When the first Tuesday of November arrives, Australia halts for a thrilling moment; the Melbourne Cup. Famed as ‘the race that stops a nation’, this event boasts a long and illustrious history dating back to 1861.
In this article, we will canter through time, tracing the hoofprints of the most illustrious champions of the Melbourne Cup. From Phar Lap’s momentous victory in 1930, to the extraordinary three-time champion Makybe Diva, these horses have stamped their indelible marks on the Flemington Racecourse and indeed, on the hearts of the racing world.
By celebrating these all-time horses, we don’t merely recount their victories; we plunge into stirring tales of resilience, tenacity, and sheer equine brilliance that have thrilled, surprised, and sometimes even left us teary-eyed. So, saddle up and join us for a gallop down memory lane as we pay homage to the Melbourne Cup’s most iconic equine heroes.
See below the all-time horses in the Melbourne Cup race
Verry Elleegant, Photo: IMAGO
Verry Elleegant
A real favourite on the Australian racing scene was New Zealand-bred race mare Verry Elleegant, trained by Chris Waller. She won 11 Group 1 events during a fantastic career, including a Melbourne Cup in 2021.
<The 2020/21 Australian Racehorse of the Year, Verry Elleegant won numerous top races domestically. Before her long awaited Cup win in 2021, she had won two Chipping Nortons, the Ranvet, the Tancred, the Caulfield Cup and others.
After winning the Melbourne Cup she was sent to be trained in France. She could not get into the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe however, which was her main target.
Might And Power
New Zealand-bred Might And Power was a top-notch thoroughbred, famous for being Australian Horse of the Year in both 1998 and 1999.
When he was four, Might And Power took both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, a rare achievement. When heading back to the Carnival at five, he became the second horse ever to win both Cups and the Cox Plate.
Might And Power also took down the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Doomben Cup. In winning some top-class races by wide margins, he was known as one of the classiest horses of his time.
Galilee
Galilee was trained by legend Bart Cummings. The great handler was known to have called Galilee the best horse he trained and that’s hardly a surprise when you see what this horse achieved in his career.
Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in Australia, New Zealand-bred Galilee was one of the best of all time. He was the very first horse to win the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and Sydney Cup all in the same season.
Galilee finished with a record of 18 wins from 36 starts. He won almost $170,000 which in the 60’s made him a big earner.
Doriemus
A winner of over $3.5 million back in the 1990’s was the outstanding Doriemus. Bred in New Zealand but trained in Australia by Lee Freedman, Doriemus had two golden years and really made his name in the sport.
A winner of over $3.5 million back in the 1990’s was the outstanding Doriemus. Bred in New Zealand but trained in Australia by Lee Freedman, Doriemus had two golden years and really made his name in the sport.
Carbine
Foaled all the way back in 1885 was Carbine, a very noteworthy Melbourne Cup winner. Carbine won fully 30 principal races in his native New Zealand and Australia combined. Noted for being extremely game, Carbine was a major hit with racing fans and the sport’s media.
An incredible achievement was Carbine’s 1890 Melbourne Cup victory. He carried 66kg then, a record, carrying 24kg more than the runner-up.
Carbine beat 39 other horses in his Melbourne Cup win. He also won two Sydney Cups, three AJC Plates and the All Aged Stakes twice.
Phar Lap, Photo: IMAGO
Phar Lap
The great Phar Lap is a racing name that just rolls off the tongue. The galloper is recognised as one of the greatest ever racehorses to come from New Zealand and they have had a few.
Racing in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, Phar Lap offered blessed release in some dire times. Among 20+ top race victories, he won the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Derby and a couple of Cox Plates.
Phar Lap raced a long way overseas too. His final race was a track record victory in Mexico’s Agua Caliente Handicap.
Think Big Photo: IMAGO
Think Big
Few jockeys win the Melbourne Cup more than once. Even fewer horses manage it, but Think Big is on that elite list of double winners. Trained by the great Bart Cummings, Think Big landed Flemington’s biggest event in both 1974 and 1975.
Leilani, also trained by Cummings, was the hot favourite for the Cup in 1974. It was a famous day when Think Big got there late to beat her under the great Harry White, another multiple Cup winner.
Sent back to try again in 1975, Think Big was a 33/1 shot carrying 58kg having not won since his big day at Flemington. He did win the Cup again however and is now a legend.
Peter Pan
Frank McGrath Sr., now a Hall of Fame trainer, was responsible for Peter Pan who was one of the great thoroughbreds. He, along with Phar Lap, raced during the Great Depression and offered some relief to the watching public.
Many believe Peter Pan to have been better than Phar Lap. He was a famous two-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, scoring in 1932 and 1934.
Peter Pan finished his career with 23 wins from 38 starts. Some of his wins include the AJC Derby, the All Aged Stakes and the AJC St Leger.
Makybe Diva
Foaled in 1999, the great Makybe Diva is the most famous Melbourne Cup winner of all. She is the only horse to have won the race three times. She is also the only mare to have won the Cup more than once.
Makybe Diva’s Melbourne Cup wins came between 2003 and 2005. In her last winning year, she also took the Cox Plate. At the time of her retirement, she was the highest earner in history winning over $14m.
Diva also won the 2002 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the 2004 Sydney Cup and the 2005 Turnbull Stakes.
Archer
One of the early training greats was Etienne de Mestre, responsible for conditioning Archer. Foaled in 1856, Archer finished his career with a great record of 12 wins in 17 starts.
The reason Archer’s Melbourne Cup success is celebrated is two-fold. He was the first winner of the Cup in 1861. He also won it the following year, meaning he is one of very few horses to have landed the Cup more than once.
Both of Archer’s Melbourne Cup wins were achieved easily. Due to this, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Kiwi
Kiwi was bred in 1977 in Parore, New Zealand by Brian Fischer. In his fine career Kiwi shot to fame in 1983. That year he managed to win the Wellington Cup at home in New Zealand, as well as the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
Kiwi’s 1983 Melbourne Cup win is particularly noteworthy. He swept from last to first up the straight to score, becoming the only horse in history to do the Wellington Cup – Melbourne Cup double.
Ultimately, Kiwi finished racing in 1987 after 60 starts, 13 of which were successful ones.
Kingston Rule
One of Bart Cummings’ record-breaking Melbourne Cup winners was Kingston Rule. Destined for greatness, Kingston Rule was by USA Triple Crown winner Secretariat and out of Rose Of Kingston, an Australian Horse of the Year.
The Kentucky-bred galloper managed to win the 1990 Melbourne Cup in a record time. At 3 minutes, 16.3 seconds, Kingston Rule’s winning time still stands as the quickest in the race as of 2023.
Kingston Rule also took the Moonee Valley Cup in 1990. He finished his career with four wins from his 18 starts, earning $1.5m.
Vintage Crop
Extremely important in the history of the Melbourne Cup is 1993 winner Vintage Crop. In landing the race for Irish trainer Dermot Weld, Vintage Crop became the first northern hemisphere winner of the race.
Prepared in Europe, Vintage Crop was a good stayer in 1993. He ultimately won Top Stayer at the Cartier awards.
Ridden by Mick Kinane, Vintage Crop won the 1993 Cup in style. He did try again in 1994 and 1995, finishing 7th and then 3rd.
Trainer Dermot Weld kept trying too, ultimately succeeding in 2002 when Media Puzzle also landed Flemington’s showpiece event.
Rain Lover
In the late 1960’s, Rain Lover became a double winner of the Melbourne Cup. Mick Robins’ runner won his first Cup in 1968 under Jim Johnson by a huge 8-length margin. It was a record time back then too.
Rain Lover’s second Cup win in 1969 was more controversial. Big favourite Big Philou was the subject of a doping scandal, Bart Cummings’ runner being withdrawn less than an hour from the start.
Despite a big weight, Rain Lover won it again to become the first Cup winner to go back-to-back since Archer in the race’s opening years.
Rising Fast
Rising Fast was foaled in New Zealand back in 1949. In a glittering career he ran 68 times, winning 24 of them including a Melbourne Cup.
A true champion, Rising Fast was the only horse to win the Spring Grand Slam in Australia. In 1954, he took down the Cox Plate, the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup. As well as all this, he returned in 1955 to win another Caulfield Cup as well as running second in the Melbourne Cup.
Some of Rising Fast’s other wins include the CB Fisher Plate, the Mackinnon Stakes and the Memsie Stakes.
