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Melbourne Cup 2014: 24 quirky Cup facts

Roar Guru
2nd November, 2014
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Sea Moon. (Image: UK Racing)
Roar Guru
2nd November, 2014
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For once-a-year punters, the form guide is not the essential tool in looking to find the Melbourne Cup.

It’s the saddlecloth number, the name, the colours, and just about every other little detail like that which frustrates punters who actually do the form and come up with nothing while the novice collects because he/she likes the colour blue.

Well if you are one of those punters, here are the best 24 quirky facts about the Melbourne Cup.

1. Seven-letter names have won the Melbourne Cup on 32 occasions, including the 2013 Cup winner, Fiorente. In the last 30 years however, only six have saluted. Fawkner, Sea Moon, Seismos, Opinion and Signoff will look to make it the 33rd win.

2. Only two greys have won the Melbourne Cup in the last 30 years. Efficient won in 2007 and Subzero scored a popular win in 1992. The greys will be represented by Fawkner, the 2013 Caulfield Cup winner, who ran a mighty second in the Cox Plate on October 25.

3. 11 runners have done the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double. The last to do it was the champion kiwi mare Ethereal in 2001. Admire Rakti will aim to make himself the 12th horse to achieve the feat.

4. No nine-year-olds have won the Melbourne Cup. That pretty much puts the pen through the chances of Cavalryman, Red Cadeaux, Royal Diamond and Precedence.

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5. Only one horse has done the Metropolitan/Melbourne Cup double, way back in 1959 when Macdougal saluted. Several have tried it in recent years, most notably Railings in 2005, Tawqeet in 2006 and Glencadam Gold in 2012. Junoob, trained by Chris Waller and to be ridden by Hugh Bowman, will aim to do the double.

6. Two eight-year-olds have won the Melbourne Cup, but you have to go back to 1938 when Catalogue saluted. Willing Foe is the lone eight-year-old in the 2014 field.

7. Only two seven-year-old entires have greeted the judge first in the race that stops a nation… all the way back to 1893 with Tarcoola and 1885 with Sheet Anchor. That doesn’t bode well for the favourite, Admire Rakti, along with Sea Moon, Gatewood and Araldo.

8. Jezabeel is the only horse to win both the Auckland Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same calendar year when saluting in 1998. Who Shot Thebarman is aiming to do the same double.

9. The number 20 saddlecloth hasn’t won since 1897 when Gaulus won with 48kg on his back. Opinion will carry that saddlecloth number on Tuesday.

10. Horses with more than one word in their name have a fair record in the last 30 years. 14 of the last 30 have had more than one word, so that keeps the dream alive for 12 runners in the field on Tuesday. However, since the inaugural running in 1861, only four horses with more than two words have won, so that dents the chances of Who Shot Thebarman.

11. The final ditch effort to squeeze into the final field of 24 for the race comes on the Saturday prior in the Lexus Stakes (2500m). Last horse to do the Lexus/Cup double was Shocking in 2009 and before then it was Brew in 2000. Signoff won the Lexus impressively on Saturday and will go in as a leading contender.

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12. Out of 153 runnings of the Melbourne Cup, the favourite has won 35 and placed in 72. Admire Rakti or Signoff will start favourite in the race on Tuesday.

13. The obvious trainer is the legend himself, James Bartholomew “Bart” Cummings, who has trained 12 Melbourne Cup runners. In 2014, now in a training partnership with his grandson James, will saddle up Precedence in the race. Other trainers in the 2014 race to have won it previously are Robert Hickmott (Green Moon, 2012), Michael Moroney (Brew, 2000) and David Hayes, who is now in a training partnership with Tom Dabernig, won the race in 1994 with Jeune.

14. Jockeys who have won the race before that are riding it on Tuesday are Damien Oliver ( three times), Glen Boss (three times), Gerald Mosse (Americain, 2010), Michael Rodd (Efficient, 2007) and Kerrin McEvoy (Brew, 2000).

15. Number 18 hasn’t been kind to the Melbourne Cup. Barrier 18 has never been a winning Melbourne Cup gate, while only two Melbourne Cup winners have carried the 18 saddlecloth. That will make it harder for Sea Moon and Au Revoir.

16. Only two four-year-old mares have won the Melbourne Cup in the last 30 years, with Let’s Elope winning in 1991 and Ethereal in 2001. This slightly doesn’t help the chances of leading contender Lucia Valentina.

17. Over 60 international gallopers have attempted to win the Melbourne at the start of their Australian campaign. Vintage Crop has been the lone victor, back in 1993. That nearly puts the pen through Royal Diamond, Mutual Regard, Willing Foe and My Ambivalent.

18. The last four Melbourne Cup winners have been six-year-old entires. Lidari will look to continue that trend.

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19. Since the barriers were first used in the Cup in 1924, only two horses have come from barrier seven to win – Blackwood in that year, and then 80 years later with Makybe Diva. Good luck Junoob!

20. Weights between 53kg-56kg have won nine of the past 10 Cups, with Makybe Diva the lone horse to win outside that weight, winning with 58kg in 2005. Beside her, only Think Big has carried 58kg or more to win the Cup, back in 1975. Admire Rakti, Cavalryman, Fawkner and Red Cadeaux won’t want to hear this.

21. 18 Cup winners have had black as their predominate colour. Recent winners have been Fiorente last year and Shocking in 2009.

22. Horses $31 or longer in the market have won six Cups since 1861, the last being Viewed in 2008. 14 runners in the 2014 Cup are $31 or longer in betting.

23. In 153 runnings of the race, 137 winners have been male. There are 21 males in the race this year and three females.

24. Since 2000, Jockeys that worn gloves in the Cup have won eight, including three of the last four. Craig Williams (Cavalryman), Nick Hall (Fawkner), Gerald Mosse (Red Cadeaux), Craig Newitt (Seismos), Glen Boss (Who Shot Thebarman) and Dean Yendall (Unchain My Heart) are all known glove wearers.

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