2025 Sydney Cup: Race History

Will it be the Chairmans’ again as the lead up to the Sydney Cup run at Randwick on Saturday?

2025 SYDNEY CUP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Sydney Cup is a Group 1 race for Open Class horses conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Randwick. It is one of the few two mile races left in the country run at the top level.

The Sydney Cup was first run in 1866 and was won by Yattendon.

The Sydney Cup is run over two miles under Handicap conditions. They ran it at Rosehill once in 1942.

Not many mares win although Etah James did in 2020. The previous mare winner was Jessicabeel (2010) and before that it was Makybe Diva (2004).

An amazing 30 x 3yos have won the Sydney Cup. However the previous 3yo winner was Tie The Knot (1998).

Old time trainer Dan Lewis (5) held the record until Chris Waller joined him in 2021.

There are multiple leading winners of the Sydney Cup for jockeys. They are Jim Cassidy (3), Peter Cook (3), Tom Hales (3), George Moore (3), Noel McGrowdie (3), Darby Munro (3), Neville Sellwood (3) and Albert Wood (3).

The Chairman's Quality has been the best lead in race. 15 of the last 30 come through the Randwick event. The Tancred (BMW) Stks is really the only other one of note.

Chairman's Quality/Sydney Cup double (9) – Marooned (1986), Major Drive (1987), King Aussie (1990), Linesman (1997), Henderson Bay (2002), No Wine No Song (2008), Jessicabeel (2010), The Offer (2014), Circle Of Fire (2024).

Melbourne Cup-Sydney Cup double same season – Lord Cardigan (1903-04), Straight Draw (1957-58), Galilee (1966-67), Makybe Diva (2003-04).

County Tyrone contested an amazing six Sydney Cups with finishes of 2nd, 4th, 2nd, 1st, 8th & 4th along with competing in multiple Melbourne and Brisbane Cups.

Who Shot Thebarman finally won the race in 2018. He officially contested five but via that voided 2017 race he actually ran in six. His results were 9th (2014), 2nd (2015), 4th (2016), 2nd (2017), 1st (2018).

The Barb carried 67kg to win in 1869.

Weights: Recent winners to carry above 56kg: Tie The Knot (57kg – 1999), Mourayan (58kg – 2013).

The 2025 Sydney Cup was worth $2,000,000.

There was great drama in the 2017 edition when Almoonqith broke down out of the straight the first time and was prone on the track. Stewards ruled because he couldn't be moved that the race was abandoned with the field about 1000m out.

However some kept running and Polarisation was first past the post. It was decided to re-run the race a fortnight later. Amazingly Polarisation won the race again for Godolphin.

Following Tyler Schiller's G1 win as an apprentice three weeks before, Dylan Gibbons won the 2023 Cup on Explosive Jack – his first ever ride in a two mile race.

Multiple winners of the Sydney Cup are The Barb (1868, 1869), Carbine (1889, 1890), Mosaic (1939, 1940), Veiled Threat (1942, 1944) and Tie The Knot (1998, 1999).

In a quirky twist the 2021 win of Selino would see Chris Waller win his 124th G1 race while the jockey Ron Stewart won his 1st internationally recognised G1.

Andrea Atzeni was flown out to ride Circle Of Fire in 2024, in part to make the weight, but also as a dedication to his mate Stefano Cherchi who passed away the week before from a race fall in Canberra.

Other notables include Wakeful (1902), Rogilla (1933), Carbon Copy (1949), Carioca (1953), Straight Draw (1958), Galilee (1967), Battle Heights (1974), Kingston Town (1980), Makybe Diva (2004), Who Shot Thebarman (2018), Explosive Jack (2023) and Circle Of Fire (2024).

The 2024 Sydney Cup was won by Circle Of Fire from Athabascan and Kalapour.