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Geelong Cup

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

ONESMOOTHOPERATOR winning the Ladbrokes Geelong Cup in Geelong, Australia.
ONESMOOTHOPERATOR winning the Ladbrokes Geelong Cup in Geelong, Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

The Geelong Cup is a Group 3 race run under Handicap conditions for open age stayers at Geelong conducted by the Geelong Racing Club.

The Geelong Cup is run over 2400m. It was first run in 1872 and was won by Flying Scud.

It has been run over varying distances from two miles at the beginning to as short as one mile a century ago. For the last 50 years it has been at the mile and a half.

The Geelong Cup was a Principal Race until being Listed up to 2001 then upgraded at Group 3 from 2002.

Several horses heading to the Melbourne Cup had run well in Geelong Cups in the 80s and 90s but the race all changed in 2002.

Internationals trained or bred horses have had a field day since the turn of the century.

Dermot Weld won the Melbourne Cup with Vintage Crop and he did it again in 2002 with Media Puzzle who got his way into the race via Geelong.

Zazzman won in 2003 and placed at Flemington 12 months later. On A Jeune also won at Geelong and placed behind Makybe Diva in her third Cup. Emissary won then placed as well.

Bauer did the job at Geelong then famously lost by the smallest margin to Viewed in 2008.

Then it was the turn of the French as Americain and Dunaden went back to back here and at Flemington.

Qewy was another horse to win from overseas for Godolphin this time. Then Prince Of Arran scored in fast time in 2019 and got a 1kg penalty to get into the Melbourne Cup where he'd run second.

Karasi became known as a champion jumper winning three Nakayama Grand Jumps but before that in 2001 he won the Geelong Cup and ran fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

Onesmoothoperator won for respected Englishman Brian Ellison in an impressive victory under Craig Williams in 2024.

The Geelong Cup was worth $500,000 in 2024.

Notable winners of the Geelong Cup include Onesmoothoperator (2024), Prince Of Arran (2019), Qewy (2016), Dunaden (2011), Americain (2010), Bauer (2008), On A Jeune (2005), Zazzman (2003), Media Puzzle (2002), Karasi (2001), Bohemiath (1999), Mr Brooker (1990), Pacific Mirage/Sea Legend (1989), Koiro Corrie May (1985), Chagemar (1984) and Allez Bijou (1981).

The 2024 Geelong Cup was won by Onesmoothoperator from Interpretation and Muramasa.


Racing and Sports

Previous Geelong Cup Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) 6G
DIALED IN (USA) - SUENO D'ORO (USA) MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 54.0 BRIAN ELLISON 9
AMADE (IRE) 9G
CASAMENTO (IRE) - SHEBA FIVE (USA) FIVE STAR DAY (USA)
ZAC SPAIN 54.0 PHILLIP STOKES 11
EMISSARY (GB) 5G
KINGMAN (GB) - SOVIET MOON (IRE) SADLER'S WELLS (USA)
B SHINN 56.0 MICHAEL MORONEY 7
TRALEE ROSE (NZ) 5M
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - STAR OF TRALEE (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ)
DEAN HOLLAND 55.5 SYMON WILDE 4
STEEL PRINCE (IRE) 6G
NATHANIEL (IRE) - STEEL PRINCESS (IRE) DANEHILL (USA)
JYE MCNEIL 57.5 A & S FREEDMAN 7
PRINCE OF ARRAN (GB) 6G
SHIROCCO (GER) - STORMING SIOUX (GB) STORMING HOME (GB)
M J WALKER 58.0 CHARLIE FELLOWES 11
RUNAWAY (AUS) 4G
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS) - CATSHAAN (AUS) CATRAIL (USA)
S BASTER 54.0 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 12
VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) 5G
MONSUN (GER) - VENETIAN BEAUTY (USA) LEAR FAN (USA)
PATRICK MOLONEY 54.0 MICHAEL MORONEY 10
QEWY (IRE) 6G
STREET CRY (IRE) - PRINCESS NADA (GB) BARATHEA (IRE)
K MCEVOY 54.0 C APPLEBY 6
ALMOONQITH (USA) 5H
DYNAFORMER (USA) - BOHEMIAN LADY (USA) CARSON CITY (USA)
JAMES MCDONALD 55.5 DAVID HAYES & TOM DABERNIG 14
CARAVAN ROLLS ON (GB) 6H
HERNANDO (FR) - GRAIN ONLY (GB) MACHIAVELLIAN (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 54.0 DANNY O'BRIEN 2
IBICENCO (GER) 5H
SHIROCCO (GER) - IBERI (GER) RAINBOW QUEST (USA)
B RAWILLER 56.5 PETER G MOODY 7
GATEWOOD (GB) 4H
GALILEO (IRE) - FELICITY (IRE) SELKIRK (USA)
G BOSS 55.5 JOHN GOSDEN 7
DUNADEN (FR) 5H
NICOBAR (GB) - LA MARLIA (FR) KALDOUNEVEES (FR)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 58.0 M DELZANGLES 8
AMERICAIN (USA) 5H
DYNAFORMER (USA) - AMERICA (IRE) ARAZI (USA)
G MOSSE 58.0 A DE ROYER DUPRE 1
LEICA DING (AUS) 5M
REDDING (NZ) - LEICA MINE (AUS) BELONG TO ME (USA)
D NIKOLIC 53.0 DARREN WEIR 16
BAUER (IRE) 5G
HALLING (USA) - DALI'S GREY (GB) LINAMIX (FR)
DAMIEN OLIVER 55.5 L M CUMANI 15
THE FUZZ (NZ) 5G
DANASINGA (AUS) - DRAMA QUEEN (NZ) PRINCE OF PRAISE (NZ)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 55.0 D A HAYES 2
MANDELA (NZ) 5G
EBONY GROSVE (NZ) - WAIRONGOA BELLE (NZ) SEA ANCHOR (IRE)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 53.0 RICHARD YUILL 8
ON A JEUNE (AUS) 5G
JEUNE (GB) - CHANDADA ROSE (AUS) KINGS ISLAND (IRE)
K MCEVOY 53.0 PETER MONTGOMERIE 15
PACIFIC DANCER (NZ) 4G
GROOM DANCER (USA) - PACIFIC GEM (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ)
B RAWILLER 55.5 SHAUN DWYER 14
ZAZZMAN (AUS) 6G
DISTINCTLY NORTH (USA) - GLEN IRIS (AUS) MARSCAY (AUS)
K MCEVOY 52.5 TONY VASIL 12
MEDIA PUZZLE (USA) 5G
THEATRICAL (IRE) - MARKET SLIDE (USA) GULCH (USA)
DAMIEN OLIVER 55.0 D K WELD 14
KARASI (IRE) 6G
KAHYASI (IRE) - KARAMITA (IRE) SHANTUNG (FR)
G BOSS 52.5 DAVID HALL 16
SAVROCCA (AUS) 8G
CALEDONIAN PLANET (AUS) - OUR DREAM (AUS) BIRCHWOOD (AUS)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 52.0 JEFF ROGERS 4

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