Australian Cup 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Peter Young Stakes has produced more Australian Cup winners than any other lead-up in recent history

The Australian Cup is one of two Group 1 races held at Flemington Racecourse on ‘Super Saturday’ in March during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

Run alongside the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) for the sprinters at the meeting, the Australian Cup is for staying types and takes place over 2000m. Contested under weight-for-age conditions it offers $1.5 million in prize money and is known as the Cox Plate of the autumn races.

The Australian Cup field usually attracts horses coming out of the previous month’s Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield Racecourse, the double most recently completed by Fiorente (2014).

The major autumn assignment for many of the Australian Cup graduates each autumn is the season’s richest race, the Group 1 $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) over the same distance the following month in Sydney.

The latest edition of the Australian Cup ran on Saturday March 6, 2021 and was won in an upset by Homesman at 25/1. 

Australian Cup Race Info

• Date: Saturday March 6, 2021
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 2000m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1.5 million
• First Run: 1863

AUSTRALIAN CUP ODDS

2021 Australian Cup Results

The 2021 Australian Cup results and finishing order will be known on Saturday March 6, 2021 and released below.

• 1st: #4 Homesman
• 2nd: #7 Best Of Days
• 3rd: #9 Chapada

The upsets on ‘Super Saturday’ continued with the Godolphin-raced Homesman ($26) holding off a thrilling late challenge by Best Of Days ($26) to salute in the Australian Cup 2021 results, with the trifecta completed by 40/1 roughie Chapada. 

Australian Cup Betting

Australian Cup betting is open in futures markets months out from ‘Super Saturday’ providing punters with plenty of chances to lock in generous early odds on their favourite weight-for-age runners of the season.

Once the Australian Cup field is released the odds firm and the favourites are revealed.

Favourites have a poor record in the race however with just two saluting in the past decade when Fiorente got the job done in 2014 and Humidor saluted as the equal favourite in Australian Cup betting in 2017.

One of the most notable recent upsets was the second win by Harlem who successfully defended his title in 2019 as a $31 roughie in Australian Cup betting after his blowout win at $61 in 2018.

In 2021 Homesman (1st) and Best Of Days (2nd) ran the quinella both as 25/1 shots, while 40/1 outsider Chapada ran third. 

Top of the Australian Cup odds are horses coming out of the Peter Young Stakes, those with previous experience at the famous Flemington track and seasoned performers that have proven weight-for-age form.

2021 Australian Cup Betting

The Australian Cup 2021 odds will be available for punters below as soon as markets are available on the Group 1 weight-for-age feature.

Fiorente (2014) is one of the few favourites in Australian Cup betting to salute for the punters in the past 20 years. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

The Australian Cup field features a capacity of 16 starters and attracts the season’s best middle-distance weight-for-age runners. The bulk of the Australian Cup horses have their final lead-up in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes over 200m shorter the month before at Caulfield.

While the age of horses in the Australian Cup varies, older gallopers with more weight-for-age experience boast the most success in the race.

The Australian Cup nominations close in late January with over a month between the taking of early entries and the release of the final field of acceptances the Wednesday before the race.

2021 Australian Cup Field

The official 2021 Australian Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published in full below once released on March 3, 2021.

The Australian Cup 2021 final field features 17 WFA hopefuls led in betting by the reigning champion Fifty Stars. 

2021 Australian Cup First Acceptances

The line-up of potential runners narrows down with the 2021 Australian Cup first acceptances closing towards the end of February, about a fortnight out from the race.

The Australian Cup 2021 first acceptances close on Tuesday February 16, 2021 and will be published in full below once confirmed.

The 2021 Australian Cup first acceptances drew 35 entries led by Chris Waller’s Caulfield Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant and the defending champion Fifty Stars the Lindsay Park.

   Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2021 Australian Cup Nominations

The Australian Cup 2021 Nominations are first taken by Racing Victoria in late January and attract many of the previous spring’s most talented horses out of races including the Melbourne Cup and Mackinnon Stakes.

The 2021 Australian Cup nominations close on Monday the 18th of January, 2021 and will be announced in full below. 

The Australian Cup 2021 nominations are now out featuring 61 early entries including the past two champions – Harlem (2018, 2019) and Fifty Stars (2020) – from the Lindsay Park stable.

Australian Cup Tips

Australian Cup betting tips are dominated by the best runners coming out of the Peter Young Stakes that produced six of the winners from 2014 – 2021 including Fiorente (2014) who did the double.

Looking for horses with previous weight-for-age winning form and laying the favourite are other top Australian Cup tips.

The spread of Australian Cup winners from across barriers 2 – 14 is very even but no winner has jumped from the inside alley in over 30 years making it a good tip to avoid the rails-drawn runner in the race.

2021 Australian Cup Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Australian Cup 2021 betting tips will be detailed right here the week of the race so return to this page for the Australian Cup best bets.

• To Win: #17 Paradee ($6.50 at time of publish) 

An open edition of the Australian Cup and love the lead-up form of Danny O’Brien’s progressive mare Paradee. This four-year-old daughter of Epaulette has gone from strength-to-strength this prep putting together three wins on the trot. Last time out she was impressive carrying 57kg to victory in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield. That race has been the proven form line to follow into the Australian Cup and always hard to knock a mare in form, especially one drawn the rails here. 

Australian Cup Form Guide

The Australian Cup form guide reveals all the crucial information on the runners so you know who to back and who to sack in your Australian Cup tipping each season.

While barriers haven’t proven helpful Australian Cup form guides in recent years, looking for gallopers that come out of the Peter Young Stakes (previously the St George Stakes) is a key indicator. That race has produced more Australian Cup winners than any other race and is a lead-up run every smart punter should look for in the form on the weight-for-age classic.

Also avoiding the favourites in betting and steering clear of horses listed as three-years-old in the Australian Cup form guide are other good indicators as the favourites have a poor record in the past decade and the only three-year-old to win since Saintly (1996) was Super Cool (2013).

Mares rarely end up on top in the Australian Cup results either as the only female galloper to take out the event since Dane Ripper (1998) was the mighty Makybe Diva (2005).

Australian Cup Form Facts

• Fiorente (2014) and Humidor (2017) are the only Australian Cup betting favourites to salute since Lonhro (2004)
• Wide barriers have produced a number of recent Australian Cup winners in the past decade including Niconero (10 of 12 in 2009), Zipping (12 of 14 in 2010), Shocking (12 of 15 in 2011), Fifty Stars (13 of 14 in 2020) and Homesman (14 of 17 in 2021)
• The only three-year-old to head the Australian Cup results since 1996 (Saintly) is Super Cool (2013)
• Makybe Diva (2005) is the only mare to win the Australian Cup since Dane Ripper (1998)

2021 Australian Cup Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Australian Cup 2021 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

Australian Cup Results

Australian Cup results rarely favour the shortest-priced in betting with upsets from double figure roughies common place in the race.

The longest priced Australian Cup winners in recent years were Roman Arch who saluted at 50/1 back in 2006 for trainer Robbie Laing and the Lindsay Park-trained Harlem ($61 in 2018 and $31 in 2019).

Notable Australian Cup winners in recent years include Fiorente (2014), Shocking (2011), Zipping (2010), Makybe Diva (2005), Lonhro (2004) and Northerly (2003).

Australian Cup Winners