JRA Cup 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: The JRA Cup is a potential lead-up into the Melbourne Cup each spring

The JRA Cup is a Group 3 race currently contested on Moonee Valley Gold Cup Night at The Valley on a Friday evening in late October during the annual Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

2022 JRA Cup winner Desert Icon. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Racing at the meeting is headlined by the Group 2 $750,000 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) for potential Melbourne Cup-bound stayers, while the Listed $175,000 Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) is the other black-type on the program.

The JRA Cup is a quality handicap race contested over 2040m – the same distance as the iconic $5 million Ladbrokes W.S. Cox Plate held back at the same track the following day – and currently offers $200,000 in prize money.

First run in 1993, the event gained Group 3 status in 2010 and has been won by many quality horses over the years that went on to win bigger races during their careers.

Some of the better horses out of the JRA Cup race may now continue onto the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on the first Tuesday of November after the JRA Cup moved from Moir Stakes Night in September to the Moonee Valley Gold Cup Night in October ahead of the 2023 edition.

The latest edition of the JRA Cup ran on Friday October 27th, 2023 under the lights at The Valley on Moonee Valley Gold Cup Night and was narrowly won by the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained favourite Ain’tnodeeldun ($2.80F) in his biggest career win to date.

2023 JRA Cup Results

The official JRA Cup 2023 race results and finishing order will be provided below once the race takes place on Friday October 27th, 2023.

2023 JRA Cup winner Ain’tnodeeldun was excellent posting a late win in the Group 3 at The Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #5 Ain’tnodeeldun
• 2nd: #8 Red Sun Sensation
• 3rd: #3 Forgot You

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained comeback galloper Ain’tnodeeldun ($2.80F) continued his fantastic prep posting his third win on the trot with a final-stride victory in the 2023 JRA Cup results on Cox Plate Eve at The Valley.

2023 JRA Cup Odds

The season’s best JRA Cup 2023 betting odds and links to our markets will be provided right here the week of the race so stay tuned for the top Moonee Valley racing odds this spring.

JRA Cup Race Facts

• Date: Friday October 27th, 2023
• Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse
• Distance: 2040m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1993

JRA Cup Betting

JRA Cup betting is led by in-form staying types with winning form over at least 2000m.

Horses coming off a lead-up Melbourne win or proven at the tight Moonee Valley circuit also sit high up the JRA Cup betting odds.

Ain’tnodeeldun ($2.80 in 2023) was the last favourite in JRA Cup betting to salute for the punters.

JRA Cup Field

The JRA Cup race field attracts a quality field of staying types heading towards tougher assignments over the spring carnival.

Previously, runners out of the JRA Cup field may have backed-up in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield looking to win their way into the Caulfield Cup field before the JRA Cup date changed to late October in 2023.

Now runners in the JRA Cup field are likely to target Flemington races over the Melbourne Cup Carnival including the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) or even the Melbourne Cup race itself over the two-miles.

The JRA Cup nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Friday night, while the final field and barriers are out on the Wednesday.

2023 JRA Cup Field

The official JRA Cup 2023 Final Field & Barrier Draw will be available right here once acceptances are taken on the Wednesday of race week so stay tuned to see the list of horses set to face off under the lights at Moonee Valley in the potential Group 1 lead-up.

The 2023 JRA Cup field features a quality line-up of staying types led in betting by the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Ain’tnodeeldun in gate six with Billy Egan to ride.

2023 JRA Cup Nominations

The JRA Cup Nominations for 2023 close on the Monday leading-up to Moonee Valley Gold Cup Night.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

JRA Cup Tips

Good JRA Cup betting tips include looking for in-form staying types proven in tougher races and those with past form at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Runners under double-figures in betting, those with form over the 2000m plus distance range, and any proven Group 1 performers down in grade also make a good JRA Cup tip.

Another key JRA Cup tip is to look for the in-form six-year-olds in the race as all four JRA Cup winners from 2019-2022 were six-year-olds.

2023 JRA Cup Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider JRA Cup tips and Moonee Valley Group 3 betting selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the runners to get behind in the race this spring.

• To Win: #5 Ain’tnodeeldun ($4.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Favourite at time of publish is still at an attractive price chasing a hat-trick. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Dundeel six-year-old is two-from-two at Moonee Valley and returns to his pet track. Won here two back over the mile in a Benchmark 90 before saluting at Sandown when defeating Forgot You over 1800m last time out in a surging run. Up in weight and distance but has been excellent against some strong rivals of late and can win again.

JRA Cup Form Guide

The JRA Cup form guide features all the essential race information including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.

The JRA Cup form has gone on to stack-up in better spring races many times over the years including the 2018 winner The Taj Mahal who ran fifth in that year’s Caulfield Cup results before a subsequent win in the Group 2 Zipping Classic at Sandown, a race he also won in 2017.

In 2017 the ATC Derby winner Jon Snow took out the JRA Cup before a next-up third in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

2023 JRA Cup Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive JRA Cup 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

JRA Cup Results

The JRA Cup race results have been dominated in recent years by in-form stayers at single-figures in betting.

Notable JRA Cup winners throughout history include El Segundo (2005), Maldivian (2007), Alcopop (2009), Precedence (2010), and Jon Snow (2017).

Both El Segundo and Maldivian won the Cox Plate throughout their careers in 2007 and 2008 respectively, but not in the same year as their JRA Cup victories.

Real Love (2016) was the last JRA Cup winning mare.

Secret Blaze holds the current 2040m JRA Cup race record winning in 2021 in a time of 2 minutes 04.31 seconds.

Past JRA Cup Winners

Recent JRA Cup winners dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.