Adelaide Cup Race Information

The Adelaide Cup is the pinnacle of racing in South Australia, attracting racing enthusiasts from around the country. The 3,200-metre race, which is the highlight of the two-week-long Adelaide Cup Carnival is run at the Allan Scott Park Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.

  • Race Type: Group 2
  • Distance: 3200 metres
  • Conditions: Open handicap, 3YO & upwards
  • Track: Morphettville Racecourse, Adelaide, South Australia
  • Prizemoney: $350,000
  • Date: Monday 11 March 2024

Adelaide Cup Race History

See the 2024 Adelaide Cup Preview and results.

See the 2023 Adelaide Cup Preview and results.

See the 2022 Adelaide Cup Preview and results.

The other big race during the Adelaide Cup Carnival is the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic. The Magic Millions Yearling Sales, held over four days, joined the Carnival in 2006. Future champions of the national and international racing scene are sold at the sale.

The first Adelaide Cup was held in 1864 when Falcon was the winner. No races were held in 1870 and 1871 and then again during World War II, 1942 and 1943. The race was first run over 2600 meters but was stretched to 3200 meters in 1945 and has remained that distance.

The 2024 Adelaide Cup will probably be spoken about for years as early in the race Zac Spain on Amade (who ran 3rd in 2023) broke an iron. For  awhile it looked as if he might drop out but he stuck on and pulled wide at the top of straight where the horse put in a heroic effort to run 4th and many felt given a true ride that he would have been the winner.

Adelaide Cup Facts

Last mare to win; Fanatic (2018)

Last 3YO to win: C&G – The Hind (1998); Filly – Laelia (1971)

Multiple winners: Our Pompeii (1993 & 1994); Lord Reims (1987, 1988 & 1989); Tavel (1970 & 1973); Peerless Fox (1950 & 1951); Eye Glass (1911 & 1912); Cowra (1866 & 1867).

Fastest time (3200m): Grand Scale (1976) 3:20:5

Interesting trivia: In 2019 Surprise Baby was only having his 6th start when he won the Adelaide Cup. He went on to the Melbourne Cup where he ran 5th.

Previous winners of the Adelaide Cup

Lord Reims retains a special place in Adelaide Cup history. He is the only horse to win the race three times. The Cliff Fenwick trained gelding won the cup three times in a row – in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Lord Reims had a different rider in each win, with Maree Lyndon making history in becoming the first and so far the only female jockey to win the race.

The most successful trainer is James Scobie, who had six wins between 1898 and 1930.

Year Winner Second Third
2024 Excelleration The Map Skelm
2023 Rebel Racer Aurora’s Symphony Amade
2022 Daqiansweet Junior Tigertiger Future Score
2021 Good Idea Eperdument Long Arm
2020 King Of Leogrance Good Idea Chouxting The Mob
2019 Surprise Baby Top Of The Range Naval Warfare
2018 Fanatic Ormito Poppiholla
2017 Annus Mirabilis Double Bluff Master Of Arts
2016 Purple Smile Tunes Real Love
2015 Tanby Taiyoo Renew
2014 Outback Joe Black Tycoon Base
2013 Norsqui Waratone Dame Claire
2012 Rialya Drunken Sailor Norsqui
2011 Muir Saddler’s Story Macedonian
2010 Capecover Kerdem Itstheone
2009 Zavite Kerdem Banana Man
2008 Lacey Underall Cefalu Tails Of Triomphe
2007 Gallic Lacey Underall Exalted Time
2006 Exalted Time Tubular Bells Ista Kareem
2005 Demerger Envoy Intriguing
2004 Pantani Danestorm Bel Air
2003 Pilage N Plunder Nautilism Odysseus
2002 The A Train Homewrecker Silver Baron
2001 Apache King Native Jazz Bel Air
2000 Bohemiath Karasi Oxford Dollar
1999 Sheer Kingston Skybeau Kingston Way
1998 The Hind Bohemiath Kristalero
1997 Cronus Lord Ted Rover
1996 French Resort Skybeau Gaekwar
1995 Scrupulous Ice Doctor Storm
1994 Our Pompeii Sweet Glory Top Rating
1993 Our Pompeii Check That Style Headcutter
1992 Subzero Big Barron Mystery Adventure
1991 Ideal Centreman Shiva’s Revenge Te Akau Pearl
1990 Water Boatman Double Gin Ideal Centreman
1989 Lord Reims True Finish The Brotherhood
1988 Lord Reims Foxseal Saratov
1987 Lord Reims Bourbon Boy Enchanteur
1986 Mr. Lomondy Late Show Mint Master
1985 Toujours Mio Nicholas John Mapperley Heights
1984 Moss Kingdom Affinity Our Shout
1983 Amarant Toujours Mio Magistral
1982 Dealer’s Choice Amarant Boktisan
1981 Just A Dash Beau Noble Bright Halo
1980 Yashmak Pearl Lover Lovelace Watkins
1979 Panamint Moon Hawk Clear Day
1978 Hyperno Muros Valadero
1977 Reckless Straight Up Prize Brandy
1976 Grand Scale Storm Song Philomel
1975 Soulman Bottled Sunshine Dayana
1974 Phar Ace Tallan Lad Igloo
1973 Tavel Baghdad Note Dark Suit
1972 Wine Taster Star Contender Dawn Cherie
1971 Laelia Lancelot Scotch And Dry
1970 Tave Romany Bojon
1969 Gnapur Debhel Boy Arctic Coast
1968 Rain Lover Debhel Boy Arctic Coast
1967 Fulmen Swift General Te Parae
1966 Prince Camillo Fulmen Sir Wynyard
1965 Hunting Horn The Dip Jamagne
1964 Jamagne Londoner Hunting Horn
1963 Woolstar Sometime Delville
1962 Cheong Sam Sometime Far Away Places
1961 Far Away Places Torlete Overproof
1960 Lourdale San Pasqual Trellios
1959 Mac Stormy Passage Morloch
1958 Star Aim Straight Flight Watch Out
1957 Borgia Thaumus Newstone
1956 Pushover Ralkon Storm Glow
1955 Storm Glow Al Crusa Chatford
1954 Spearfolio Engraver Beau Regis
1953 Royal Pageant Calaton Rousvaross
1952 Aldershot Winston’s Gift Double Blank
1951 Peerless Fox Cambridge Star Monarch
1950 Peerless Fox King Comedy Portage
1949 Colin Hoyle Sunfire
1948 Sanctus The Monk Stenelaus
1947 Beau Cheval Blankenburg The Monk
1946 Little Tich Neutron Beau Cheval
1945 Blankenburg King Opera Silurian
1944 Chief Watchman Blue Valley Nagambie
1943  ** Race not held **
1942  ** Race not held **
1941 Yodvara Prince Ariel Indignity
1940 Apostrophe Lady Kidston Saint Warden
1939 Son Of Aurous Tempest Rotex
1938 Dartford Silent Tip Grecian Princess
1937 Donaster Highardo Mutable
1936 Cape York Highardo Alfange
1935 Mellion Sir Roseland Supervalve
1934 Sir Roseland St. Mary Bajardo
1933 Infirmiere Eastern Star Glenvarloch
1932 Romany Rye Income Vertigern
1931 Suzumi Bridoon Greek Gift
1930 Temptation Nadean Kirrkie
1929 Parallana Santa Theba Glucose
1928 Altimeter Benoni Finsbury
1927 Three Kings Valbee Au Fait
1926 Spearer Stralia Caserta
1925 Stralia The Tyrant Dependence
1924 Wynette Graculus Buffline
1923 King Ingoda Chaparral Mambray Lord
1922 Repique Socratea Crusader
1921 Sir Marco Bon Vue Annexit
1920 Wee Gun Green Cap Queen Comedy
1919 Dependence King Of The Sea Wee Gun
1918 Elsdon Shacko Rosanna
1917 Greencap Gold Cuffs Pretty Bobby
1916 St. Spasa Pretty Bobby Cyklon
1915 Naxbery Juan Fernandez Sylvanmore
1914 Hamburg Belle Eltham Mountain Princess
1913 Midnight Sun Mountain Princess Aurifer
1912 Eye Glass Banffshire Kuringai
1911 Eye Glass Eighteen Carat Sparkle
1910 Medaglia Topedi Prizefighter
1909 Kooringa Willy Wally Metal Queen
1908 Destinist Enchanted States Dyed Garments
1907 Spinaway Eft Pius
1906 Dynamite Phaedra Memento
1905 Troytown Roller Florin
1904 Sport Royal Bright Pilgrim Pliable
1903 Sojourner Avalon Rapid Pilgrim
1902 The Idler The Victory Flagship
1901 Gunga Din The Bird Rawdon
1900 Tarquin Paul Pry The Bride
1899 Contrast Merry Pilgrim Le Var
1898 Paul Pry Gnullo Mischief
1897 Mora Birksgate Princess Of Wales
1896 Warpaint Miraclum Trentham
1895 Elswick Monastery Maroon
1894 Port Admiral Lady Rose Quality
1893 Vakeel Brittania Jericho
1892 Jericho Syntax The Despised
1891 Stanley Adventurous Enuc
1890 Shootover Sultan Viator
1889 The Lawyer Harbinger Stanley
1888  ** Race not held **
1887  ** Race not held **
1886  ** Race not held **
1885 Lord Wilton Anchorite Sardius
1884 Malua Conjecture King Of The Vale
1883 Sting The Plunger Guesswork
1882 Euclid Commotion
Pollio
Belladrum
* triple dead-heat for 3rd
1881 Totalisator Rothschild Venus
1880 First Water Rivalry Glenormiston
1879 Banter Jarto Timothy
1878 Glenormiston Filibuster Lockleys
1877 Aldinga Whisperer Nightingale
1876 Impudence Venus Emulation
1875 Lurline Barmaid Gloom
1874 Ace Of Trumps Sunbeam Sea Spray
1873 Dolphin Praetor After Dark
1872 Australian Buck Lapdog Saladin
1871 ** Race not held **
1870 ** Race not held **
1869 Norma Corsair Chowilla
1868 Cupbearer Cedric Lancashire Witch
1867 Cowra Midnight Crusader
1866 Cowra Tim Whiffler Panic
Seagull
1865 Ebor Falcon Tarragon
1864 Falcon Roebuck Little John
Banker
Musidora

From the archives:

Adelaide Cup Preview & Tips 2018

Track: Good   Weather: Fine

There are 18 runners for the $400,000 2018 Ubet Adelaide Cup. The betting is fairly open and the early favourite is Fanatic who won the 2017 Sandown Cup over this distance and who was 2nd in the Roy Higgins over 2600m at Flemington last week. Second favourite is Ormito who has ran 3rd at his last 3 starts. There are two horses on the third line of betting. Master Of Arts who was 2nd in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes last week and was 3rd in this race last year after winning the 2017 Lord Reims Stakes, and Exalted Lightning who was 4th in last weeks Lord Reims.

Double Bluff was 2nd in this race last year and has had 2 wins in February before 5th in the Roy Higgins. Pretty Punk won the Hobart Cup over 2400m before 3rd in the Launceston Cup. O’Lonera was a close 2nd over 2500m last start. Diamond Grace goes well at 2400-2500m but is untested at this distance. Benzini was held up and bumped the fence several times when 3rd in the Lord Reims Stakes. Raindrops On Roses finished off strong when winning over 2500m at Moonee Valley last start. All other runners are currently at 20 to 1 or longer, including Jim’s Journey and Tunes who both ran in this race last year.

The following are the top 4 selections from our tipster panel for this years race.

Jo’s Tips
4 Fanatic
2 Master Of Arts
1 Benzini
10 Al Haram