The race that stops the nation® has an honour roll of outstanding stayers, and each name tells a story.
Even in the past ten years alone, we still have Michelle Payne and Prince Of Penzance pulling off the unthinkable.
We remember Vow And Declare and Craig Williams bursting along the rails and Twilight Payment going all the way in a “Cup we’ll never forget”.
McDonald, high in the irons aboard darling mare Verry Elleegant, and Without A Fight completing the Cups double.
All great Melbourne Cups from a viewing perspective, but not all of the same quality once the dust settles. Using Racing & Sports ratings, we can quantify what it takes to win a Melbourne Cup, and who in this year’s field is rated up to that standard.
Rating
|
Horse
|
Year
|
128
|
PROTECTIONIST
|
2014
|
127
|
VERRY ELLEEGANT
|
2021
|
125
|
CROSS COUNTER
|
2018
|
124
|
WITHOUT A FIGHT
|
2023
|
123
|
REKINDLING
|
2017
|
121
|
GOLD TRIP
|
2022
|
121
|
TWILIGHT PAYMENT
|
2020
|
120
|
ALMANDIN
|
2016
|
119
|
PRINCE OF PENZANCE
|
2015
|
117
|
VOW AND DECLARE
|
2019
|
Protectionist was dominant over a strong field in 2014 and holds the call as the highest rated winner of the Melbourne Cup in the past ten years, just edging out Verryy Elleegant who was outstanding with her weight in 2021.
While no horses in this year’s field are up around that level yet, we often see horse’s run a new peak with the best stayer rising to the occasion and producing something they hadn’t done prior.