Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses. With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our two nations on the first Tuesday in November. The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured. We’re delving a bit deeper to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way. Our descriptions follow the order of appearance from left to right, which also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.

Let’s Elope

*Winner of the 1991 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Steven King.*

Let’s Elope was a chestnut mare bred at Highview Stud in Hamilton, New Zealand and born on 20 November 1987. Her dam was New Zealand mare Sharon Jane and she was sired by American stallion Nassipour.

Initially trained and raced in New Zealand, she won two of her first six races in Zealand as a 3-year-old. Her ownership changed hands, which saw her moved to Australia in the winter of 1991. Under the care of her new trainer, Bart Cummings, she flourished.

Starting with the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on 5 October 1991, she went on a 7-race winning streak, culminating in the Australian Cup at Flemington on 9 March 1992. Among the 7 winning races were the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield, Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, C F Orr Stakes at Sandown, St George Stakes at Caulfield and of course the 1991 Melbourne Cup at Flemington, she was the 8th horse to win the Cups double. Let’s Elope was also the first mare in over 50 years to win the Cups double since Rivette in 1939. Despite a fetlock injury cutting short her Autumn 1992 campaign, she was deservedly named Australian Horse of the Year for the 1991/92 Season.

Ellis, R. (1991). "Let's Elope" Runs Away to Win the Melbourne Cup. City in Background. [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

In a Melbourne Cup field exuding talent, Let’s Elope started in the 1991 Melbourne Cup with the light weight of 51 kilos on board and the 3-1 favourite, a tribute to her exceptional wins in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup the month prior and her performance winning the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day three days earlier. Her jockey for all three wins was Stephen King, who on Tuesday 5 November, 1991 turned 22 years old. He celebrated by riding his new favourite mare in the Melbourne Cup. True to form for all Bart Cummings horses, the pair kept quiet in the back half of the field for much of the race, making their run when the frontrunners start to tire as they round that final bend and head for home on the straight.

Let’s Elope, looking like she’s running downhill such was her frantic-looking gallop, breaks free of a fray which saw one horse nearly lose his rider and many others lose stride, to storm down the straight and win. She defeated her stablemate and half-brother, Shiva’s Revenge, by two and a half lengths but together they provided Bart Cummings with his fifth quinella and his ninth Melbourne Cup win. The stallion Nassipour also achieved the quinella in this race as he had sired both the 1st and 2nd place getters.

Ellis, R. (1991). Let's Elope Wins the 1991 Melbourne Cup [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

For the first time that century a protest was raised after the Melbourne Cup, by Shiva’s Revenge jockey Shane Dye. After deliberation, the stewards dismissed the protest and Let’s Elope was formally declared the winner.

Ellis, R. (1991). [Let's Elope and Jockey Steven King] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

After recovering from the aforementioned fetlock injury, Let’s Elope returned to racing the following two seasons but never entered a second Melbourne Cup. She raced on 10 occasions after her return, including the Japan Cup where she placed 7th and also in the USA. When she retired from racing in 1993, her record showed 26 starts for 11 wins and 5 third placings with 10 races unplaced.

She was retired to stud, initially in the USA. She then returned to Australia, foaling a few winners, namely 2014 Adelaide Cup winner, Outback Joe and also Ustinov. After her last foal was weaned, she spent the remainder of her years as a nanny, first at Seven Creeks Stud in Euroa, Victoria and then at Lauriston Park stud, also in Euroa.

It was at Lauriston Park that Let’s Elope died in her sleep under a gum tree in her favourite paddock, on 11 September, 2016, just two months shy of her 29th birthday. *We have been unable to confirm where she is buried, we can only hope it’s somewhere pleasant.

Jeune

*Winner of the 1994 Melbourne Cup. Trained by David Hayes. Ridden by Wayne Harris.*

Jeune was a chestnut stallion born in Great Britain on 29 March 1989. He was bred by Sir Robert McAlpine from the Irish stallion Kalaglow. He is most likely named after his dam as he was foaled by French mare Youthful; Jeune is the French word for young.

Jeune had a relatively successful start to racing in Great Britain, winning 5 races from 17 starts in two years. He moved to Australia near the end of his 4-year-old season in Great Britain. He initially trained in Australia under the late Colin Hayes and then his son David. His best season was the 1994-1995 as a 6-year-old when he won 4 races, finished 2nd in 7 and a 3rd place from 14 starts. His success that season earned him the title ‘Australasian Horse of the Year 1994-1995 season’.

Ellis, R. (1994). [1994 Melbourne Cup Winner Jeune] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

One of those wins was, of course, the Melbourne Cup. On Tuesday 1 November 1994, Jeune started in the Cup at 16-1 odds, which was mainly due to it being his first time racing more than 2400 metres. Given his age, the handicappers set him the third-highest weight for that race and he carried 56.5 kilos. The 5-1 favourite for the race was the previous year’s winner, the now 8-year-old Vintage Crop, who was laden with 60 kilos. Jeune’s win was convincing and well-deserved. He led by two lengths for the entire length of the straight, not tiring half-way like many do. Those attempting a late run, such as second placed Paris Lane, failed to close the distance.

His jockey was the 33-year-old Wayne Harris who had been pleased just to have a decent runner in the Melbourne Cup. Harris’ career had regularly been interrupted by health struggles including a brain tumour more than 10 years prior. Along with breaking nearly every bone in his body over the course of various racing falls, he’d also had his left index finger amputated. The Melbourne Cup was a just reward for all the trauma that Harris endured over his career.

Ellis, R. (1994). [Jeune and Jockey Wayne Harris during the 1994 Melbourne Cup] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Jeune was owned by Shadwell Racing which belongs to the Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. Al Maktoum had fallen in love with horse-racing while studying in the UK and established his first stable in 1981 and now has 8 studs in both Europe and the USA.

The chestnut stallion, Jeune, was retired from racing in 1996 with 10 wins, 10 second and 7 third placings from 42 starts. Initially, he served at his trainer’s stud, Lindsay Park, in South Australia. In 2004 he transferred to Collingrove Stud in Nagambie, Victoria where he stood as one of the top 10 stallions in Australia, at a fee of $12,100. It is seldom that a Melbourne Cup winning stallion is successful at stud, Jeune was a rare exception. In just 10 years at stud he sired over 200 winners. Some of his more notable progeny include Mummify, Alcopop, Lord’s Ransom, On A Jeune and True Steel.

One particular foal was Jeune’s Mark, so named because the gelding greatly resembled his father. Despite having Melbourne Cup winners on both sides of his family tree (his dam-sire was 1986 winner At Talaq), Jeune’s Mark had a relatively modest racing career with 7 wins from 27 starts, his most notable win was the 2003 Hobart Cup. He retired to a farm in Gippsland, Victoria where he later enjoyed a brief return to fame when he saved his owner from death during the Black Saturday fires of February, 2009.

On Wednesday, 4 January 2006, Jeune’s heart failed and he passed away at Collingrove Stud (now Swettenham Stud), aged 17. He was buried on the property and adorning a tree is a plaque in his honour.

*Photo kindly provided by Collingrove and Swettenham – thank you!*

Saintly

*Winner of the 1996 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Darren Beadman.*

Although he never would state a preference for any one horse over another, it is widely believed that Saintly was Bart Cummings’ favourite horse. Having bred and trained both of his parents and then bred, raised and trained Saintly to victory, Bart would’ve been forgiven if he’d admitted to Saintly being his favourite.

Saintly was born on the Cummings property, Princes Farm in New South Wales, on 21 September 1992. He was foaled by All Grace and sired by Sky Chase, both of whom were foaled in New Zealand.

He was nicknamed “the horse from heaven” partly due to his name but also because his regular jockey, Darren Beadman’ was a born-again Christian. Beadman rode Saintly in each of his Group 1 winning races.

Saintly had all the makings of a great champion and he proved it. From 4 starts as a two-year-old, all in NSW, he won one and placed third in another. He would never finish unplaced again. From 11 starts as a 3-year-old he produced 5 wins and 6 placings. His wins that season included the 1995 Class 1 Handicap at Newcastle, the 1995 3-year-old Class 6 Handicap at Randwick, the 1995 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington, the 1996 Expressway Stakes at Randwick and the 1996 Australian Cup at Flemington.

The 1996-1997 season would prove to be his best and against an abundance of talent, some of his opponents being Juggler, Filante, Nothin’ Leica Dane and the sensational Octagonal. The spring of 1996 saw Saintly finish second in the Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm, the Chelmsford Stakes and the Craven Plate at Randwick, a third place in the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick and a win in the Hill Stakes at Rosehill. He visited Melbourne for the Spring Racing Carnival, entering two races and winning both. In fact, throughout his career, he would always win when racing in Melbourne.

He became just the fourth horse after Nightmarch, Phar Lap and Rising Fast to win the WS Cox Plate/Melbourne Cup double. On his first outing at Moonee Valley, he set a track record time when he defeated Filante by half a neck in the Cox Plate, winning in two minutes and 5.75 seconds. When Lee Freedman, trainer of the 1995 Cup winner Doriemus and hoping to make 1996 Cup winner also, saw Saintly on the training track at Flemington prior to the Melbourne Cup, he was quoted as saying “it made me feel sick”. No doubt it was because he’d just seen the horse that would defeat all of his hard work. The 6-year-old Doriemus finished sixth that year, his competition was too strong.

*The entrance to Saintly Place, located beneath the general admission Hill Stand at Flemington. Formerly known as The Undercroft, the area was renamed in honour of both horse and trainer.*

The morning of the 1996 Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings and his wife Valmae checked in on their champ in his stable as they arrived at Flemington. When they found him asleep, Bart knew his horse would be winning that day and he was right. His relaxed stroll around the mounting yard before the big race assured the trainer further. Despite his win in the Cox Plate, the bookmakers had concerns that he’d never run further than 2600 metres, he started at 8-1 odds. Carrying 55.5 kilos Saintly, guided expertly by Darren Beadman, raced a classic Bart Cummings Melbourne Cup – hang back until the straight and then make your charge when the leading horses start to tire. In doing so, they finished 2 and a quarter-lengths in front of second-placed Count Chivas and in the time of 3 minutes and 18.8 seconds. This was Bart Cummings’ tenth Melbourne Cup win and Beadman’s second, his first was on Kingston Rule in 1990.

Saintly became the first horse to win the Australian Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same calendar year and joined Dulcify as the only horses to win the Australian Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year. Six days later, Saintly was on a flight to Tokyo, well actually three flights as no direct flights to Japan existed at that time. Sadly, he suffered a terrible bout of travel sickness and was withdrawn from the Japan Cup the night before the race.

He returned to Melbourne and the following February (1997) he won the CF Orr Stakes, it his first race at Caulfield… and his last.

He suffered a tendon injury not long after the Orr Stakes. He would make improvements and resume training only to break down again. This happened several times over the following 17 months until the decision was made to retire him completely. He’d won ten times, finished second on 8 occasions and third three times from 23 starts with only two races unplaced in his first year of racing. His wins the prior spring saw him, at seasons end in 1997, named Australia’s Champion Racehorse for the season 1996/97.

*Saintly on one of his visits to Living Legends, Victoria.*

On his retirement in July 1998, he returned to Bart’s property, Princes Farm in New South Wales, the place of his birth and spent much of the rest of his days there. He was a regular visitor to Living Legends when they first opened in 2006 but moved permanently to Princes Farm when Bart Cummings closed his Saintly Place stables on Leonard Crescent in Flemington in 2014.

Saintly lived to the age of 24, he passed on 16 December 2016. Fifteen months after losing him, ‘The horse from heaven’ joined his master over the rainbow bridge.

Might and Power

*Winner of the 1997 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Jack Denham. Ridden by Jim Cassidy.*

Might and Power was born at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand on 6 October 1993. He was foaled by Irish mare Benediction. His sire was the extremely successful New Zealand stallion Zabeel, whose list of progenies is a veritable who’s-who of racing champions. Might and Power became the first of Zabeel’s offspring to win the Melbourne Cup, he was followed by Jezabeel in 1998 and Efficient in 2007.

Might and Power was purchased for $40,000 by Sydney fruit-and-veg seller, Nick Moriatis. He was initially trained by Anthony Cummings but Moriatis sent the bay gelding to Jack Denham after only a few starts.

His first race was on 12 June 1996 at Canterbury racecourse in Sydney, he finished fourth of 10 over 1290 metres. His first win came in his third race, when he defeated 11 others over 1400 metres at Randwick on 24 July 1996. He raced 9 times in his three-year-old season, taking three wins and three second placings.

It is his four-year-old season that most folks remember and with good reason. With one win from 4 races thus far that season, Might and Power, ridden by fellow-Kiwi Jim Cassidy, entered the Caulfield Cup field at 8-1 odds. The favourite was the Lee Freedman trained gelding, Marble Halls, at 11-4 odds.

*Jim Cassidy enjoys a quiet visit with his former winning ride and Living Legend, Might and Power.*

Saturday, 18 October 1997 Might and Power re-wrote history. Having led the field for the entire race, Might and Power won the 1997 Caulfield Cup by a record seven and a half lengths. He set a track record time too, 2 minutes and 26.2 seconds. His trainer gave him a rest and chose not to enter him in the WS Cox Plate.

His next race would be his first time running further than 2400 metres and his Caulfield Cup win had awarded him an extra 3.5 kilos to carry. Despite that, he started his next race as 7-2 favourite. Once again, he led from start to finish, but this time he’d been challenged three times including the final few metres. The race was the 1997 Melbourne Cup. In the final 100 metres Doriemus made a late charge down the outside, determined not to lose to him a second time. As they crossed the line Doriemus’ jockey, Greg Hall, felt sure that they’d won while Jim Cassidy on Might and Power felt gutted to have been beaten at the last second. Both men were wrong, the photo of the finish showed Might and Power the victor by a short half head.

Might and Power became the 10th horse to win the Cups Double. He had led all the way to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and to this day is the only horse to have won both races in such a manner. His efforts saw him rated as the World’s Best Stayer in 1997. He was also named Australian Horse of the Year for his 1997/98 Season.

The following spring, he returned to Melbourne and while he did not race in either the Caulfield or Melbourne Cups, he did win the 1998 Cox Plate. He set another track record in that race too, the time of 2 minutes and 3.54 seconds was not beaten until Winx’s first Cox Plate win in 2015. Might and Power became only the second horse since Rising Fast in 1954 to win the Spring Grand Slam, albeit in different years. That same season, as a five-year-old, Might and Power also won the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick over 1600m, the 2000m Caulfield Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Handicap over 2500m at Flemington (the final win of his career). He was again named Australian Horse of the Year for the 1998/99 Season.

He injured a tendon in 1999 and did not race for two years. He returned in the spring of 2000 and raced twice but without success and was retired from racing late 2000, aged 7. Initially he retired to his owners’ stud but repeatedly suffered with colic. From 33 starts he had achieved 15 wins, 7 second places and 1 third.

Might and Power horsing around at Living Legends.

When Living Legends was first being discussed and planned, the organisers contacted Nick Moriatis to see if Might and Power might join them. As a result, Might and Power became one of the founding members of Living Legends along with Fields of Omagh, Doriemus and Better Loosen Up. His next 14 years would be spent there, taking carrots from his legions of admirers at Living Legends but also at myriad events around Melbourne. He had an active social life that was the envy of many, including myself!

He suffered a bout of colic earlier this year and surgery was unable to save him thus sadly he passed away 12 April 2020, aged 26. Once cremated, his ashes enjoyed one final visit to each of the Spring Grand Slam venues (Caulfield, Flemington and Moonee Valley) before his last trip home to Woodlands Park where he was laid to rest alongside other racing royalty such as Better Loosen Up, Regal Roller and his old rival/mate Doriemus.

Help Living Legends by contributing to Bob’s Rainbow HERE. — *Help Living Legends by contributing to Bob’s Rainbow* *HERE.*

Writing objectively about a horse who has meant so much to our tours, our guests and our staff might be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my career. How do you give full justice to his phenomenal racing career when your more prominent memories are filled with smiling faces finally meeting a hero? Rest in Peace champ xx

*Always a favourite at Living Legends be it for his prowess and talent as a racehorse or because he was always quick to join the tour to get his carrot snacks!*

THE NOTABLE EXCLUSIONS

Kingston Rule

In 1990, Kingston Rule, ridden by Darren Beadman and trained by Bart Cummings, set a new track record when he won the Melbourne Cup. He completed his race in 3 minutes and 16.3 seconds, beating the record of 3 minutes 17.1 seconds set by Tawriffic the year prior. Thirty years later, his record remains unbroken.

Kingston Rule had been unimpressive prior to joining Bart Cummings’ stables. The trainer transformed him from a delicate, skittish horse to a relaxed and confident champion. The chestnut stallion was born in Kentucky, USA in 1986 and retired from racing in 1991, aged 5 due to damaged tendons. He spent his retirement as a stud at Ealing Park near Euroa, Victoria and over two decades sired over 190 race winners. He died at Ealing Park on 7 December 2011, aged 25 and was buried on the property.

Subzero

The gelding Subzero didn’t break any records when winning the 1992 Melbourne Cup, the fifth for a grey horse. But after his retirement from racing in 1994, Subzero spent 15 years as a Clerk of Court horse at Flemington and other racecourses around Victoria. He was ridden by Clerk Graham Salisbury, who later purchased Subzero for $1. When they retired from their Clerking duties in 2008, the pair spent their days travelling around to visit communities, care homes and schools.

Subbie and Graham on a visit to Living Legends.

Adored by all who met either, both sadly passed away this year. At age 76, Graham Salisbury passed on 20 June 2020 after a 14-year battle with prostate cancer. His beloved friend Subbie attended his memorial at Bendigo Racecourse and then joined him barely two months later on 29 August 2020 and just one month shy of his 32nd birthday. Subzero was cremated and his ashes are beautifully enshrined within the Salisbury family home. May they both Rest in Peace, together forever.

Vintage Crop

Ellis, R. (1993). [1993 Melbourne Cup Presentation] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

In 1993, Vintage Crop became the first internationally bred and trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. The chestnut gelding was born in Ireland in 1987. He was trained in Ireland by Dermott Weld and together they competed in 3 Melbourne Cups, winning the first and then placing 7th and 3rd in the subsequent years. Incidentally, the second internationally trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup would be Media Puzzle in 2002 – who was also trained by Dermot Weld.

Over his career, Vintage Crop won 16 from 28 races and placed in a further six (3 second and 3 third). For his owners, he earned over one million pounds and for himself, his efforts awarded him the 1993 Cartier Award for Top Stayer. Although a gelding, he retired to the Irish National Stud in Kildare, Ireland after his 1995 Melbourne Cup run at age 9. He received many visitors over the subsequent years and died at the stud on 14 July 2014 aged 27. He was buried at K Club Golf Course in County Kildare, Ireland. He is also honoured with a life-size statue overlooking The Curragh Racecourse also in County Kildare, Ireland.