1878 Melbourne Cup

Annual horse race in Melbourne, Victoria April 2022 November 2021 1878 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Flemington Racecourse 5 November 1878 2 miles Calamia 3:35.75 10/1 Thomas Brown Etienne de Mestre Etienne de Mestre Turf ≈80,000 1877 1879 The 1878 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 5 November 1878. This year was the eighteenth running of the Melbourne Cup. Won by five-year-old Calamia, it was the fifth time a horse trained by Etienne de Mestre had won the Melbourne Cup.6 November 1878 The Cup Day 5 The Argus (Melbourne) 10,106 Victoria, Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5920003 National Library of Australia 5 November 2021 1877 cup winner Chester fell and collided with a post during the race. Chester's veteran jockey Joe Morrison was seriously injured in the fall, suffering a badly broken leg, an injury from which he never really recovered.WINNERS AND PLACED HORSES IN MELBOURNE CUP. 1861-1913 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155526601 12 January 2026 Winner 28 October 1914 Melbourne, Victoria 4Ibbett Ian 1877 - The Defeat of Chester! https://www.kingsoftheturf.com/1877-the-defeat-of-chester/ Kings of the Turf 12 January 2026 21 December 2017 Entries and odds Highly fancied runner First King had suffered an injury prior to the race and had to be withdrawn by James Wilson ahead of the day of the race, while previous year's winner Chester had shown good form again in the lead-up, winning the Melbourne Stakes on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, easily beating both Cap-a-pie and Device. Savanaka, who had come second the previous year was not well-backed by its stable a year later, eventually being withdrawn from the race on the day. Columbus had been heavily backed following the Victoria Derby which was won by Wellington. But the most backed runner was Wilson's Melita, taking favouritism ahead of Wellington and Firebell. Many believed that Chester would be able to repeat its win from the year before. The race Cup Day dawned under grey skies, but brightened as the morning progressed, and by the time the race was run the weather had turned to pleasant sunshine, albeit with a cool wind. Following a number of withdrawals, 30 runners were sent to the start. Rapidity jumped clear after the flag fell, leading the field for more than the first mile of the race, Tom Kirk the only runner to match the speed of the leader. When Chester fell rounding a post, its jockey Joe Morrison was badly injured. The fall caused Glengarry to bolt inside the course. Wellington and Fireball looked in good position as the field tried to catch Rapidity, but it was Calamia that lead from beyond the final turn to ease home win by more than two lengths. Tom Kirk and Waxy finished in the minor placings, while the favourite Melita was never really in the race, having been run wide around much of the course. For jockey Thomas Brown it was his first win in the Melbourne Cup. He would return as a trainer to win the race in 1880 with Grand Flaneur. The fifth win in the race for Etienne de Mestre confirmed his standing as Australia's first outstanding racehorse trainer, and his stables at Terrara near Nowra to be the finest in the country.Walsh G.P. Etienne Livingstone de Mestre (1832–1916) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/de-mestre-etienne-livingstone-3391 Australian Dictionary of Biography 15 January 2026Rolfe Costa Winners of the Melbourne Cup 2008 Red Dog Fitzroy, Australia 9781742035093 44–45 In typical style, de Mestre had backed his other runner Firebell to win the race, despite expressing confidence in Calamia. As a three-year-old, Calamia had previously won the Randwick Plate over three miles, as well as the Canterbury Plate. In other races, Calamia finished second in the VRC Champion Stakes and the Australian Cup. It was unplaced in a number of races earlier in 1878, having not raced since the autumn race meetings in Sydney.The Melbourne Cup https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42987007 15 January 2026 South Australian Register 1 October 1878 Adelaide, South Australia 6 Attendances at the racecourse were estimated to be at a similar level to the previous years,Melbourne Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60622463/5739704 15 January 2026 Australasian Sketcher 23 November 1878 Melbourne, Victoria 138-139 with thousands of visitors from the other colonies making their way to Melbourne. Reporters questioned whether the VRC would need to extend the grandstands before the next running of the Melbourne Cup as "for every additional mile of railway that is constructed to connect the country districts with Melbourne an increase in the number of visitors at carnival times may be expected." Full results This is the list of placegetters for the 1878 Melbourne Cup.1871 to 1880 Melbourne Cup Winners http://www.races.com.au/melbourne-cup/melbourne-cup-history/past-winners/1871-to-1880-melbourne-cup/#1878 races com au 4 November 2021Cavanough Maurice The Melbourne Cup 1978 0727004859 445 81878 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1878-melbourne-cup/ millersguide.identika.com.au 12 January 2026 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220314100348/http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1878-melbourne-cup/ 14 March 2022Melbourne Cup Winners - 1861-1880 https://www.vrc.com.au/racing/melbourne-cup-winners-honour-roll/1861-1880/ Victoria Racing Club 5 November 2025The Cup Race https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5919887/250372 13 January 2026 The Argus 5 November 1878 Melbourne, Victoria 6The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5920003/250390 15 January 2026 The Argus 6 November 1878 Melbourne, Victoria 5-6THE VRC Spring Meeting - Second (The Cup) Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/199353960/18365041 15 January 2026 The Age 6 November 1878 Melbourne, Victoria 3Second (Cup) Day - Tuesday, Nov. 5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143002356/15087847 15 January 2026 The Australasian 9 November 1878 Melbourne, Victoria 10-11 PlaceHorseAgeGenderJockeyWeightTrainerOwnerOddsMargin1Calamia5y hThomas Brown 8 st 2 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreEtienne de Mestre10/1 2½ lengths2Tom Kirk7y hWilliam Murphy 7 st 8 lb kg 1 on Ike Carslake Mr C. JamesTomKirk Alias of Friedrich Wilhelm Prell, a Melbourne businessman.Death of Mr F.W. Prell https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11671199 14 January 2026 The Argus 29 April 1912 Melbourne, Victoria 1333/1 1¼ lengths3Waxy6y hBraithwaite 6 st 11 lb kg 1 on Ike Carslake James Liddell Purves16/1 4Swiveller4y hWilliam Yeomans 7 st 13 lb kg 1 on Walter Hickenbotham Charles Madden Lloyd25/1 5Wellington3y cJ. King 5 st 13 lb kg 1 onWellington Was supposed to carry 5st 11lb Edward Alfred Johnson-Boe8/1 6Strathearn4y hC. Gordon 7 st 12 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait33/1 7Newminster5y hBrickwood Colley 8 st 8 lb kg 1 on Andrew Chirnside25/1 8Glenormiston4y hGeorge Williams 7 st 12 lb kg 1 on William Filgate William Filgate25/1 9K.C.B.3y cEmsworth 5 st 10 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait50/1 10Warlock3y cR. Walker 6 st 7 lb kg 1 on Mr J. Paterson33/1 11Lockleys4y hJohn KilduffKilduff Also known as Jack Kilduff 8 st 5 lb kg 1 on Tom Jordan Tom Jordan33/1 12Riverton3y cC. Hutchins 5 st 12 lb kg 1 on John Whittingham50/1 Cap-a-pie4y hW. Huxley 8 st 8 lb kg 1 on Mr G. Hill20/1 Macaroni6y gPaddy Pigott 8 st 6 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory20/1 Rapidity4y hWeston 7 st 5 lb kg 1 on Mr W. Brown33/1 Burwood8y gSamuel Davis 7 st 4 lb kg 1 on Mr S. Bradbury50/1 Columbus6y hT. Aspinall 7 st 3 lb kg 1 on Edward Alfred Johnson-Boe16/1 Devilshoof4y hPearson 7 st 2 lb kg 1 on Joe Thompson100/1 The King6y hWilliam Samuel Cox Jr 6 st 10 lb kg 1 on William Samuel Cox50/1 Darriwell4y hSam Cracknell 8 st 8 lb kg 1 on William Algernon GuesdonRawlinson A Tasmanian businessman, Guesdon used the alias "W. Rawlinson" for his racehorse ownership.Darriwell https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198902676 15 January 2026 The Tasmanian 15 November 1879 Launceston, Tasmania 920/1 Emily3y fJ. Williamson 6 st 6 lb kg 1 on Hercules Robinson16/1 Glengarry5y hDonald Nicholson 6 st 6 lb kg 1 on Louis Lawrence Smith100/1 Auckland (late Maori)4y hCornwell 6 st 5 lb kg 1 on Mr A.E. Cornwell12/1 Melita3y fPeter St Albans 5 st 7 lb kg 1 on James Wilson Henry J. Bowler4/1 fav. FavouriteNuma Pompilius4y gG. Poole 5 st 7 lb kg 1 on Mr C.G. Baldock100/1 Firebell4y hG. Burton 5 st 7 lb kg 1 on William Samuel Cox8/1 Pride Of The Vale3y fGeoghegan 6 st 0 lb kg 1 on Mr R.T. Reid100/1 Franciscan3y cJ. Deasy 6 st 8 lb kg 1 on Stephen Mahon Stephen Mahon100/1 Device4y mTom Hales 7 st 5 lb kg 1 on Tom Jordan William Pile50/1 FellChester4y hJoe Morrison 9 st 0 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreJames White12/1 SCR ScratchedSavanaka4y h 8 st 1 lb kg 1 on James Wilson Herbert Power16/1SCR ScratchedDemocrat5y h 8 st 0 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreJames WhiteSCR ScratchedHis Lordship3y c 7 st 4 lb kg 1 on Charles Brown FisherSCR ScratchedVulcan3y c 7 st 3 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreEtienne de MestreSCR ScratchedRoodee3y c 7 st 1 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreJames WhiteSCR ScratchedJasper3y c 6 st 6 lb kg 1 onEtienne de MestreEtienne de MestreSCR ScratchedMurrabinna4y h 6 st 5 lb kg 1 on John Crozier JrSCR ScratchedCoongoola3y c 6 st 2 lb kg 1 on Mr F. WilliamsSCR ScratchedLillian3y f 5 st 8 lb kg 1 on Mr W. Kite Prizemoney First prize £1790, second prize £50, third prize £20. See also Horses Sports Australia Melbourne Cup List of Melbourne Cup winners Victoria Racing Club Notes References External links 1878 Melbourne Cup footyjumpers.com 1878 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Category:19th century in Melbourne Category:1870s in Melbourne