1871 Melbourne Cup

Annual horse race in Victoria, Australia May 2022 May 2022 1871 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Flemington Racecourse 9 November 1871 2 miles The Pearl 3:39.00 100/1 John Kavanagh John Tait John Tait Turf 40,000 1870 1872 The 1871 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 9 November 1871. This year was the eleventh running of the Melbourne Cup. It was the third Melbourne Cup win for owner and trainer John Tait.Rutledge Martha Tait, John (1813–1888) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tait-john-4685 Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian National University 27 May 2022 1976 The Pearl was one of four horses to win the Melbourne Cup at 100/1. Wotan (1936), Old Rowley (1940) and Prince of Penzance (2015) being the other three. Before the day of the race, Pyrrhus was heavily backed and was the favoured of the two runners owned and trained by John Tait. Previous winner Nimblefoot wasn't as favoured, although the horse that it beat by a half head in 1870, Lapdog was said to have been better prepared for a good run. Lapdog's stablemate Romula would start favourite. Following a win in the Essendon Stakes during November, Mermaid was fancied by a few punters, while the lightly-raced Cleolite also attracted attention following the death of owner John Moffatt in the months prior to the race. Small grey horse Saladin was high on the betting sheets following a win in the Hotham Handicap. Previous winners Warrior and Glencoe were less fancied to feature in the placings, while Little Dick was noted as one to watch. After morning showers, the weather didn't brighten much for the race in the afternoon. Due to a public holiday, the attendance at Flemington Racecourse was one of the largest seen, with the course crowded hours before the commencement of the race. There have been 23 starters for the race following the withdrawals of Lottery and Hamlet. Saladin led the field ahead towards the first turn, but as the field rounded the turn, The Monk fell and Lord of Lynne threw its jockey. Both jockeys needing medical attention. The fall almost took out Glencoe and a couple of other runners. Barbelle took the lead down the back straight, with Saladin retaking the lead before the turn for home. Under the whip entering the Flemington straight, The Pearl dashed clear with Romula gamely keeping up, and it would be the 100/1 outsider The Pearl that was in front by two lengths at the winning post. It was John Tait's third Melbourne Cup triumph as owner/trainer, following wins with The Barb (1866) and Glencoe (1868). Following the race, the owner of second-placed finisher Romula protested against the winner, claiming that jockey John Kavanagh had struck Romula's jockey James Wilson Jr, but the protest was dismissed after a short deliberation by the stewards. Irish King was awarded third place ahead of Saladin.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 4 A training accident had seemingly discounted The Pearl's chances in the Melbourne Cup, with Tait uncertain that the horse would start.Rolfe Costa Winners of the Melbourne Cup 2008 Red Dog Fitzroy, Australia 9781742035093 29-30 The Melbourne Cup was The Pearl's fourth win in 21 races, while winning jockey John Kavanagh also won the 1865 Melbourne Cup riding Toryboy.Kelly Jen Cup mystery solved Herald-Sun News Corporation Australia 28 October 2021 Melbourne, Victoria 57 Writing in The Age Kavanagh described the finish of the race: The horse was covered with froth about the shoulders, and I kept saying to myself "I wish this was the post. I wish this was the post." I could feel Romula's breath puffing hot on my right leg. All at once I knew we were past the post by a tremendous big shout. I felt just as if I could fall off the horse. Then I dropped back upon the saddle, and the horse eased off with the rest. Almost before I could turn, there was a monster crowd of people all around me cheering, and so we went back to the stand.How the Melbourne Cup was won - The winning jockey's account of Pearl's victory https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60878278 22 December 2025 The Empire 20 November 1871 Sydney, New South Wales 3 Full results This is the list of placegetters for the 1871 Melbourne Cup.1861 to 1870 Melbourne Cup Winners http://www.races.com.au/melbourne-cup/melbourne-cup-history/past-winners/1861-to-1870-melbourne-cup/#1871 races com au 27 May 2022Cavanough Maurice The Melbourne Cup 1978 0727004859 445 81871 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1871-melbourne-cup/ millersguide.identika.com.au 22 December 2025 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220323111055/http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1871-melbourne-cup/ 23 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 VRC Spring Meeting - The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5856836/230405 22 December 2025 The Argus 9 November 1871 Melbourne, Victoria 7THE VRC Spring Meeting - The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5856855/230418 22 December 2025 The Argus 10 November 1871 Melbourne, Victoria 5-6The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138086598/11284385 The Australasian 11 November 1871 Melbourne, Victoria 10-11Reubertstein The History of the Melbourne Cup from 1861 to 1894 James J. Miller Melbourne, Australia 20-21 1895 PlaceHorseAgeGenderJockeyWeightTrainerOwnerOddsMargin1The Pearl 5y hJohn Kavanagh 7 st 3 lb kg 1 onJohn TaitJohn Tait100/12 lengths2Romula 4y mJames Wilson Jr 7 st 10 lb kg 1 onJames WilsonJoe Thompson3/1 fav. Favourite1 length3Irish King 3y cHaughey 6 st 0 lb kg 1 on James J. Miller50/1½ neck4Saladin Aged gDan Robinson 6 st 7 lb kg 1 onDan Robinson Mr J.R. Crocke7/15Little Dick5y gT. Brown 8 st 8 lb kg 1 on Mr W. Winch7/16Mermaid 5y mWilliam Simpson 8 st 10 lb kg 1 onMermaid Was supposed to carry 8st 8lbJames WilsonMr E. Twomey14/17Pyrrhus4y hShields 6 st 12 lb kg 1 on John TaitJohn Tait10/18Cleolite4y mJohnny Day 6 st 9 lb kg 1 onCleolite Was supposed to carry 6st 6lb John Moffatt (deceased)5/19The Baron6y gBryan 7 st 5 lb kg 1 on Mr W. Winch33/1Duke of MontroseAged hFleeson 6 st 12 lb kg 1 on Mr J. Brown33/1Glencoe7y hWilliam Lang 9 st 8 lb kg 1 onWilliam LangHoratio Huntly Hoskins25/1Nimblefoot8y gCharles Stanley 9 st 2 lb kg 1 onWilliam LangHoratio Huntly Hoskins33/1Barbelle6y mJoe Kean 8 st 0 lb kg 1 on Edward Lee25/1BylongAged hBennett 7 st 7 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory 18/1Warrior8y gWilliam Yeomans 8 st 10 lb kg 1 on Robert Standish Sevior Austin Saqui20/1Valentine6y mHiram Howard 7 st 0 lb kg 1 on Henry Bowler25/1ArumaAged mJ. Sherringham 6 st 9 lb kg 1 on Mr J. Ilhffe25/1RamblerAged gChalker 6 st 8 lb kg 1 on Phil Glenister100/1Lapdog7y gSavage 7 st 12 lb kg 1 onJames WilsonMr J. Gilbert5/1The Foam5y mMcInnes 7 st 5 lb kg 1 onWilliam LangMr J. Arthur100/1PraetorAged hMathieson 7 st 0 lb kg 1 on Mr P. Lewis25/1FellThe Monk7y hWilliam Enderson 7 st 2 lb kg 1 onMr F. Henty50/1FellLord of Lynne3y cCarey 5 st 7 lb kg 1 on Messrs H. & B. Allen50/1SCR ScratchedLottery5y h 7 st 7 lb kg 1 onMr T. LamondSCR ScratchedHamlet3y c 6 st 10 lb kg 1 onMr P. LewisSCR ScratchedMiss Jessie3y f 5 st 12 lb kg 1 onJames WilsonJames Wilson Prizemoney First prize £1040, 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 1871 Melbourne Cup footyjumpers.com 1871 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Category:19th century in Melbourne Category:1870s in Melbourne Category:Long stubs with short prose