The Mackay Cup is a race held at Mackay Racecourse each year towards the end of June or in early July. A considerable crowd usually attends the races, drawing on patrons from around the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast and elsewhere.
The Mackay Cup is part of the annual North Queensland Racing Carnival that travels up the Queensland Coast from Caloundra to Cairns over the winter months.
The $75,000 Mackay Cup (1800m) is run at Ooralea Race Course in Mackay a week after the $100,000 Rockhampton Cup (1600m) at Callaghan Park and in 2017 coincides with the running of the Listed $175,000 The Pump House Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast.
After the Mackay Cup, interest will then turn to the $100,000 Townsville Cup run over 2000m at Cluden Park in Townsville before Cairns takes the centre stage with the $75,000 Cairns Cup over 2100m followed three weeks later by the $75,000 Cairns Amateur Cup over the same distance, both at Cannon Park in Cairns.
The 2017 Mackay Cup will again attract a packed house at Ooralea Race Course where the patrons who will be able to see if Craiglea Deken can extend his winning sequence to seven.
2015 Mackay Cup winner Holdontoyahorses was retired to stud after that victory following a winning spree that saw her win $80,000 in six weeks and her trainer Russell Adair was so glad to send her out as a winner of her final race which was her tenth overall win.
Mackay Cup Field
The final field for the 2017 Mackay Cup will be published here on the Wednesday before the race.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1002111111 | CRAIGLEA DEKEN | Krystle Johnston | Adrian Coome | 8 | 61kg | 92 |
| 2 | 0x13259274 | DECONSTRUCTED | Tom Button | – | 4 | 54.5kg | 80 |
| 3 | 110×133422 | MAMSELLE CORDAY | Tony McMahon | – | 1 | 54kg | 79 |
| 4 | 0x456x3022 | FASTNET FLYER | Glenda Bell | Les Tilley | 7 | 54kg | 78 |
| 5 | 326×732724 | CHIVADAHLII | Jamie McConachy | David Hayse | 5 | 54kg | 76.5 |
| 6 | 0970x678x6 | WALHAAN | Graeme Boyd | Corey Bayliss (a) | 12 | 54kg | 76 |
| 7 | 415×260123 | OLD SMOKEY | Trinity Bannon | – | 9 | 54kg | 74.5 |
| 8 | 71×6616353 | KNOWING ME (NZ) | John Manzelmann | Ms Chelsea Jokic | 11 | 54kg | 72.5 |
| 9 | 8×09095457 | BENTLES | Tim Cook | – | 2 | 54kg | 72 |
| 10 | 323x0x1661 | PALACE TYCOON | Tony Sears | Scott Galloway | 6 | 54kg | 72 |
| 11 | 5812218431 | TRY ME DOL | Tracy Simmons | David J Simmons | 10 | 54kg | 71.5 |
| 12 | 41×7411253 | DOUBOS | Tim Cook | – | 3 | 54kg | 69 |
Mackay Cup Nominations
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8930184461 | ANYMORE | G | 6 | John Dann | 76.5 |
| 2 | 8×09095457 | BENTLES | G | 5 | Tim Cook | 72 |
| 3 | 8231235714 | BRIGADIER (NZ) | G | 4 | Wayne Walters | 64 |
| 4 | 326×732724 | CHIVADAHLII | G | 5 | Jamie McConachy | 76.5 |
| 5 | 1002111111 | CRAIGLEA DEKEN | G | 4 | Krystle Johnston | 92 |
| 6 | 0x13259274 | DECONSTRUCTED | G | 5 | Tom Button | 80 |
| 7 | 177x0x8x58 | DODGE THE GREY | G | 6 | Lyle Wright | 69 |
| 8 | 41×7411253 | DOUBOS | M | 5 | Tim Cook | 69 |
| 9 | 0x456x3022 | FASTNET FLYER | G | 6 | Glenda Bell | 78 |
| 10 | 0187×12225 | GO BY RIO (NZ) | G | 5 | Errol Sewell | 74 |
| 11 | 71×6616353 | KNOWING ME (NZ) | G | 8 | John Manzelmann | 72.5 |
| 12 | 110×133422 | MAMSELLE CORDAY | M | 5 | Tony McMahon | 79 |
| 13 | 2264550130 | MANNY (NZ) | G | 7 | Wayne Walters | 70 |
| 14 | 415×260123 | OLD SMOKEY | G | 5 | Trinity Bannon | 74.5 |
| 15 | 323x0x1661 | PALACE TYCOON | G | 4 | Tony Sears | 72 |
| 16 | 5×15725571 | SHEKOU | M | 6 | Janel Ryan | 76.5 |
| 17 | 5812218431 | TRY ME DOL | M | 5 | Tracy Simmons | 71.5 |
| 18 | 0970x678x6 | WALHAAN | G | 7 | Graeme Boyd | 76 |
