14 Just two years younger than the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Cup has long stood as a race steeped in tradition, drama, and greatness, and has evolved into an autumn weight-for-age classic. In 1863, the first Australian Cup was conducted over a gruelling twoand-a-quarter miles (approx. 3600 metres). The race was won by Barwon, winner of the previous year’s VRC Derby and also a winner of the time-honoured VRC St Leger. A century later, in 1963, the race briefly dropped to one-and-threequarter miles (2800 metres), where Welkin Prince became just the second dual Australian Cup winner, matching Woodman’s back-to-back victories in 1865 and 1866. From 1964 onward, the race settled at 2000 metres, the distance at which it remains today. By Ryan Kellam THE CUP THE EVOLUTION OF A FLEMINGTON FEATURE AUSTRALIAN
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