Adelaide Cup Explained

Surface:Turf
Class:Group II
Horse Race:Adelaide Cup
Location:Morphettville Racecourse, South Australia
Inaugurated:1864
Race Type:Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Distance:3200 metres
Track:Left-handed
Qualification:Three-year-olds and older
Weight:Handicap
Purse:A$302,250 (2023)
Sponsor:TAB (2023)

The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March. Total prize money for the race is A$302,250.

History

The first Adelaide Cup was raced on 21 April 1864 at Thebarton Racecourse, where Mile End is today. The race had stakes of 500 sovereigns with an additional sweep of 50 sovereigns to induce owners from other colonies to compete in the race.[1] Victoria's P. Dowling's Falcon carried 10 stone, 1 pound and ridden by jockey J. Morrison won the race in a time of 3:50.50.[2] A crowd of 7,000 or 8,000 was present for the event.[1]

The race was run at Weight for Age over two miles from 1864 - 68.[3] In 1869 the Autumn meeting returned to "the Old Course" (Victoria Park Racecourse) where the Cup was run[4] as a handicap race over two miles.[3] There was no Cup raced in 1870 or 1871.[3] The Cup resumed in 1872 and was run at "The Old Course" over two miles with a smaller stake of 200 sovereigns and an additional sweep of 15 sovereigns. In 1876 the race was held at the "Elder course", Morphettville Racecourse.[3] In 1884 the race was run over 13 furlongs or miles (~2,600 metres), as was every race held until 1941.[5]

The Totalizator, whose operation on South Australian racecourses became legal in 1880, was abolished by the Totalizator Repeal Act of 1883, and the SAJC suffered a financial collapse. The racecourse was mortgaged and the 1885 Adelaide Cup was held at Flemington, Victoria, and was not held for three more years.[6] In 1889, running of the Cup resumed at Morphettville when Sir Richard Baker and A. O. Whitington took over the course.[6]

Starting on 1 March 1942, there was a ban on racing due to World War II and thus the race was not held in 1942 and 1943.[7]

In 1980 due to renovation of Morphettville Racecourse the race was run at Victoria Park Racecourse and in 2000 the Cup race day was abandoned due to rain and was rescheduled later and also run at Victoria Park.[7]

The highest ever Cup attendance was in 1951 when 50,000 spectators attended.[7]

The cup is held on the second Monday of March since March 2006. Before 2006 it was held in May. It was first run in 1864, just three years after the Melbourne Cup commenced.The day received public holiday status in 1973 and became a major social event in South Australia.[8] In the decade since the move of the Adelaide Cup to March, attendance has fallen to a third of previous levels, seeing 10,500 people trackside in 2015. This is due to use of the public holiday by other "Mad March" events (the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, the associated Fringe Festival, the WOMAD world music festival, a touring car race the weekend prior). Thoroughbred Racing SA and the South Australian Jockey Club wish to move the race and its associated public holiday out of March. However in 2015, the South Australian government Minister for Racing, Leon Bignell said "We can't be at the whim of a racing club that wants to dictate when the public holiday is going to be" and suggests if the race be moved again then it be held on a Saturday.[9]

Grade

The race was a Principal Race from 1864 until 1979 and a Group 1 race from 1979 until 2006.[5] The race was downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 status following a decision by the Australian Pattern Committee in 2007.[5]

Winners

† Race not held due to a ban on war time racing in the state.[8]
‡ Race held at Flemington, Victoria after financial collapse of the SAJC which followed the Totalizator Repeal Act 1883.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: South Australian Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting . South Australian Register, Adelaide. 22 April 1864. 7 March 2013. Trove Digitized Newspapers. 2 column 8.
  2. News: Official Race results Second race. Adelaide Cup. . South Australian Register, Adelaide. 22 April 1864. 7 March 2013. Trove Digitized Newspapers. 3 column 1.
  3. News: The Adelaide Cup-Day. The History of the Cup. South Australian Register, Adelaide. Adelaide . 15 May 1884 . 7 March 2013 . 7 column 3 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: The Autumn Meeting . . VI . 1,618 . South Australia . 15 April 1869 . 26 August 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  5. Web site: Winners and Past Results for the Adelaide Cup . Pro Group Racing Australia. 2012.
  6. News: The Adelaide Cup – History Of A Great Event. . Adelaide . 9 May 1933 . 24 June 2012 . 8 column 7 . National Library of Australia. G. K. Soward.
  7. Web site: SAJC History . South Australian Jockey Club. 2012. 7 March 2013.
  8. Web site: Holidays: Adelaide Cup in Australia . Time and Date. 2013. 7 March 2013.
  9. Web site: Adelaide Cup: 'Mad March' depletes Morphettville Racecourse crowd, SAJC says. ABC. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 March 2017. 10 Mar 2015.
  10. Web site: 2023 Result  - TAB Adelaide Cup (held 13 March 2023). racingpost.com. 14 March 2023.
  11. Web site: 2022 Result  - TAB Adelaide Cup (held 14 March 2022). breednet.com.au. 20 March 2022.
  12. Web site: 2021 Result  - TAB Adelaide Cup (held 8 March 2021). breednet.com.au. 20 March 2022.
  13. Web site: 2020 Result  - TAB Adelaide Cup (held 9 March 2020). breednet.com. 9 March 2020.
  14. Web site: 2019 Result  - TAB Adelaide Cup (held 11 March 2019). breednet.com. 11 March 2019.
  15. Web site: 2018 Result  - Ubet Adelaide Cup (held 12 March 2018). breednet.com. 12 March 2018.
  16. Web site: 2017 Result  - Ubet Adelaide Cup (held 13 March 2017). breednet.com. 13 March 2017.
  17. Web site: 2016 Result  - Ubet Adelaide Cup (held 14 March 2016). breednet.com. 14 March 2016.
  18. Web site: 2015 Result  - Tattsbet Adelaide Cup (held 9 March 2015). breednet.com. 9 March 2015.
  19. Web site: 2014 Result  - Tattsbet Adelaide Cup (held 10 March 2014). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  20. Web site: 2013 Result  - Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup (held 11 March 2013). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  21. Web site: 2012 Result  - Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup (held 12 March 2012). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  22. Web site: 2011 Result  - Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup (held 14 March 2011). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  23. Web site: 2010 Result  - Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup (held 8 March 2010). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  24. Web site: 2009 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 9 March 2009). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  25. Web site: 2008 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 10 March 2008). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  26. Web site: 2007 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 12 March 2007). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  27. Web site: 2006 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 13 March 2006). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  28. Web site: 2005 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 16 May 2005). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  29. Web site: 2004 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 17 May 2004). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  30. Web site: 2003 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 19 May 2003). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  31. Web site: 2002 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 20 May 2002). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  32. Web site: 2001 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 21 May 2001). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  33. Web site: 2000 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 20 May 2000). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  34. Web site: 1999 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 17 May 1999). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  35. Web site: 1998 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 18 May 1998). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  36. Web site: 1997 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 19 May 1997). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  37. Web site: 1996 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 20 May 1996). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  38. Web site: 1995 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 15 May 1995). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  39. Web site: 1994 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 16 May 1994). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  40. Web site: 1993 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 17 May 1993). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  41. Web site: 1992 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 18 May 1992). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  42. Web site: 1991 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 20 May 1991). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  43. Web site: 1990 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 21 May 1990). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  44. Web site: 1989 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 15 May 1989). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  45. Web site: 1988 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 16 May 1988). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  46. Web site: 1987 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 18 May 1987). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  47. Web site: 1986 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 19 May 1986). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  48. Web site: 1985 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 20 May 1985). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  49. Web site: 1984 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 21 May 1984). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.
  50. Web site: 1983 Result  - Adelaide Cup (held 16 May 1983). breednet.com. 3 March 2015.

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