannon Jr (Great Britain) | Jamie Spencer | 54 | 3 | 16 | |
| 14 | Downdraft | Joseph O’Brien (Ireland) | John Allen | 53.5 | 15 | 22 | |
| 15 | Magic Wand | Aidan O'Brien (Ireland) | Ryan Moore | 53.5 | 24 | 10 | |
| 16 | Neufbosc | David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig | Luke Nolen | 53.5 | 23 | 21 | |
| 17 | Sound | Michael Moroney | James Winks | 53.5 | 10 | 12 | |
| 18 | Surprise Baby | Paul Preusker | Jordan Childs | 53.5 | 20 | 5 | |
| 19 | Constantinople | David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig | João Moreira | 52.5 | 7 | 13 | |
| 20 | II Paradiso | Aidan O'Brien (Ireland) | Wayne Lordan | 52.5 | 17 | 3 | |
| 21 | Steel Prince | Anthony Freedman | Brett Prebble | 52.5 | 16 | 9 | |
| 22 | The Chosen One | Murray Baker (New Zealand) | Tim Clark | 52 | 18 | 17 | |
| 23 | Vow And Declare | Danny O’Brien | Craig Williams | 52 | 21 | 1 | |
| 24 | Youngstar | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 52 | 9 | 20 |
In 2018, Network 10 bought the rights to air the Melbourne Cup from 2019 to 2023 for $100 million, outbidding former broadcaster Seven Network.[10]