The $500,000 Ballarat Cup is a Listed staying event held towards the end of November or early December at Ballarat Racecourse.
2023 Ballarat Cup Results
- 1st: #10 Captain Envious
- 2nd: #1 Young Werther
- 3rd: #2 Just Folk
Ballarat Cup News
The 2023 Ballarat Cup is a 2000m event held at Ballarat Racecourse in late November or early December each year at the very tail end of the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival.
A Listed event, the Ballarat Cup is worth a generous $500,000 in total prize money making it one of the richest provincial Victorian cups. It is held under open handicap conditions, and tends to attract some pretty solid talent each year.
Some lead-up races worth watching include other cup events such as the Kyneton Cup or the Bendigo Cup. The 2017 Ballarat Cup winner Grand Dreamer improved on a lead-up third in the Kyneton Cup for his win.
The Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) run at Sandown’s Ladbrokes Park the Saturday before also serves as a good Ballarat Cup lead-up. Kiwia (5th in 2018) was the last Ballarat Cup winner to come out of the Eclipse Stakes. Kiwia returned in 2019 to enjoy back-to-back Ballarat Cup wins.
Many country runners, and even some metro types, often contest several country cups as part of their campaign. Other staying events during the Melbourne Cup Carnival are also often contested by horses on their way to the Ballarat Cup.
The Ballarat Cup represents the end of the spring racing carnival in Victoria, as it’s the last black-type meet and the last feature day.
Plenty of quality gallopers contest the Ballarat Cup, the form of which has stacked-up in tougher races including the 2013 winner The Offer backing-up the following autumn to win the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
The 2022 Ballarat Cup form was franked with the second placed mare Atishu going on to run third next-up in the $2 million The Ingham (1600m) in Sydney. She also returned in 2023 and won the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m).
The 2023 Ballarat Cup ran in the wet on Saturday December 9, 2023 and was won in a barnstorming finish by the Paul Preusker-trained favourite Captain Envious ($3.70F).
| Ballarat Cup 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday December 9, 2023 |
| Racecourse: | Ballarat Racecourse |
| Distance: | 2000m |
| Race Type: | Handicap |
| Status: | Listed |
| Prize Money: | $500,000 |
2023 Ballarat Cup Results
- 1st: #10 Captain Envious ($3.70F)
- 2nd: #1 Young Werther
- 3rd: #2 Just Folk
Paul Preusker’s in-form favourite Captain Envious ($3.70F) stormed home right down the centre of the course over the final furlong to storm over the top of his rivals and salute in the 2023 Ballarat Cup results by a big 2.5 length winning margin for the punters.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | CAPTAIN ENVIOUS (NZ) | Paul Preusker | Michael Dee | 2 | 54kg | $3.70F | |||
| 2 | 1 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Billy Egan | 2.5L | 3 | 60kg | $6.50 | ||
| 3 | 2 | JUST FOLK | Gavin Bedggood | John Allen | 3.25L | 1 | 59kg | $5 | ||
| 4 | 12 | EN FRANCAIS | Jake Stephens | Lachlan Neindorf | 7L | 5 | 54kg | $20 | ||
| 5 | 5 | SWORDS DRAWN | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 8.75L | 6 | 55kg | $14 | ||
| 6 | 11 | RED SUN SENSATION | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Ms Jamie Kah | 12.25L | 7 | 54kg | $6.50 | ||
| 7 | 3 | REGAL POWER | John Leek (Jnr) | Jamie Mott | 12.45L | 8 | 56kg | $26 | ||
| 8 | 8 | FOXY CLEOPATRA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Williams | 18.45L | 9 | 54kg | $4.60 | ||
| 9 | 6 | MIDNIGHT BLUE | Mark Walker | Harry Coffey | 20.7L | 4 | 54kg | $41 | ||
| 13 | FOUJITA SAN | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jordan Childs | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | AIN’TNODEELDUN | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Declan Bates | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | SKELM | Terry Kelly | Dean Yendall | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | WICKLOW (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2023 Ballarat Cup Betting Odds
The season’s top Ballarat Cup 2023 odds and end-of-spring betting market links to Ladbrokes.com.au on the Listed Victorian Cups race will be provided below the week of the race.
Captain Envious ($3.70 in 2023) was the last favourite in Ballarat Cup betting to win.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 BALLARAT CUP ODDS (Final Field)
2023 Ballarat Cup Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 BALLARAT CUP FORM GUIDE
2023 Ballarat Cup Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Ballarat Cup 2023 Tips on the half-a-million-dollar showdown this spring.
- To Win: #4 Ain’tnodeeldun ($5 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Open race with a number of genuine winning hopes but happy to stick with the airborne Aint’nodeeldun to keep the winning streak going. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained six-year-old chases a fourth win on the trot and has a stellar record at the Ballarat Cup distance. Last start he carried a kilo more to a narrow Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) win at The Valley in late October. Given a freshen-up since and looks a big chance to salute again here.
2023 Ballarat Cup Field
The Ballarat Cup field usually attracts quite a few metro runners from Melbourne, which is only around 100km away. Sometimes the odd handy runner from Sydney will head down to run in the Ballarat Cup field chasing the lucrative end-of-spring prize money on offer.
Following a run in the Ballarat Cup field, the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) in early December makes a nice next-up target and the last to do the double was Pilote D’Essai (2016).
The 2023 Ballarat Cup field and barriers are set for release on the Wednesday before the race and will be published in full below.
The Ballarat Cup 2023 final field features a quality line-up of gallopers including Group 3 JRA Cup winner Aint’nodeeldun chasing a fourth win on the trot, the Danny O’Brien-trained top-weight Young Werther, and Craig Williams’ mount Foxy Cleopatra coming off a narrow second in the Cranbourne Cup.
Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2023 Ballarat Cup field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46×4031163 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Billy Egan | 4 | 60kg | 106 | ||
| 2 | 44496×2431 | JUST FOLK | Gavin Bedggood | John Allen | 1 | 59kg | 104 | ||
| 3 | 70×0502964 | REGAL POWER | John Leek (Jnr) | Jamie Mott | 10 | 56kg | 98 | ||
| 4 | 02419×0111 | AIN’TNODEELDUN | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Declan Bates | 11 | 55.5kg | 97 | ||
| 5 | 2213836×04 | SWORDS DRAWN | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 7 | 55kg | 96 | ||
| 6 | 2847x449x5 | MIDNIGHT BLUE | Mark Walker | Harry Coffey | 5 | 54kg | 94 | ||
| 7 | 368512818x | SKELM | Terry Kelly | Dean Yendall | 3 | 54kg | 94 | ||
| 8 | 3127×22 | FOXY CLEOPATRA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Williams | 12 | 54kg | 92 | ||
| 9 | x45137x308 | WICKLOW (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 13 | 54kg | 92 | ||
| 10 | 0762×21323 | CAPTAIN ENVIOUS (NZ) | Paul Preusker | Michael Dee | 2 | 54kg | 89 | ||
| 11 | 3616×83222 | RED SUN SENSATION | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Ms Jamie Kah | 8 | 54kg | 86 | ||
| 12 | 1127×32722 | EN FRANCAIS | Jake Stephens | Lachlan Neindorf | 6 | 54kg | 83 | ||
| 13 | 70×5431601 | FOUJITA SAN | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jordan Childs | 9 | 54kg | 83 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2023 Ballarat Cup Nominations
Early Ballarat Cup nominations for 2023 close the Monday of race week and will be updated below once announced.
The 2023 Ballarat Cup nominations attracted 27 gallopers including dual nominee Detonator Jack who is also entered for Sydney’s $2 million The Ingham, last start Group 3 Eclipse Stakes winner Just Folk, and the Patrick Payne-trained Group 1 SA Derby champ Dunkel.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | True Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 123×437231 | DETONATOR JACK (NZ) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 1 | 60kg | 60kg | 106 | |
| 2 | 46×4031163 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | G | 6 | Danny O’Brien | 2 | 60kg | 60kg | 106 | |
| 3 | 44496×2431 | JUST FOLK | G | 7 | Gavin Bedggood | 3 | 59kg | 59kg | 104 | |
| 4 | 12111191×2 | DUNKEL (NZ) | G | 4 | Patrick Payne | 4 | 58kg | 58kg | 102 | |
| 5 | 70×0502964 | REGAL POWER | G | 8 | John Leek (Jnr) | 5 | 56kg | 56kg | 98 | |
| 6 | 02419×0111 | AIN’TNODEELDUN | G | 6 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 6 | 55.5kg | 55.5kg | 97 | |
| 7 | 06x00427x2 | WARNING | G | 7 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 7 | 55kg | 55kg | 96 | |
| 8 | 2213836×04 | SWORDS DRAWN | G | 8 | Michael Moroney | 8 | 55kg | 55kg | 96 | |
| 9 | 2847x449x5 | MIDNIGHT BLUE | G | 7 | Mark Walker | 9 | 54kg | 54kg | 94 | |
| 10 | 368512818x | SKELM | G | 9 | Terry Kelly | 10 | 54kg | 54kg | 94 | |
| 11 | 3127×22 | FOXY CLEOPATRA | M | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 11 | 54kg | 51kg | 92 | |
| 12 | x45137x308 | WICKLOW (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 12 | 54kg | 53kg | 92 | |
| 13 | 0762×21323 | CAPTAIN ENVIOUS (NZ) | G | 5 | Paul Preusker | 13 | 54kg | 51.5kg | 89 | |
| 14 | 3616×83222 | RED SUN SENSATION | G | 4 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 14 | 54kg | 50kg | 86 | |
| 15 | 07x73309x6 | HERMAN HESSE (GB) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 15 | 54kg | 50kg | 86 | |
| 16 | 70×5431601 | FOUJITA SAN | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 16 | 54kg | 48.5kg | 83 | |
| 17 | 22x219x250 | CONVENER (FR) | H | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 17 | 54kg | 48.5kg | 83 | |
| 18 | 1127×32722 | EN FRANCAIS | M | 6 | Jake Stephens | 18 | 54kg | 46.5kg | 83 | |
| 19 | 51330×7817 | HARMYSIAN (GB) | G | 7 | Clayton Douglas | 19 | 54kg | 48.5kg | 83 | |
| 20 | x0091x8560 | VARDANI (FR) | G | 7 | Archie Alexander | 20 | 54kg | 48.5kg | 83 | |
| 21 | 2770×01395 | WYCLIF (GB) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 21 | 54kg | 47.5kg | 81 | |
| 22 | x5141x22x5 | EXCELLERATION | G | 7 | Richard Cully | 22 | 54kg | 47kg | 80 | |
| 23 | 4214117D7x | IRISH BUTTERFLY (NZ) | G | 8 | Henry Dwyer | 23 | 54kg | 47kg | 80 | |
| 24 | 1x7165x401 | GLITTER ’N’ GOLD | M | 5 | Lindsey Smith | 24 | 54kg | 42kg | 74 | |
| 25 | x2731x9591 | SEA SPEEDWELL (GB) | M | 6 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 25 | 54kg | 42kg | 74 | |
| 26 | 1522611582 | ZIGGI ROCKS | G | 7 | Melody Cunningham | 26 | 54kg | 41.5kg | 69 | |
| 27 | 64531×5494 | KIPYEGON | M | 4 | Wendy Kelly | 27 | 54kg | 37.5kg | 65 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Ballarat Cup History
The Ballarat Turf Club was established in 1854, making it one of the oldest racing organisations in Victoria. For some time now, Ballarat Cup Day has been the biggest meet of the year at Dowling Forest Racecourse, often drawing almost 20,000 people.
Not too long ago, the Ballarat Cup occupied a Wednesday slot as a mid-week event. However, it was moved to Sunday in 2011 in order to allow greater attendance and accommodate more metro runners. As of 2014, the Ballarat Cup has been run on a Saturday. It is the only black-type meet in Victoria and NSW on that day, so attracts considerable punting attention. The Group 1 Railway Stakes and Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes are held over at Ascot in Perth on the same day.
Notable recent Ballarat Cup winners include My Bentley (2010), The Offer (2013), and Junoob (2015).
Ballarat Cup results, place getters and winning times since 2000 are provided below.
Ballarat Cup Winners
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Captain Envious | 2 minutes 5.36 seconds |
| 2nd | Young Werther | ||
| 3rd | Just Folk | ||
| 2022 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Bankers Choice | 2 minutes 8.28 seconds |
| 2nd | Atishu | ||
| 3rd | Sirileo Miss | ||
| 2021 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Zayydani | 2 minutes 5.19 seconds |
| 2nd | Yonkers | ||
| 3rd | Vanna Girl | ||
| 2020 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Irish Flame | 2 minutes 2.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Affair To Remember | ||
| 3rd | Game Keeper | ||
| 2019 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Kiwia | 2 minutes 3.74 seconds (over 2000m) |
| 2nd | Double You Tee | ||
| 3rd | Another Dollar | ||
| 2018 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Kiwia | 2 minutes 20.59 seconds |
| 2nd | Pilote D’essai | ||
| 3rd | Life Less Ordinary | ||
| 2017 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Grand Dreamer | 2 minutes 25.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Oncidium Ruler | ||
| 3rd | Grey Lion | ||
| 2016 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Pilote D’Essai | 2 minutes 14.14 seconds |
| 2nd | Scherzoso | ||
| 3rd | Manageress | ||
| 2015 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Junoob | 2 minutes 18.45 seconds |
| 2nd | Wales | ||
| 3rd | Sonntag | ||
| 2014 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Mujadale | 2 minutes 17.8 seconds |
| 2nd | At First Sight | ||
| 3rd | Fat Al | ||
| 2013 Ballarat Cup |
1st | The Offer | 2 minutes 25.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Pelicano | ||
| 3rd | Hurdy Gurdy Man | ||
| 2012 Ballarat Cup |
1st | King Diamond | 2 minutes 18.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Pelicano | ||
| 3rd | Exceptionally | ||
| 2011 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Domesky | 2 minutes 19.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Rothera | ||
| 3rd | Sean Baile Mor | ||
| 2010 Ballarat Cup |
1st | My Bentley | 2 minutes 17.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Kidnapped | ||
| 3rd | Allanthus | ||
| 2009 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Itstheone | 2 minutes 14.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Gallions Reach | ||
| 3rd | Davcon | ||
| 2008 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Daka’s Gem | 2 minutes 21.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Sentire | ||
| 3rd | Banana Man | ||
| 2007 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Sentire | 2 minutes 23.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Bowl Along | ||
| 3rd | Red Riviera | ||
| 2006 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Rubijon | 2 minutes 17.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Upstaged | ||
| 3rd | Lancettier | ||
| 2005 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Command N Conquer | 2 minutes 17.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Maneroo Lue | ||
| 3rd | Steelworker | ||
| 2004 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Just The Part | 2 minutes 15.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Irish Crusader | ||
| 3rd | Demerger | ||
| 2003 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Western Waters | 2 minutes 16.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Delvecchio | ||
| 3rd | Dance On Wood | ||
| 2002 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Varsilayos | 2 minutes 15.0 seconds |
| 2nd | As You Would | ||
| 3rd | Sale Of Century | ||
| 2001 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Aquiver | 2 minutes 14.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Varsilayos | ||
| 3rd | Adolescence | ||
| 2000 Ballarat Cup |
1st | Royal Caliph | 2 minutes 18.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Luther | ||
| 3rd | Laebeel | ||
