Group 1 Schweppes Melbourne Cup Facts & Figures

2007 Melbourne Cup Winner Shanlyn PrinceThe 2008 Schweppes Melbourne Cup (515m) series, offering in excess of $500,000 in total prizemoney, is Australia’s richest greyhound event and the richest free entry greyhound race in the world.

In the interest’s of helping you find the 2008 Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Australian Racing Greyhound have scoured the history books to find all the facts and figures you need to know (and a few of the ones you don’t) to help steer you in the right direction.

Group 1 Melbourne Cup Facts and Figures

  • Fastest time : 29.51, Betty’s Angel (2006) out of box 4
  • Winners Sex : Dogs 41, Bitches 11
  • No. Of Times The Favourite Salutes : Favourites have won on 22 occasions
  • Shortest Priced Winner : Gold Grotto 1/2 ($1.50) 1972
  • Longest Priced Winner : Classic Capri $25.90 2001
  • Most Successful Trainer : Graeme Bate (3 winners): Satan’s Shroud (1981), Fair Sentence (1989), Kantarn Bale (1999)
  • Greyhounds Who Won At Their Second Attempt : Saskaview (1963, 3rd 1962), Cheltenham Lass (1966, 2nd 1965), Classic Capri (2001, 2nd 2000)
  • Biggest Winning Margin : 9 lengths – Fox Hunt 1991
  • Smallest Winning Margin : A neck – shared by Chief Ranee 1960, Chris’ Dandy 1970, Black Aztec 1980, 1995
  • Track Records Run In The Melbourne Cup : In 1988 Hua set a new track record in winning of 30.01 over 511m
  • Sires Who Sired The Melbourne Cup Trifecta: Chariot Supreme sired the trifecta in 1990 (Highly Blessed, Singalong, Black Pirate) and New Tears sired the trifecta in 1994 (, Zippity Magic, New Fox)
  • Trainers To Go 1-2-3 : Graeme Bate trained the trifecta in 1999 – Kantarn Bale, Devon Road, Flying Law
  • Distance Changes : 1956-1963 565 yards, 1964-1971 555 yards, 1972 507.5m, 1973-1985 513m, 1986-1995 511m, 1996-Present 515m
  • Winners By State : 38 Victoria, 11 New South Wales, 2 Queensland, 1 South Australia

The great race has also gone through many changes and highlights to be where it is now at Australia’s Richest Race. Here’s a few of those changes and highlights :

Group 1 Melbourne Cup Highlights

  • 1956 : First Melbourne Cup staged at Sandown Park on the grass track over 565 yards under handicap conditions
  • 1962 : Race worth £2,000. Race won by Saskagay, the first bitch to win the race
  • 1964 : A sand track is installed, resulting in the race distance being reduced to 555 yards
  • 1966 : First Melbourne Cup not conducted under handicap conditions. Cheltenham Lass wins the event after finishing second in 1965
  • 1967 : Neville Ballinger trains the Cup quinella with Swan Opal and Dollar Hunter
  • 1970 : Chris’ Dandy wins the Melbourne Cup for trainer Alex Kay, the fourth consecutive winner from New South Wales
  • 1973 : Race reduced to 513 metres
  • 1974 : New Zealand-bred Kwik Metal upstages locals by claiming the 1974 Melbourne Cup after being bought for $30 as a pup
  • 1975 : Prizemoney increases to $11,500 to the winner. Dynamic Dean is later crowned the 1975 Greyhound of the Year, the first of six Melbourne Cup winners to receive the honour
  • 1978 : Prizemoney increased to $35,000 to the winner. Hollywood star Robert Stack presents trophy
  • 1979 : Hollywood starlet Elke Sommer presents trophy
  • 1980 : 25th Melbourne Cup presented by Greg Norman. Sandown gives away a Mercedes to a patron
  • 1986 : Race distance reduced to 511 metres following construction of Grandstand
  • 1990 : Prizemoney increased to $40,000 to the winner
  • 1991 : Prizemoney increased to $50,000 to the winner
  • 1992 : Schweppes begins Cup sponsorship. Master Giant wins the Cup, becoming the fourth consecutive winner to take out the Cup-Melbourne Cup double
  • 1995 : Prizemoney increased to $80,000 to the winner. Race distance increased to 515m following construction of new Sandown circuit
  • 1996 : Prizemoney increased to $100,000 to the winner
  • 1998 : adds the Melbourne Cup to his , Perth Cup, Golden Easter Egg, and Topgun wins
  • 1999 : Graeme Bate trains the trifecta, winning his third Melbourne Cup with Kantarn Bale
  • 2002 : Prizemoney increased to $140,000 to the winner
  • 2004 : Prizemoney increased to $150,000 to the winner
  • 2005 : Closing Argument wins the 50th running of the Cup. Bonshaw Boy completes the quinella for trainer Cameron Taylor and Darren Murray
  • 2006 : Betty’s Angel completes the Group 1 Sapphire Crown – Schweppes Melbourne Cup double, setting a new race record of 29.51 in the process
  • 2008 : Prizemoney increased to $175,000 to the winner

Now if none of this has you any closer to finding the 2008 Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner, then you can always back a winner with Australian Racing Greyhound and .

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