Newcastle Cup
The Newcastle Cup is a Group 3 race run under Handicap conditions for open class horses at Newcastle conducted by the Newcastle Jockey Club.
The Newcastle Cup is run over 2300m. It was first run in 1898 and was won by Raven's Plume.
The Newcastle Cup has been over varying distances from 2000m up to 2400m. 2016 was back to 2200m as the race was run on the inner Beaumont track due to the main course proper reconstruction.
The Newcastle Cup was a Group 3 to 1984 then upgraded until 2001 to Group 2 before dropping back to Group 3 after that.
The Broadmeadow racecourse at Newcastle is the biggest of the provincial courses in NSW and the only one in Australia to host multiple group races.
Queenslander Bikkie Tin Blues won the 100th running of the race in 2006.
There was a dead heat in 2005 between Carael Boy and High Cee.
The Brotherhood famously defeated stablemate Kensei in the 1987 Newcastle Cup and the second horse would go on to win the Melbourne Cup later in that preparation.
The Newcastle Cup has produced several other Melbourne Cup winners. Russia won the Melbourne Cup in 1946 two years after Newcastle. Hyperno did the same thing in 1979. Gurner's Lane did the double plus the Caulfield Cup in 1982. Green Moon would win his Flemington Cup one year later than at Broadmeadow.
The Wyong Cup/Newcastle Cup double has been done many times with Durston the most recent to achieve that in 2022.
Durston would go on to win the Caulfield Cup after taking the 2022 Cups double.
After so many years of trying, Kris Lees was able to win his first Newcastle Cup when Mugatoo scored. It also meant the first win for the family as Max Lees wasn't able to win the home town Cup either. Mugatoo would then run so well in The Metropolitan and the Cox Plate before taking the All-Star Mile in the Autumn.
Gai Waterhouse has 8 wins in the Cup (including her last 3 with Adrian Bott) and Chris Waller is closing fast with 6.
The 2007 race was not held due to the Equine Influenza break out.
The Newcastle Cup was worth $300,000 in 2024. The winner is exempt from ballot for the Metropolitan Handicap.
Notable winners of the Newcastle Cup include Etna Rosso (2024), Durston (2022), Great House (2021), Mugatoo (2020), Glencadam Gold (2012), Green Moon (2011), Silent Impact (2000), Maltese Beauty (1999), Oompala (1994), Azzaam (1993), Beachside (1992), Hunter (1989), The Brotherhood (1987), Gurner's Lane (1982), Iko (1979), Hyperno (1977), Pyramul (1975) and Russia (1944).
The 2024 Newcastle Cup was won by Etna Rosso from Wyclif and Sir Lucan.