Sydney Cup

Race Preview

The Sydney Cup is a Group 1 race held every April at Randwick racecourse. It is raced over a distance of 3,200 meters and is run under handicap conditions. The race is open to horses of any age and sex and carries a prize purse of $400,000.

It has a long and proud history dating back to 1866 where it was first run, and upgraded to Group 1 status in 1980. Many of the greats of Australian turf have prevailed in the Sydney Cup, the more notable names including Makybe Diva, Tie The Knot, Kingston Town, Battle Heights, Galilee and Wakeful.

It is the feature race at Randwick on what is known as Sydney Cup Day and includes three other Group 1 races in the All Aged Stakes, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Champagne Stakes. This is the final day of the Sydney autumn carnival and it ends with a bang.

The Sydney Cup itself is the major distance handicap race of the Sydney autumn carnival for open horses and is the same distance as the Melbourne Cup. The race will usually attract a very strong field.

Spotting Winners

There is several good lead up races which have proven to be a good guide to picking winners for the Sydney Cup in recent times. Be sure to look at the Chipping Norton Stakes and the Chairman’s Handicap which are raced over a similar distance and conditions.

Tend to steer clear of 3-year-old horses as it has been over a decade since the last one had a win. In recent times, many of the leading horses have prevailed and not many roughies have had a win, so be sure only to look at the best horses.

Previous Sydney Cup Winners