It may be the race that ‘stops the nation,’ but the solid gold Melbourne Cup trophy, with its intricate details and opulent materials, deserves its own share of attention.
Creating The Cup
- The 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup has been valued at over $600k.
- It takes over 250 hours annually to make the Cup.
- Crafting the Cup begins up to eight months in advance of the race.
- The 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup boasts an impressive 1.69kg of 18ct yellow gold, which is equivalent to more than 40 ounces of pure gold.
- The gold used in the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup was sourced from the Newcrest Mining Cadia mine near Orange NSW.
Crafted by W.J. Sanders since 2016, the making of the Melbourne Cup trophy is a significant undertaking, requiring a blend of traditional skills and Australian raw materials.
The 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup, valued at a hefty $600,000, is not quickly nor easily made. It demands more than 250 hours of skilled labour, beginning up to eight months before the race. This year’s trophy features 1.69kg of 18ct yellow gold, sourced entirely from Australian mines, specifically the Newcrest Mining Cadia mine in New South Wales.
Even the trophy’s base has a local touch, being fashioned from Western Australian jarrah timber.
The cup, which has been on a 150-day tour of Australia in the leadup to the race, must be handled with gloves until it is handed over to the winning owner.
So what happens on Tuesday if a syndicate of owners wins the top prize? Well, smaller replicas can be purchased and handmade to order by W.J. Sanders, ABC Bullion’s sister company.
What to know about the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup
When is it on?
This year’s event is slated for the 7th, the latest possible date. The race is set to begin at 3pm AEDT.
Local times for the start of the race are as follows: 3pm in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Hobart, 1:30pm in Darwin, 2pm in Brisbane, and 2:30pm in Adelaide.
How do I watch it?
Tune in to Channel 10 for live coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the main race. Alternatively, you can live stream the event on Racing.com or Kayo.
Prize Money
The prize pool holds steady at an impressive $8 million, mirroring last year’s purse. Prizes are allocated from the first to the twelfth finisher, starting with $4.4 million for the winner and tapering to $160,000 for the sixth through twelfth places.
Who is in the field?
| Number | Horse | Barrier | Trainer | Jockey | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOLD TRIP | 2 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | James McDonald | 58.5kg |
| 2 | ALENQUER | 9 | Michael Moroney | Damien Oliver | 56.5kg |
| 3 | WITHOUT A FIGHT | 16 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Mark Zahra | 56.5kg |
| 4 | BREAKUP | 18 | Tatsuya Yoshioka | Kohei Matsuyama | 55kg |
| 5 | VAUBAN | 3 | Willie Mullins | Ryan Moore | 55kg |
| 6 | SOULCOMBE | 4 | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 53.5kg |
| 7 | ABSURDE | 8 | Willie Mullins | Zac Purton | 53kg |
| 8 | RIGHT YOU ARE | 15 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | John Allen | 53kg |
| 9 | VOW AND DECLARE | 19 | Danny O‘Brien | Billy Egan | 53kg |
| 10 | CLEVELAND | 23 | Kris Lees | Michael Dee | 52kg |
| 11 | ASHRUN | 11 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Kerrin McEvoy | 51.5kg |
| 12 | DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR | 12 | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 51.5kg |
| 13 | OKITA SOUSHI | 20 | Joseph O‘Brien | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 51.5kg |
| 14 | SHERAZ | 22 | Chris Waller | Beau Mertens | 51.5kg |
| 15 | LASTOTCHKA | 21 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Craig Williams | 51kg |
| 16 | MAGICAL LAGOON | 7 | Chris Waller | Mark du Plessis | 51kg |
| 17 | MILITARY MISSION | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Rachel King | 51kg |
| 18 | SERPENTINE | 1 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jye McNeil | 51kg |
| 19 | VIRTUOUS CIRCLE | 6 | Liam Howley | Craig Newitt | 51kg |
| 20 | MORE FELONS | 24 | Chris Waller | Jamie Kah | 50.5kg |
| 21 | FUTURE HISTORY | 13 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Hollie Doyle | 50kg |
| 22 | INTERPRETATION | 17 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Teo Nugent | 50kg |
| 23 | KALAPOUR | 14 | Kris Lees | Zac Lloyd (a) | 50kg |
| 24 | TRUE MARVEL | 10 | Matthew Smith | Ben Thompson | 50kg |
