1861 Melbourne Cup
Annual horse race in Melbourne, Victoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1861 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 7 November 1861.[1][2] The race was organised by the Victoria Turf Club and held at the Flemington Racecourse (then known as the Melbourne Racecourse).[3]
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| Melbourne Cup | |
Illustration of 1861 winner Archer | |
| Location | Flemington Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 7 November 1861 |
| Distance | 2 miles |
| Winning horse | Archer |
| Winning time | 3:52 |
| Final odds | 6/1 |
| Jockey | John Cutts |
| Trainer | Etienne L. de Mestre |
| Owner | Etienne L. de Mestre |
| Surface | Turf |
| Attendance | 4000 |
This year was the first running of the Melbourne Cup.[1] Billed as "one of the finest races ever seen upon the course,"[4] 57 horses were nominated and there were 20 acceptances. Three were scratched on race day, leaving 17 starters.[5][6][7]
After one false start, three horses fell due to congestion on the first turn,[6] resulting in deaths to two runners Despatch and Medora.[8] One jockey was knocked unconscious and Joe Morrison sustained a compound fracture to his arm after coming off Despatch.[7][9] The fall led to changes to the track at Flemington, including lengthening the straight.[6]
Mormon led the remaining runners down the river side of the course, with Prince and Flatcatcher falling back from the leader due to the pace, while Antonelli and the two de Mestre runners moved forward.[10] Archer took the lead ahead of Antonelli at the far turn and by the time Archer led the field into the straight its lead was so great that the race was only on for second place. Mormon eventually drew forward from the pack to finish second ahead of Prince who got ahead of a tiring Antonelli.[10]
Ridden by John Cutts, Archer won the race by six lengths in a time of 3:52.[8] Archer had been leased by Etienne L. de Mestre, and had been brought to Melbourne from Sydney aboard the SS City of Sydney, which transported several horses to Melbourne. A long-standing folktale was that Archer had walked from Nowra to Flemington.[7][6]
As a lessee de Mestre owned and was fully responsible for Archer during the lease. Archer was leased from the "Exeter Farm" of Jembaicumbene near Braidwood, New South Wales. His owners were Thomas John "Tom" Roberts (a good school-friend of de Mestre's), Rowland H. Hassall (Roberts' brother-in-law), and Edmund Molyneux Royds and William Edward Royds (Roberts' nephews).[11][12][13]
The race was held not long after news had reached Melbourne of the death of explorers Burke and Wills who had left Melbourne in August 1860, with some accounting that the news had led to lower than expected attendance for the race meeting.[7][3]
Full results
This is the list of placegetters for the 1861 Melbourne Cup.[1][14][15][4][10]
| Place | Horse | Age Gender |
Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Owner | Odds | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Archer | 5y h | John Cutts | 9 st 7 lb (60.3 kg) | Etienne L. de Mestre | Etienne L. de Mestre | 5/1 | 6 lengths |
| 2 | Mormon | 6y h | William Simpson | 10 st 1 lb (64.0 kg) | N/a | James Henderson | 3/1 fav. | 2 lengths |
| 3 | Prince | Aged g | J. Bishop | 8 st 0 lb (50.8 kg) | N/a | William Pearson | 20/1 | |
| 4 | Antonelli | 3y c | Cowen | 6 st 7 lb (41.3 kg) | N/a | Mr. Warby | 20/1 | |
| 5 | Toryboy | 4y g | H. Cooke | 7 st 11 lb (49.4 kg) | N/a | William Cross Yuille | 5/1 | |
| 6 | Flatcatcher | Aged g | Perkins | 9 st 8 lb (60.8 kg) | N/a | Mr T.J. Bavin | 10/1 | |
| 7 | The Moor | Aged g | Robinson | 8 st 12 lb (56.2 kg) | N/a | George Watson | 12/1 | |
| N/a | Nutwith | Aged g | Sam Waldock | 8 st 12 lb (56.2 kg) | N/a | Mr. J.D. Fisher | 12/1 | |
| N/a | Inheritor | Aged g | McCabe | 8 st 7 lb (54.0 kg) | Etienne L. de Mestre | Etienne L. de Mestre | 10/1 | |
| N/a | Grey Dawn | 4y m | Harry Yeend | 7 st 12 lb (49.9 kg) | N/a | John Coldham | 25/1 | |
| N/a | Black Bess | 6y m | James Monaghan | 7 st 11 lb (49.4 kg) | N/a | Mr. Evans | 50/1 | |
| N/a | Sorcerer | 3y g | Hughes | 6 st 9 lb (42.2 kg) | N/a | James Henderson | 33/1 | |
| N/a | Fireaway | 3y g | H. Howard | 6 st 6 lb (40.8 kg) | N/a | Mr. Cole | 20/1 | |
| N/a | Lucy Ashton | 3y f | S. Davis | 6 st 4 lb (39.9 kg) | N/a | Mr. Coleman | 50/1 | |
| Fell | Despatch | Aged m | Joe Morrison | 8 st 9 lb (54.9 kg) | N/a | James Henderson | 7/2 | |
| Fell | Twilight | Aged m | Haynes | 7 st 12 lb (49.9 kg) | N/a | John Coldham | 20/1 | |
| Fell | Medora | 3y f | J. Henderson | 7 st 0 lb (44.5 kg) | N/a | James Henderson | 16/1 | |
| SCR | Eagle's Plume | 3y c | Lankey | 6 st 7 lb (41.3 kg) | N/a | John Orr | 20/1 | |
| SCR | Parisan | Aged g | N/a | 8 st 7 lb (54.0 kg) | N/a | Mr. T. Chirnside | N/a | |
| SCR | Defence | 6y g | N/a | 7 st 12 lb (49.9 kg) | N/a | Mr. Coleman | N/a | |
