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2020 Melbourne Cup
The 2020 Melbourne Cup (known commercially as the 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup) was the 160th running of the Melbourne Cup, a prestigious Australian Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over , was held on 3 November 2020 at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. The final field for the race was declared on 31 October. The total prize money for the race was A$8 million, the same as the previous year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and horse owners were not able to attend the event. The race was won by Twilight Payment, ridden by Jye McNeil and trained by Joseph O'Brien. Field Fatalities Anthony Van Dyck was euthanised after suffering a fractured fetlock, becoming the second horse that had to be euthanized at Flemington in 2020, and the sixth horse to die during the Melbourne Cup since 2013. References Notes {{MelbourneCup Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest two-mile handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation". The Melbourne Cup has cemented itself as a part of Melbourne and Australian culture, having been run every year since 1861 (except for an intermission during World War I and World War II). The day of the race has been a public holiday for much of Victoria since 1876. It was originally run over but was shortened to in 1972 when Australia adopted the metric system. This reduced the distance by , and Rain Lover's 1968 race record of 3:19.1 was accordingly adjusted to 3:17.9. The present record holder is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avilius
Avilius (foaled 22 May 2014) is a retired British bred thoroughbred racehorse that won multiple Group 1 races in Australia. Background Avilius is a son of Pivotal and was bred at Darley Stud. Racing career Originally trained by André Fabre in France, Avilius won a 2400m maiden at Chantilly and the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Maisons-Laffitte. Avilius also had placings in the Prix Eugène Adam and the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. Avilius was then transferred to Godolphin's Australian stable of James Cummings where he was gelded. Avilius has won 9 races in Australia, including the Ranvet Stakes, Tancred Stakes and the George Main Stakes The King Charles III Stakes (formerly known as the George Main Stakes), is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in S ... which are at Group 1 level. It was announced in July 2021 that Avilius would be retired from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James McDonald (jockey)
James McDonald (born 6 January 1992) is a New Zealand thoroughbred racing jockey and member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. On 2 November 2021, McDonald rode the winning horse Verry Elleegant in the 2021 Melbourne Cup. He has been awarded the World Jockey of the Year in 2021 and 2024 in the TRC Global Rankings. Group 1 winners (119) McDonald has currently ridden 119 Group One winners, including 92 in Australia, 13 in Hong Kong, 11 in New Zealand and one each in Japan, United Kingdom and UAE: Major wins *AJC Derby (2) - It's A Dundeel (2013); Riff Rocket (2024) * All Aged Stakes (1) - Cascadian (2022) * Australian Oaks (2) - Rising Romance (2014); Verry Elleegant (2019) * Canterbury Stakes (2) - Cosmic Endeavour (2015); Holler (2016) * Caulfield Guineas (3) - Shooting To Win (2014); The Autumn Sun (2018); Golden Mile (2022) * Caulfield Stakes (1) - Anamoe (2022) * Champagne Stakes (2) - Captivant (2021); Broadsiding (2024) * Champions Stakes (3) - Zaaki (2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Walker (jockey)
Michael Walker (born 1984) is a New Zealand-born former jockey of Māori ancestry who won the New Zealand premiership and also competed in Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Early life Michael Walker was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, in the central districts of the North Island, although his family later moved to Waitara. At the age of 11, Walker approached noted Thoroughbred trainer Allan Sharrock, asking for work with his horses. Sharrock gave him regular work after school before eventually indenturing him as an apprentice. He arranged a special dispensation for Walker to start riding in races at age 15 instead of the usual starting age of 16. In his first year as an apprentice (the 1999–2000 racing year), Walker had an astonishing 131 wins to not only win the apprentices’ championship but the jockeys’ premiership as well (his first of three). While apprenticed to Sharrock, Walker won 653 races, most in New Zealand (a record 631 wins), but also in Australia, Hong Ko ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Balding
Andrew Matthews Balding (born 29 December 1972) is a British racehorse trainer based at Park House Stables, Kingsclere, Hampshire. Biography Balding attended Caldicott School, a boys' preparatory school, and Radley College, a public school. He became a licensed trainer in January 2003, when he succeeded his father Ian Balding. His elder sister is Clare Balding. His maternal grandfather was the trainer Peter Hastings-Bass and his maternal uncle William Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon, former trainer to Queen Elizabeth II. His maternal grandmother Priscilla Hastings is descended from the Earls of Derby. His paternal grandfather was polo player Gerald Barnard Balding Sr. Balding has been married to Anna-Lisa since 15 July 2005. They have three children. Notable horses trained by Balding include Casual Look, the winner of the Epsom Oaks in 2003. The win led to an emotional post-race interview with his sister. In 2014, the Baldings' Park House Stables were visited by Ir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Willie Mullins
William Peter Mullins (born 15 September 1956) is an Irish racehorse horse trainer, trainer and former jockey. He is a nineteen-time List of Irish National Hunt races, Irish National Hunt Champion trainer. Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, having saddled 113 winners as of 2025. He was the trainer of the 2024 Grand National winner I Am Maximus and 2025 Grand National winner Nick Rockett. Personal life Mullins was born and raised around horses. His father, Paddy Mullins, was a horse trainer, and his mother, Maureen, was a successful breeder. Mullins is from Goresbridge, County Kilkenny, but is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, County Carlow, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. He was educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea, an all-boys Catholic boarding school in County Tipperary. His son, Patrick Mullins (jockey), Patrick Mullins, is an amateur jockey riding mainly in Ireland for his father and acting as assistant trainer to him. Patr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Rodd (jockey)
Michael Rodd (born 19 January 1982 in Manly, New South Wales) is an Australian jockey who is best known for riding Efficient to victory in the 2007 Melbourne Cup. Rodd has also been successful in the 2008 Cox Plate, riding Maldivian and in the 2006 Victoria Derby, again riding Efficient. He began racing in 2000. As of April 2023, he has ridden 1,226 winners, including 33 in Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ... races, earning a combined $71.2 million in prize money. References External linksOfficial website Australian jockeys Sportsmen from New South Wales Living people 1982 births 21st-century Australian sportsmen {{Australia-horseracing-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Zahra
Mark Zahra (born 27 June 1982) is an Australian jockey who is notable for having won the Melbourne Cup on Without A Fight in 2023 and on Gold Trip in 2022, as well as the Caulfield Cup on Without A Fight in 2023 and on Verry Elleegant in 2020. He is the ninth jockey to ride back to back Melbourne Cup winners. Racing career Mark Zahra started his racing career in Western Australia and started his apprenticeship with Dean White. His first raceday ride was on Wail Spring on Boxing Day 1998 at Geraldton Racecourse. He won his first race at the same track on 1 March 1999 on Winrosy. He then moved to Victoria to work for Brian Cox at Wodonga and later with Tony McEvoy at Lindsay Park. In August 2010, Zahra was found guilty of reckless riding and suspended for 29 meetings after causing a serious spinal injury to jockey Danny Brereton, who fell from Marquee Player in the Mitchell Mackenzie stakes at Moonee Valley. Brereton is still disabled as a result, and is only able to walk with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Waller (horse Trainer)
Chris Waller (born 5 March 1973), is a Hall of Fame trainer in Australian Thoroughbred racing best known for training the racemare Winx, a four-time winner of Australian Horse of the Year honours. Background Chris Waller grew up on his parents' dairy farm in Himatangi, near Palmerston North. He became interested in racing watching horses such as Melbourne Cup winner Kiwi and jockeys such as Jimmy Cassidy. Waller worked for Foxton-based horse trainer, Patrick ("Paddy") Busuttin who was known for his top stayer Castletown. He progressed to stable foreman and when Busuttin moved to Singapore, Waller commenced training on his own account. His first winner was Go Morgan at Trentham Racecourse in 1997. On 12 February 2000, he won the Group 3 Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui with Ripon By, for the Dawn Fox's syndicate. Party Belle In 1998, Waller took a horse called Party Belle to New South Wales to race. She won three races in Australia, a 2100m maiden at Wyong in S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Verry Elleegant
Verry Elleegant (12 October 2015 – 18 February 2024) was a New Zealand-bred Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse that won 11 Group One races. She was crowned the 2020/2021 Australian Racehorse of the Year, and was the winner of the 2021 Melbourne Cup and 2020 Caulfield Cup. Background Verry Elleegant was out of the New Zealand race mare Opulence, which was owned by her initial trainer, Nick Bishara. After Opulence won two races she was sold at the 2011 Mixed Sale at Karaka to Don Goodwin, who is the owner of Very Elleegant's sire, Zed. The horse was named after Goodwin's granddaughter Ellee. Previously, he had named her brother "Verry Flash", adopting the "verry" spelling to be distinctive. Both Bishara and Goodwin struck up a friendship and raced Verry Elleegant until she was sold to clients of Australian trainer Darren Weir. Racing career 2017/18: two-year-old season Verry Elleegant made her racing debut on 7 July 2018. She finished second at Te Rapa Racecourse in Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glen Boss
Glen Boss (born 21 August 1969 in Caboolture) is an Australian jockey, who is best known for riding Makybe Diva to victory in three consecutive Melbourne Cups: 2003, 2004, and 2005. He has also been successful in four Cox Plates: Makybe Diva in 2005, So You Think in 2009, Ocean Park in 2012, and Sir Dragonet in 2020. At the end of May 2021 he had ridden 1,893 wins, including 90 Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ... wins, for total prize money of A$180 million. References External linksOfficial Glen Boss Website [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciaron Maher
Ciaron Maher (born 27 May 1981) is an Australian, Melbourne Cup winning, horse trainer. He grew up on his parents' dairy farm situated at Winslow, a town near Warrnambool Warrnambool (; Eastern Maar, Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the Census in Australia#2021, 2021 census, Warrnambool had a populati ..., where he spent time around horses from a young age. For a few years, Maher rode as a jockey until the age of 23 when he was forced to quit riding due to his growing weight. Suspension from racing From the 9 October 2017, Maher was suspended from racing for 6 months and fined $75,000 after pleading guilty to "conduct prejudicial to the image, interests or welfare of racing". Racing stewards alleged that Maher failed to report suspicions he had regarding conman Peter Foster's ownership of horses Azkadellia, Hart, Loveable Rogue and Mr Simples. Group 1 winn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
