This Monday’s Adelaide Cup will mark a major milestone in the event’s history.
The 2020 renewal will be the 150th Adelaide Cup, first run in 1864.
Yes, those sums don’t add up – and that’s because the race wasn’t run five times in the late 1880s, and on a further two occasions during World War II.
In addition, due to betting restrictions, the Cup was run at Flemington in 1885.
Speaking of Flemington, five horses have done the Melbourne Cup/Adelaide Cup double:
1884 Malau (Melbourne Cup in 1884)
1968 Rain Lover (1968 and 1969)
1978 Hyperno (1979)
1981 Just a Dash (1981)
1992 Subzero (1994)
Patrick Payne is the only person to have trained and ridden an Adelaide Cup winner. He was aboard Our Pompeii in 1994, then prepared Capecover to win in 2010.
From 1864 to 1883 the race was run over two miles, then altered to one mile and five furlongs in 1884. It was run over that distance until 1945, before being changed back to two miles.
The cup received public holiday status in 1973.
