Ladbrokes Tip: Moonee Valley Cup is a good early Melbourne Cup betting guide
The Moonee Valley Cup, also called the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, runs at Moonee Valley Racecourse on a Saturday in late October on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Racing at the meeting is headlined by Australasia’s weight-for-age championship – the $5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m).
Four Group 2 races support the card including the Moonee Valley Cup run over 2500m under set weights plus penalties conditions. The stayers in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup field face off for $1 million in total prize money as of 2021 and many are eyeing a run on the first Tuesday of November in Flemington’s iconic Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) over the two miles.
The last horse to complete the Moonee Valley Cup – Melbourne Cup double in the same year was the mighty Kingston Rule (1990). More recently Darren Weir’s 2014 MV Gold Cup winner ran second in the event in 2015 before scoring an upset in the Melbourne Cup at 100/1.
The latest edition of the Moonee Valley Cup ran on Saturday October 23, 2021 and was won by the Grahame Begg-trained mare Lunar Flare ($12).
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Results
The official Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday October 23, 2021.
- 1st: #13 Lunar Flare ($12)
- 2nd: #12 Floating Artist
- 3rd: #1 Sound
Grahame Begg’s progressive mare Lunar Flare ($12) handled a rise in grade to continue her strong spring form with an upset win over the luckless Floating Artist in the $1 million Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 results on Cox Plate Day.
Moonee Valley Gold Cup Race Info
- Date: Saturday October 23, 2021
- Track: Moonee Valley
- Distance: 2500m
- Conditions: Set Weights + Penalties
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $1,000,000
- First Run: 1883
Moonee Valley Cup Betting
Moonee Valley Cup odds are led by proven stayers with form over at least 2400m and runners with previous experience at the tight Moonee Valley track. Past Group performers and staying types with an eye on a Melbourne Cup run also sit high up the Moonee Valley Cup betting markets.
Recent winners to salute at double-figures in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup betting odds include Prince Of Penzance ($11 in 2014) and Vatuvei ($10 in 2012). Prince Of Penzance ran second in the following year’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup before saluting in the Melbourne Cup results in 2015 at a blowout price of $101!
More recently in 2020 Miami Bound scored an upset in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup winning as a $25 outsider in betting on the Melbourne Cup lead-up. She went on to run third in the next year’s Sydney Cup trifecta over the two miles at Randwick.
The mares also won in 2021 with Lunar Flare ($12).
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Odds
The updated Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 betting odds and links to our markets on the Cox Plate Day support act will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best prices on the Melbourne Cup lead-up.
Early market betting odds on the 2022 Moonee Valley Gold Cup will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit ladbrokes.com.au.
Moonee Valley Cup Tips
Moonee Valley Cup tips include looking for proven stayers with winning form over at least a mile and a half, runners with a good Moonee Valley track record and those under double figures in betting.
Looking for gallopers out of spring lead-up runs including the St. Leger race in Sydney and those to have contested previous editions of the Melbourne Cup from springs gone are other good Moonee Valley Gold Cup betting tips.
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 betting tips and selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the stayers to lock into your Moonee Valley Cup Trifecta tips.
- To Win: #7 Harpo Marx ($5.50 at time of publish) – SCRATCHED
Taking on the favourite Floating Artist and like the form around the stablemate Harpo Marx. He’s down in grade off a third in Sydney’s Group 1 The Metropolitan when third a length off the winner at 20/1. Montefilia franked the form running an eye-catching fourth to Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup last start. Harpo Marx now gets his chance heading south. Needs to handle The Valley, but is proven at the distance and presents as a threat.
Moonee Valley Cup Field
The Moonee Valley Cup field attracts a quality line-up of stayers each season including increasingly a number of international raiders heading towards a run in the world’s richest handicap – the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
Runners in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup field may come off a run in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at the same track earlier in the month, a race that last produced a winner with The United States (6th) in 2015. Another good lead-up race is the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) a fortnight before at Caulfield a race Bohemian Lily ran third in before her third next-up in the Moonee Valley Cup in 2015.

Upset Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance (2015) improved on a lead-up second in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.
In 2014 Prince Of Penzance won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup before returning for a second in the race in 2015 that lead to his upset Melbourne Cup victory as a $101 roughie.
The Group 3 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Emirates Stakes Day is the other most popular next-up option for Moonee Valley Gold Cup graduates. In 2014 the MV Cup winner Prince Of Penzance ran second in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes behind Le Roi who improved on a MV Cup second that spring. Third in that year’s Moonee Valley Cup Au Revoir meanwhile won the Group 2 Sandown Classic (2400m) two runs later, a race Prince Of Penzance finished third in. Americain is the other recent Melbourne Cup winner to have also won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The last galloper to complete the Moonee Valley Cup – Queen Elizabeth Stakes was Precedence in 2013. Precedence also won the 2010 Moonee Valley Gold Cup on the back of a Herbert Power Stakes third and a JRA Cup victory.
Moonee Valley Cup nominations close the Monday prior to the race running that Saturday followed by the release of the final field and barriers on the Wednesday.
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Field
The official Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 Final Field & Barriers are set for release on the Wednesday leading-up to the race and will be published below so stay tuned to see what potential Melbourne Cup horses making the line-up.
A line-up of Melbourne Cup hopefuls face off in Saturday’s 2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup field with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Floating Artist clear favourite to return to winning form ahead of a shot at the two mile classic on the first Tuesday of November.
- Scratched: #3 Le Don De Vie (8); #7 Harpo Marx (4); #8 The Good Fight (13)
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Nominations
The early Moonee Valley Cup 2021 nominations are taken the Monday of race week with the full list of potential Melbourne Cup-bound stayers to be listed below.
|
Last 10 |
Horse |
Sex |
Age |
Trainer |
Hcp Rating |
1 |
241441×060 |
ATTORNEY (FR) |
G |
7 |
Matthew Smith |
100 |
2 |
21345×2446 |
BARADE (FR) |
G |
7 |
Archie Alexander |
89 |
3 |
528434×172 |
BARTHOLOMEU DIAS (GB) |
G |
7 |
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
90 |
4 |
x14x4x4x07 |
CORMORANT (IRE) |
G |
5 |
Robert Hickmott |
96 |
5 |
13616x2x00 |
DAWN PATROL (IRE) |
G |
5 |
Robert Hickmott |
103 |
6 |
0238375×58 |
DJUKON (GB) |
G |
6 |
Chris Waller |
87 |
7 |
35×5282536 |
DR DRILL (GB) |
G |
7 |
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
98 |
8 |
5x55x01113 |
FLOATING ARTIST (GB) |
G |
6 |
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
99 |
9 |
53x6133x08 |
FUTURE SCORE (IRE) |
G |
7 |
Matt Cumani |
99 |
10 |
855167×033 |
GOOD IDEA |
G |
7 |
Phillip Stokes |
95 |
11 |
x221211251 |
GRAND PROMENADE (GB) |
G |
6 |
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
103 |
12 |
2×54151163 |
HARPO MARX (IRE) |
G |
6 |
Bjorn Baker |
102 |
13 |
329431×009 |
JOHNNY GET ANGRY (NZ) |
G |
4 |
Denis Pagan |
103 |
14 |
43x8511x90 |
KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) |
G |
7 |
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
103 |
15 |
5x57170x50 |
LE DON DE VIE (GB) |
G |
6 |
Anthony & Sam Freedman |
101 |
16 |
8×33149221 |
LUNAR FLARE |
M |
6 |
Grahame Begg |
91 |
17 |
51111×7631 |
MAHASHAKTI |
M |
5 |
Mitchell Freedman |
83 |
18 |
878333×009 |
MIAMI BOUND (NZ) |
M |
5 |
Danny O’Brien |
103 |
19 |
308×826845 |
MIRAGE DANCER (GB) |
H |
8 |
Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
104 |
20 |
51716×8078 |
MOSH MUSIC |
M |
7 |
Archie Alexander |
99 |
21 |
0x22x722x5 |
PONDUS (GB) |
G |
6 |
Robert Hickmott |
103 |
22 |
00x00x5030 |
ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) |
G |
7 |
Ben & JD Hayes |
95 |
23 |
4071251×08 |
ROYAL CROWN |
G |
5 |
Michael Kent |
79 |
24 |
8227×05516 |
SECRET BLAZE |
G |
6 |
Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
101 |
25 |
1x62309x97 |
SOUND (GER) |
H |
9 |
Michael Moroney |
104 |
26 |
851175×331 |
STARCASTER (GB) |
G |
7 |
Anthony & Sam Freedman |
88 |
27 |
0x31851447 |
THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ) |
G |
7 |
Michael Moroney |
97 |
28 |
79288611×0 |
TOKEN SPIRIT |
G |
4 |
Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock |
71 |
29 |
116x510x42 |
WENTWOOD (GB) |
G |
7 |
Maddie Raymond |
94 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Moonee Valley Cup Form Guide
The Moonee Valley Cup form guide features essential facts and stats like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the stayers in the field.
In recent years the Moonee Valley Gold Cup form has held up in better spring features like the Melbourne Cup a number of times including in 2002 when Mr Prudent ran third and second respectively and in 2000 when Brew won the Melbourne Cup after a second to Yippyio in the MV Cup.
More recently Americain won the 2011 Moonee Valley Gold Cup a year after saluting in the Melbourne Cup, while in 2015 Prince Of Penzance ran second when failing to defend his Moonee Valley Gold Cup title before success in that year’s Melbourne Cup as a triple-figure roughie.
2021 Moonee Valley Gold Cup Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 Form Guide will be available below for punters the week of the race.
Moonee Valley Cup Results
There have been more favourites than roughies saluting for the punters in the Moonee Valley Cup results over the past decade.
Many quality gallopers have taken out the race and standout recent Moonee Valley Gold Cup winners include Miami Bound (2020), Prince Of Penzance (2014), Americain (2011) and Zipping (2006).
Moonee Valley Cup Winners
Year |
Winner |
2nd |
3rd |
Time |
2021 |
Lunar Flare |
Floating Artist |
Sound |
2:40.1 |
2020 |
Miami Bound |
Shared Ambition |
Oceanex |
2:39.6 |
2019 |
Hunting Horn |
Mr Quickie |
Downdraft |
2:39.4 |
2018 |
Ventura Storm |
Trap For Fools |
Libran |
2:34.3 |
2017 |
Who Shot Thebarman |
Libran |
Cismontane |
2:37.3 |
2016 |
Grand Marshal |
Who Shot Thebarman |
Pentathlon |
2:41.4 |
2015 |
The United States |
Prince Of Penzance |
Bohemian Lily |
2:34.4 |
2014 |
Prince Of Penzance |
Le Roi |
Au Revoir |
2:36.0 |
2013 |
Precedence |
Shoreham |
Gotta Take Care |
2:36.9 |
2012 |
Vatuvei |
Reuben Percival |
Ironstein |
2:35.7 |
2011 |
Americain |
Tullamore |
Illo |
2:36.4 |
2010 |
Precedence |
Above Average |
Capecover |
2:38.9 |
2009 |
The Sportsman |
Irazu |
Think Money |
2:37.3 |
2008 |
Gallopin |
Baughurst |
Ice Chariot |
2:36.5 |
2007 |
Gallic |
Lazer Sharp |
Jukebox Johnny |
2:36.5 |
2006 |
Zipping |
Show Barry |
Gallic |
2:38.9 |
2005 |
Umbula |
Bazelle |
Kindjhal |
2:45.1 |
2004 |
Another Warrior |
Rizon |
Hard To Get |
2:37.1 |
2003 |
Frightening |
Legible |
County Tyrone |
2:38.5 |
2002 |
Thong Classic |
Rain Gauge |
Mr Prudent |
2:40.9 |
2001 |
Rain Gauge |
Spirit Of Westbury |
Big Pat |
2;37.6 |
2000 |
Yippyio |
Brew |
Cronus |
2:41.3 |