Australian Cup 2022

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 12, 2022 and saw a return to form from Edward Cummings’ former Queensland Oaks winner Duais ($7). 

Australian Cup Race Info

• Date: Saturday March 12, 2022
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 2000m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1.5 million
• First Run: 1863

2022 Australian Cup Results

The 2022 Australian Cup results and finishing order will be known on Saturday March 12, 2022 and released below.

• 1st: #12 Duais ($7)
• 2nd: #2 Think It Over
• 3rd: #3 Spanish Mission

The Edward Cummings-trained former Queensland Oaks winner Duais ($7) was dominant third-up at Flemington atoning for a luckless defeat in the Chipping Norton in the wet in Sydney last time out relishing the 2000m at headquarters to win the 160th edition of the Australian Cup.

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.

2022 Australian Cup Odds

The Australian Cup 2022 odds will be available for punters below as soon as markets are available on the Group 1 weight-for-age feature.

Australian Cup Field

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.

Earlier, Australian Cup hopefuls may contest the Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup (1600m) on CF Orr Stakes Day and Manighar (2012) was the last to do the double.

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.

2022 Australian Cup Field

The official 2022 Australian Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published in full below once released on March 9, 2022.

The Australian Cup 2022 field features a class line-up of autumn hopefuls including last start Peter Young Stakes winner Cascadian and Think It Over who ran an eye-catching fourth to Verry Elleegant in the wet in Sydney’s Chipping Norton Stakes last time out.

2022 Australian Cup First Acceptances

The line-up of potential runners narrows down with the 2022 Australian Cup first acceptances closing towards the end of February, about a fortnight out from the race.

The Australian Cup 2022 first acceptances close on Tuesday February 22, 2022 and will be published in full below once confirmed.

The 2022 Australian Cup first acceptances are now out featuring 32 potential runners with Spanish Mission heading all-in betting after a good first-up third in the TS Carlyon Cup from the now Peter Moody-trained Melbourne Cup third place-getter.

2022 Australian Cup Nominations

The Australian Cup 2022 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 2022 Australian Cup nominations close on Monday the 31st of January, 2022 and will be announced in full below. 

Chris Waller’s Melbourne Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant headlines a star-studded list of 56 early Australian Cup 2022 nominations this autumn.

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 – 2022 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.

2022 Australian Cup Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Australian Cup 2022 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: #1 Cascadian ($8 at time of publish) 

Outstanding edition of the Australian Cup with a host of genuine chances, but going for a bit of value in Godolphin’s Doncaster Mile champ from last year Cascadian. He presents rock hard fit third-up off two great lead-ups including the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes victory at Caulfield last time out. D. Oliver continues associations and the horse has very strong form at Flemington despite being yet to win at the track (4:0-2-2). While the 1800m is his longest win to date, was runner-up to Zaaki in the Mackinnon at this track / distance at the end of last prep and presents as a main player 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 gallopers to take out the event since Dane Ripper (1998) were the mighty Makybe Diva (2005) and Duais (2022).

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) and Duais (2022) are the only mares to win the Australian Cup since Dane Ripper (1998)

2022 Australian Cup Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Australian Cup 2022 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