|
The Melbourne Cup is the world's richest and most prestigious greyhound race. Run over 515m at Sandown Park in Melbourne, Australia, the Cup was first run in 1956 and was worth £500 to the winner. In 2012, the race will carry a winner's cheque of $350,000, with the final carrying a total of $500,000. The race is the final event of the three-week Superdogs series which carries over $1 million in total prize money. == History == Some of Australian greyhound racing's most memorable moments and most significant events have occurred in the Melbourne Cup. A short history of the event: * 1956 - First Melbourne Cup staged at Sandown Park on the grass track over 565 yards under handicap conditions worth £500 * 1962 - Race worth £2000; race won by Saskagay, the first bitch to win the race * 1964 - A sand track is installed, resulting in the race distance being reduced to 555 yards * 1966 - First Melbourne Cup not conducted under handicap conditions; Cheltenham Lass wins the event after finishing second in 1965 * 1967 - Neville Ballinger trains the Cup quinella with Swan Opal and Dollar Hunter * 1970 - Chris’ Dandy wins the Melbourne Cup for trainer Alex Kay, the fourth consecutive winner from New South Wales * 1972 - Gold grotto wins against a field often considered one of the best ever assembled to line up in a Melbourne Cup starting at the shortest price favourite ever. * 1973 - Race reduced to 513 metres * 1974 - New Zealand-bred Kwik Metal upstages locals by claiming the 1974 Melbourne Cup after being bought for $30 as a pup * 1975 - Prize money increases to $11,500 to the winner; Dynamic Dean is later crowned the 1975 Greyhound of the Year, the first Melbourne Cup winner to receive the honour * 1978 - Prize money increased to $35,000 to the winner; Hollywood star Robert Stack presents trophy * 1979 - Hollywood starlet Elke Sommer presents trophy * 1980 - Sandown gives away a silver Mercedes to celebrate 25th running of the event; Greg Norman presents the Cup * 1986 - Race distance reduced to 511 metres following Sandown Park track reconstruction * 1990 - Prize money increased to $40,000 to the winner * 1991 - Prize money increased to $50,000 to the winner * 1992 - Schweppes begins Cup sponsorship; Master Giant wins the Cup, becoming the fourth consecutive winner to take out the Shepparton Cup-Melbourne Cup double * 1995 - Prize money increased to $80,000 to the winner; race distance increased to 515m following construction of new Sandown circuit * 1996 - Prize money increased to $100,000 to the winner * 1998 - Rapid Journey adds the Melbourne Cup to his Adelaide Cup, Perth Cup, Golden Easter Egg, National Sprint Championship and Topgun wins * 1999 - Graeme Bate trains the trifecta, winning his third Melbourne Cup with Kantarn Bale * 2002 - Prize money increased to $140,000 to the winner * 2004 - Prize money increased to $150,000 to the winner * 2005 - Closing Argument wins the 50th running of the Cup; Bonshaw Boy completes the quinella for trainer Cameron Taylor * 2006 - Betty’s Angel completes the Group 1 ADVANCE Sapphire Crown – Schweppes Melbourne Cup double, setting a new race record of 29.51 in the process * 2008 - Prize money increased to $175,000 to the winner; Surgeon controversially gives trainer Darren McDonald a third Solo Melbourne Cup winner in five years * 2009 - Lord Ducal, the least experienced runner in the final, registers 29.53 to give owner, trainer and breeder Jon and Jenny Roberts their biggest thrill in greyhound racing * 2010 - El Grand Senor scores his third Group 1 feature of 2010 with a dominant performance for owner/breeder Carolyne Jones; El Grand Senor would go on to claim Sandown Greyhound of the Year, Victorian Greyhound of the Year, and Australian Greyhound of the Year honours * 2011 - Dyna Tron secures Andrea Dailly her first Solo Melbourne Cup victory in a race record 29.21 seconds; Dyna Tron was one of four finalists prepared by the Dailly kennel, with Graeme Bate also preparing three finalists to give leviathan owner/breeder Paul Wheeler seven finalists in the race. * 2011 - Prize money increased to $350,000 to the winner making the 2012 Melbourne Cup the richest greyhound race ever run 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Melbourne Cup (greyhounds)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|