[slider]The 2017 Ballarat Cup is a listed staying event held at Dowling Forest Racecourse in Ballarat.
Raced under handicap conditions, the Ballarat Cup is open to horses of all ages and genders. It is usually held towards the very end of the Spring Racing Carnival in late November.
With $300,000 prize money on offer, the Ballarat Cup is quite a lucrative country cup, particularly considering its listed status.
In the past, the Ballarat Cup was held as a mid week event on a Wednesday. In 2011, it was moved to a Sunday to take advantage of weekend crowds and punters. In 2014, the Ballarat Cup began running on a Saturday as the only black type racing in NSW and Victoria. In Perth on the same day, Ascot hosts the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m).
Those gallopers which contest the Ballarat Cup rarely do so first up. Other country cups such as the Bendigo Cup or the Kyneton Cup are common lead up races. Staying events during the feature days of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival are also sometimes contested prior to a run in the Ballarat Cup.
The Ballarat Cup is the last feature day during the spring racing carnival in Victoria. This has the effect of increasing crowds, as a lot of people turn out for one last hit of racing.
Notable Ballarat Cup winners include Great Warrior (1988), Battocchi (1997), Royal Caliph (1998, 2000), Command N Conquer (2005) and The Offer (2013).
2017 Ballarat Cup Field
The Ballarat Cup field usually features a fairly diverse range of horses from different stables. It’s an interesting race, and you’ll often get a mixture of local or country horses lining up against metro runners in the Ballarat Cup field. Because of this, it tends to be a bit of a hit with the punters. The fact that it’s held right at the end of the spring racing carnival also means that most of the runners in the Ballarat Cup field have plenty of form to look to.
The 2017 Ballarat Cup field will be published below.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1240×54277 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Michael Walker | 5 | 58kg | 101 |
| 2 | 5x246211x0 | DE LITTLE ENGINE | Danny O’Brien | Ben Thompson (a) | 10 | 56kg | 97 |
| 3 | 7614246054 | EXTRA ZERO | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Regan Bayliss | 4 | 55.5kg | 96 |
| 4 | 02510×0046 | BIG MEMORY (FR) | Tony McEvoy | Luke Currie | 1 | 55kg | 95 |
| 5 | 076×070342 | GREY LION (IRE) | Matt Cumani | Jordan Childs | 3 | 55kg | 95 |
| 6 | 66214×2703 | SECOND BULLET | Danny O’Brien | Ben Melham | 11 | 54kg | 93 |
| 7 | 110x4x57x1 | MR GARCIA (GB) | Darren Weir | Ben Allen (a) | 9 | 54kg | 92 |
| 8 | 136x668x60 | BIG BLUE (GB) | James Cummings | Stephen Baster | 13 | 54kg | 91 |
| 9 | 96x990x701 | SONNTAG | Henry Dwyer | Jye McNeil | 7 | 54kg | 89 |
| 10 | x431431x01 | ONCIDIUM RULER | Michael Kent | Beau Mertens (a) | 2 | 54kg | 87 |
| 11 | x51710x073 | GRAND DREAMER | Robert Smerdon | Patrick Moloney | 6 | 54kg | 80 |
| 12 | 39×8057222 | KNOWABLE | Steve Richards | Dean Yendall | 12 | 54kg | 72 |
| 13 | 2605043313 | JIMMIE JIM | Charles Quick | Ms Nikita Beriman | 8 | 54kg | 57 |
2017 Ballarat Cup Nominations
The Ballarat Cup nominations are usually comprised of a broad spectrum of talent. Local runners who haven’t had a lot of black-type starts will enter the Ballarat Cup nominations in hopes of securing a prestigious victory and some solid prize money. Metro runners from major stables in Melbourne and sometimes Sydney will also enter the Ballarat Cup nominations as part of a wider spring campaign that is likely near its end.
The 2017 Ballarat Cup nominations will be provided here.
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2446925041 | THE TAJ MAHAL (IRE) | H | 4 | Robert Hickmott | 1 | 60kg | 107 |
| 2 | 1240×54277 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 2 | 57kg | 101 |
| 3 | 11x330x900 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 3 | 57kg | 101 |
| 4 | 0x33x24103 | FOUNDRY (IRE) | G | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 4 | 57kg | 101 |
| 5 | 10x71x0458 | ASSIGN (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 5 | 56.5kg | 100 |
| 6 | 5x246211x0 | DE LITTLE ENGINE | G | 7 | Danny O’Brien | 6 | 55kg | 97 |
| 7 | 7614246054 | EXTRA ZERO | G | 11 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 7 | 54.5kg | 96 |
| 8 | 3x0x038000 | FOUNDATION (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 8 | 54kg | 95 |
| 9 | 076×070342 | GREY LION (IRE) | H | 6 | Matt Cumani | 9 | 54kg | 95 |
| 10 | 02510×0046 | BIG MEMORY (FR) | G | 8 | Tony McEvoy | 10 | 54kg | 95 |
| 11 | 66214×2703 | SECOND BULLET | G | 7 | Danny O’Brien | 11 | 54kg | 93 |
| 12 | 110x4x57x1 | MR GARCIA (GB) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 12 | 54kg | 92 |
| 13 | 136x668x60 | BIG BLUE (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | 13 | 54kg | 91 |
| 14 | 1216×30165 | VON TUNZELMAN (NZ) | G | 5 | Roger James | 14 | 54kg | 89 |
| 15 | 96x990x701 | SONNTAG | G | 7 | Henry Dwyer | 15 | 54kg | 89 |
| 16 | x431431x01 | ONCIDIUM RULER | G | 6 | Michael Kent | 16 | 54kg | 87 |
| 17 | 27x070x054 | ORMITO (GER) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 17 | 54kg | 80 |
| 18 | x778119223 | HAVE PLENTY | G | 6 | John Hickmott | 18 | 54kg | 80 |
| 19 | x51710x073 | GRAND DREAMER | G | 7 | Robert Smerdon | 19 | 54kg | 80 |
| 20 | 12x20x00x1 | LORD LUMBERJACK (GER) | G | 6 | Michael Hickmott | 20 | 54kg | 79 |
| 21 | 790×506436 | SHAMKIYR (FR) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 21 | 54kg | 79 |
| 22 | 1940×77175 | TIGER TIM (NZ) | G | 6 | Peter Gelagotis | 22 | 54kg | 73 |
| 23 | 0622453727 | ELECTRIC FUSION | G | 8 | Trudi Christie | 23 | 54kg | 73 |
| 24 | 39×8057222 | KNOWABLE | G | 4 | Steve Richards | 24 | 54kg | 72 |
| 25 | 6420516680 | THE THUG | G | 7 | Russell & Scott Cameron | 25 | 54kg | 71 |
| 26 | 2222×65314 | KASTOR | M | 4 | Rachael Cunningham | 26 | 54kg | 62 |
| 27 | 20×4194821 | SUPER MARIO (NZ) | G | 5 | Cindy Alderson | 27 | 54kg | 62 |
| 28 | 2605043313 | JIMMIE JIM | G | 5 | Charles Quick | 28 | 54kg | 57 |
Ballarat Cup Results
Ballarat Cup winners, place getters and winning times since 2000 are listed below.
| Year | Results | Winning Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 Grand Dreamer | 2 Oncidium Ruler | 3 Grey Lion | 2:25.7 |
| 2016 | 1 Pilote D’Essai | 2 Scherzoso | 3 Manageress | 2:14.1 |
| 2015 | 1 Junoob | 2 Wales | 3 Sonntag | 2:18. |
| 2014 | 1 Mujadale | 2 At First Sight | 3 Fat Al | 2:17.8 |
| 2013 | 1 The Offer | 2 Pelicano | 3 Hurdy Gurdy Man | 2:25.1 |
| 2012 | 1 King Diamond | 2 Pelicano | 3 Exceptionally | 2:18.4 |
| 2011 | 1 Domesky | 2 Rothera | 3 Sean Baile Mor | 2:19.2 |
| 2010 | 1 My Bentley | 2 Kidnapped | 3 Allanthus | 2:17.0 |
| 2009 | 1 Itstheone | 2 Gallions Reach | 3 Davcon | 2:14.4 |
| 2008 | 1 Daka’s Gem | 2 Sentire | 3 Banana Man | 2:21.8 |
| 2007 | 1 Sentire | 2 Bowl Along | 3 Red Riviera | 2:23.9 |
| 2006 | 1 Rubijon | 2 Upstaged | 3 Lancettier | 2:17.3 |
| 2005 | 1 Command N Conquer | 2 Maneroo Lue | 3 Steelworker | 2:17.4 |
| 2004 | 1 Just The Part | 2 Irish Crusader | 3 Demerger | 2:15.4 |
| 2003 | 1 Western Waters | 2 Delvecchio | 3 Dance On Wood | 2:16.2 |
| 2002 | 1 Varsilayos | 2 As You Would | 3 Sale Of Century | 2:15.0 |
| 2001 | 1 Aquiver | 2 Varsilayos | 3 Adolescence | 2:14.0 |
| 2000 | 1 Royal Caliph | 2 Luther | 3 Laebeel | 2:18.5 |
