The Melbourne Cup is nearly here. Previews are coming at you left, right and centre, whilst the weather apps are getting plenty of use trying to get a handle on how much rain will hit Flemington before the big race.
Melbourne Cup time also means you’ll hear a lot about the right ‘lead up’ and ‘preparation’. Below is a list of the top four finishers since 2000 and the last race they ran in before the Melbourne Cup, to give you some insight as to what the truly best lead-up races are.
2000 Melbourne Cup
1st- Brew- Hotham Handicap
2nd- Yippyio- Moonee Valley Cup
3rd- Second Coming- Caulfield Cup
4th- Kaapstad Way- Caulfield Cup
2001 Melbourne Cup
1st- Ethereal- Caulfield Cup
2nd- Give The Slip- Irish Champions Stakes
3rd- Persian Punch- Irish St Leger
4th- Karasi- Geelong Cup
2002 Melbourne Cup
1st- Media Puzzle- Geelong Cup
2nd- Mr Prudent- Moonee Valley Cup
3rd- Beekeeper- Caulfield Cup
4th- Vinnie Roe- Irish St Leger
2003 Melbourne Cup
1st- Makybe Diva- Caulfield Cup
2nd- She’s Archie- Geelong Cup
3rd- Jardine’s Lookout- Lonsdale Cup
4th- Pentastic- MacKinnon Stakes
2004 Melbourne Cup
1st- Makybe Diva- Caulfield Cup
2nd- Vinnie Roe- Irish St Leger
3rd- Zazzman- Mackinnon Stakes
4th- Elvstroem- Cox Plate
2005- Melbourne Cup
1st- Makybe Diva- Cox Plate
2nd- On A Jeune- Geelong Cup
3rd- Xcellent- Cox Plate
4th- Leica Falcon- Caulfield Cup
2006- Melbourne Cup
1st- Delta Blues- Caulfield Cup
2nd- Pop Rock- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Maybe Better- Hotham Handicap
4th- Zipping- Moonee Valley Cup
2007- Melbourne Cup
1st- Efficient- Cox Plate
2nd- Purple Moon- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Mahler- UK St Leger
4th- Zipping- Mackinnon
2008 Melbourne Cup
1st- Viewed- Mackinnon
2nd- Bauer- Geelong Cup
3rd- C’est La Guerre- Cox Plate
4th- Master O’Reilly- Cox Plate
2009 Melbourne Cup
1st- Shocking- Hotham Handicap
2nd- Crime Scene- Geelong Cup
3rd- Mourilyan- March Stakes
4th- Master O’Reilly- Mackinnon
2010 Melbourne Cup
1st- Americain- Geelong Cup
2nd- Maluckyday- Hotham Handicap
3rd- So You Think- Cox Plate
4th- Zipping- Cox Plate
2011 Melbourne Cup
1st- Dunaden- Geelong Cup
2nd- Red Cadeaux- Irish St Leger
3rd- Lucas Cranach- Caulfield Cup
4th- Americain- Moonee Valley Cup
2012 Melbourne Cup
1st- Green Moon- Cox Plate
2nd- Fiorente- Prix Foy
3rd- Jakkalberry- Caulfield Cup
4th- Kelinni- Hotham Handicap
2013 Melbourne Cup
1st- Fiorente- Cox Plate
2nd- Red Cadeaux- Irish St Leger
3rd- Mount Athos- March Stakes
4th- Simenon- Herbert Power
2014 Melbourne Cup
1st- Protectionist- Herbert Power
2nd- Red Cadeaux- September Stakes
3rd- Whoshotthebarman- Caulfield Cup
4th- Signoff- Hotham Handicap
2015 Melbourne Cup
1st- Prince Of Penzance- MV Cup
2nd- Max Dynamite- Lonsdale Cup
3rd- Criterion- Cox Plate
4th- Trip To Paris- Caulfield Cup
2016 Melbourne Cup
1st- Almandin- Bart Cummings
2nd- Heartbreak City- Ebor Handicap
3rd- Hartnell- Cox Plate
4th- Qewy- Geelong Cup
2017 Melbourne Cup
1st- Rekindling- UK St Leger
2nd- Johannes Vermeer- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Max Dynamite- Irish Handicap
4th- Big Duke- Moonee Valley Cup
2018 Melbourne Cup
1st- Cross Counter- Great Voltigeur Stakes
2nd- Marmelo- Prix Kergolay
3rd- Prince Of Arran- Hotham Handicap
4th- Finche- Geelong Cup
2019 Melbourne Cup
1st- Vow And Declare- Caulfield Cup
2nd- Prince Of Arran- Geelong Cup
3rd- Il Paradiso- UK St Leger
4th- Master Of Reality- Irish St Leger
2020 Melbourne Cup
1st- Twilight Payment- Irish St Leger
2nd- Tiger Moth- Kilternan Stakes- Ireland
3rd- Prince Of Arran- Caulfield Cup
4th- The Chosen One- Caulfield Cup
2021 Melbourne Cup
1st- Verry Elleegant- Cox Plate
2nd- Incentivise- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Spanish Mission- Lonsdale Cup
4th- Floating Artist- Moonee Valley Cup
2022 Melbourne Cup
1st- Gold Trip- Cox Plate
2nd- Emissary- Geelong Cup
3rd- High Emocean- Bendigo Cup
4th- Deauville Legend- Great Voltigeur
2023 Melbourne Cup
1st- Without A Fight- Caulfield Cup
2nd- Soulcombe- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Sheraz- Moonee Valley Cup
4th- Ashrun- Geelong Cup
2024 Melbourne Cup
1st- Knight’s Choice- Bendigo Cup
2nd- Warp Speed- Caulfield Cup
3rd- Okita Soushi- Moonee Valley Cup
4th- Zardozi- Empire Rose Stakes
Melbourne Cup Lead Ups- Top 4 Finishes since 2000
Caulfield Cup- 23
Geelong Cup- 13
Cox Plate- 13
Moonee Valley Cup- 9
Irish St Leger- 8
UK St Leger- 3
Lonsdale Cup- 3
Great Voltigeur- 2
Bendigo Cup- 2
March Stakes- 2
Overseas Lead Up Run- 21
It’s worth noting that the Caulfield Cup by far has had the most runners through it in this time period, but it has stood the test of time as a key lead-in race.
The Caulfield Cup has produced six winners in the last 25 years- Ethereal (2001), Makybe Diva (2003), Makybe Diva (2004), Delta Blues (2006), Vow And Declare (2019) and Without A Fight (2023).
Caulfield Cup Runners This Year
Half Yours, River Of Stars, Valiant King, Presage Nocturne, Royal Supremacy, Absurde, Meydaan, Middle Earth, Vauban, Land Legend
The Cox Plate has produced six winners in the past 25 years- Makybe Diva (2005), Efficient (2006), Green Moon (2012), Fiorente (2013), Verry Elleegant (2021) and Gold Trip (2022), and is very much a great historical lead up for a Top 4 finish in the Melbourne Cup.
Cox Plate Runners This Year
Buckaroo
The Geelong Cup is the race that over achieves for the Melbourne Cup, year in and year out. Incredibly it has produced three winners with Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011), but also a host of runners up in She’s Archie (2003), On A Jeune (2005), Bauer (2008), Crime Scene (2009), Prince Of Arran (2019) and Emissary (2022).
Geelong Cup Runners This Year
Torranzino, Changingoftheguard
The Moonee Valley Cup is often considered as the ‘B’ grade form for a Melbourne Cup. Despite that it has produced nine top four finishers since 2000, including winner Prince Of Penzance (2015) and a few runners up in Yippyio and Mr Prudent.
Moonee Valley Cup Runners This Year
Onesmoothoperator, Athabascan, Smokin Romans’
The Irish St Leger is the best lead up of the overseas races. Whilst having one winner through it in Twilight Payment (2020), it has produced seven other top 4 finishers including warhorse Vinnie Roe on two occasions and the mighty Red Cadeaux twice also.
Irish St Leger Runner This Year
Al Riffa
You will hear this week that it’s preferential for the internationals to have had a lead up run in Australia but that doesn’t necessarily stand true. With 21 runners having run top four finishes first up off the plane including winners Rekindling (2017), Cross Counter (2018) and Twilight Payment (2020).
Overseas Runners
Al Riffa, Chevalier Rose, Flatten The Curve, Furthur, Parchment Party, Goodie Two Shoes
For me the horses that entertain the most via the historical lead ups and mixture of my own thoughts are Al Riffa, Half Yours, Valiant King, Absurde, Torranzino and Flatten The Curve.
Good luck punters!
