1980 Melbourne Cup

The pre-race favourites were the Bart Cummings gelding Hyperno who won the 1979 Melbourne Cup and the 1980 Cox Plate winner Kingston Town, however the latter was scratched after suffering a suspensory ligament injury.

The first 1600m was rather slowly run in 1:41.3. Before the half-way mark John Letts took Beldale Ball to the lead and heading into the straight he put three lengths on the field. My Blue Denim was near the tale of the field at the turn but flashed home for 2nd. The winning margin was a length and a half. Love Bandit who had led earlier and stayed handy to the pace held on for third. The veteran New Zealand stayer Magistrate finished strongly for 4th.^[4] The favourite Hyperno finished seventh after a luckless run.

Beldale Ball was sired in the United States and purchased by Robert Sangster as a two year old. He was raced in England as a 2 and 3 year old for mixed results although his two wins were over 2800m hinting at his stamina. Sangster imported him to Australia and placed him with Colin Hayes. Prior to the Melbourne Cup he was 2nd by a neck to Mr Independent in the Herbert Power Handicap (2400m) and 2nd to stablemate Bohemian Grove in The Dalgety (2500m).^[5]

It was the first Melbourne Cup win for trainer Colin Hayes and perhaps some consolation for losing Dulcify during the previous year's cup. Dulcify had suffered a broken pelvis during the race and had to be euthanized. Hayes also won the 1986 Melbourne Cup with At Talaq.

For John Letts it was his second victory in the race, having won on the Tasmanian gelding Piping Lane in the 1972 Melbourne Cup.

The 2nd placed My Blue Denim, known as Blue Denim in New Zealand where he was trained by Dave O'Sullivan, had won the 1980 Auckland Cup over 3200m on New Year's Day. Blue Denim's jockey Peter Cook would taste victory in the 1981 Melbourne Cup on Just a Dash for Tommy J. Smith and the 1984 Melbourne Cup on Black Knight for George Hanlon.

The following are the placegetters in the 1980 Melbourne Cup.^[6]