1881 Melbourne Cup

1881 horse race in Melbourne, Victoria April 2022 November 2021 1881 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Melbourne cup 1881.jpg Engraving of the finish line of the 1881 race Flemington Racecourse 1 November 1881 2 miles Zulu 3:32.5 50/1 Jim Gough Tom Lamond Charles McDonnell Turf ≈100,000 1880 1882 thumb|Image of Zulu, published in the Australasian Sketcher. The 1881 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 1 November 1881. This year was the twenty-first running of the Melbourne Cup. The race was won by 50/1 outsider, four-year-old stallion Zulu, trained by Tom Lamond.Assertions that Charlie Page was his trainer have been debunked by VRC historian Dr Andrew Lemon.Terry Deefholts Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 6 July 2011 Zulu link an urban myth https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/grafton/zulu-link-an-urban-myth/news-story/eeb8cc84f01dc31f652d43157ccd87df 2 October 2026 Entries and odds When nominations closed for the race in June, 120 entries had paid the initial fee.The VRC nominations https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38223335 23 January 2026 Launceston Examiner 13 June 1881 Launceston, Tasmania 3 Easy winner of the 1881 Victoria Derby, Darebin started as the betting favourite, with a number of competitors in that race either not fancied or withdrawing from the final field for the Melbourne Cup. 1881 AJC Derby winner Wheatear was considered an outside chance in the race, with the horses it defeated in that race, Monmouth and Sardonyx two of the horses withdrawn on race day.Ibbett Ian 1881 – Wheatear and The Grange Stud https://www.kingsoftheturf.com/1881-wheatear-and-the-grange-stud/ Kings of the Turf 23 January 2026 26 December 2017 Wheatear did win the Melbourne Stakes on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, having not been entered into the Victoria Derby. In the paddock before the start, most observers fancied Waxy and Odd Trick, as well as the betting favourite Darebin. The race The final field of 33 runners gathered for the start, which was delayed when Coreena bolted and ran for more than a mile before being brought under control. It would be Somnus leading the field early, ahead of Wheatear, Santa Claus and Bathurst. Somnus held the lead at the first turn, before Santa Claus took over near the end of the riverside straight. Paddy Piggott had taken Sweetmeat through the field to challenge for the lead, but before the final turn Zulu had challenged Santa Claus and taken over the running from the front. Waxy challenged Zulu ahead of Darebin, with Darebin's challenge falling short in the final mile, dropping back into the pack much to the cheers of the bookmakers. Just before the field entered the Flemington straight, Wheatear's chances evaporated owing to a dog running across the course into the path of the large field. Wheatear fell, giving his jockey Emsworth a nasty spill although he was uninjured,Melbourne Cup https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9002498 23 January 2026 The Mercury 4 November 1881 Hobart, Tasmania 2 while Suwarrow fell over him in the mayhem.The Cup: a timeline of shocks and stars https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/the-cup-a-timeline-of-shocks-and-stars-20101030-1784r.html 23 January 2026 The Sydney Morning Herald 31 October 2010 Sydney, New South Wales The jockey of Suwarrow, 19-year-old John Dodd was severely injured and subsequently died from his injuries. Dodd had been thrown from the saddle and other horses galloped over him while he on the turf.Fatal Fall From a Racehorse https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11524021 23 January 2026 The Argus 16 November 1881 Melbourne, Victoria 5 Trainer of Wheater Tom Lamond might have rued his misfortune, but at the very moment the fall occurred, his other horse the "lame pony" Zulu was successfully defying all attempts to run him down, leading by as much as two lengths. The small black horse hanging on down the straight to win by close to a length ahead of The Czar who had run on near the finish ahead of a fast-finishing Sweetmeat ahead of the pack which included Waxy and Trump Yoss. Zulu was one of a number of horses brought to Melbourne for the spring by trainer Tom Lamond. With a light weight and at long odds, Zulu's win was a surprise to many, with many bookmakers offering upwards of 100/1.Roberts Janine Zulu – the dark horse https://midcoaststories.com/2019/07/zulu-the-dark-horse/ Mid Coast Stories 23 January 2026 7 July 2019 Lamond, who was largely responsible for preparing Archer on behalf of Etienne de Mestre for his two Melbourne Cups, finally had one of his own. Zulu was owned by Taree grazier Charles McDonnell who had sent the horse to be trained by Lamond in 1880. Zulu's rider, lightweight jockey Jim Gough, was just 14-years-old in his first Melbourne Cup race. The Melbourne Cup was Zulu's first major race win, having won only the Parramatta Handicap and Birthday Handicap as a three-year-old, also winning the Country Purse at Hawkesbury, and the Squatters Handicap at Randwick earlier in the 1881 spring racing season. Living up to its moniker as a "lame pony", Zulu limped back to the weighing yard to half-hearted cheers from the stands. Full results This is the list of placegetters for the 1881 Melbourne Cup.1881 to 1890 Melbourne Cup Winners http://www.races.com.au/melbourne-cup/melbourne-cup-history/past-winners/1881-to-1890-melbourne-cup/#1881 races com au 12 November 2021Winners 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 4Cavanough Maurice The Melbourne Cup 1978 0727004859 445 81881 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1881-melbourne-cup/ millersguide.identika.com.au 23 January 2026 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220314095644/http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1881-melbourne-cup/ 14 March 2022Melbourne Cup Winners - 1881-1900 https://www.vrc.com.au/racing/melbourne-cup-winners-honour-roll/1881-1900/ Victoria Racing Club 5 November 2025Rolfe Costa Winners of the Melbourne Cup 2008 Red Dog Fitzroy, Australia 9781742035093 50–51The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5983262/260983 23 January 2026 The Argus 1 November 1881 Melbourne, Victoria 6Reubertstein The History of the Melbourne Cup from 1861 to 1894 James J. Miller Melbourne, Australia 34-36 1895Second Day - Tuesday Nov. 1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138072506/11291717 23 January 2026 The Australasian 5 November 1881 Melbourne, Victoria 10-12The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5985925/260990 23 January 2026 The Argus 2 November 1881 Melbourne, Victoria 5-7 PlaceHorseAgeGenderJockeyWeightTrainerOwnerOddsMargin1Zulu4y hJim Gough 5 st 10 lb kg 1 onTom LamondCharles McDonnell50/1 ¾ length2The Czar5y hTrahan 6 st 9 lb kg 1 on Joe Morrison Joe Morrison20/1 ¾ length3Sweetmeat6y hPaddy Piggott 9 st 0 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory Thomas Ivory14/14Waxy6y hDonald Nicholson 6 st 1 lb kg 1 onJames MonaghanRichard Rouse4/15Trump Yoss6y gTom Hales 7 st 5 lb kg 1 on Tom Brown William A. Long20/16Creswick4y hJohn Gainsford 6 st 13 lb kg 1 on Harry Rayner Patrick Brennan20/17First Water5y hWyman 8 st 7 lb kg 1 onTom JordanWilliam Pile20/18Odd Trick6y hWalker 7 st 9 lb kg 1 on Thomas Wilson William Robert Wilson7/19Carmen4y mK. Russell 5 st 12 lb kg 1 on Mr H. Herbert20/110Greyhound3y cKelby 5 st 9 lb kg 1 on J. Griffin Mr E.E. Jones100/111Santa Claus3y cBowes 5 st 9 lb kg 1 on Mr D. Macpherson12/112Darebin3y cPower 7 st 0 lb kg 1 onDarebin Was supposed to carry 6st 12lb Francis F. Dakin Francis F. Dakin3/1 fav. Favourite13Chatterer4y hWilliam Murphy 7 st 0 lb kg 1 on Joe Morrison John Whittingham200/1Wellington6y hWilliam Yeomans 8 st 11 lb kg 1 on Joe Morrison Mr C.G. Baldock20/1Savanaka7y hBrickwood Colley 8 st 7 lb kg 1 on J. Hill John Crozier Jr20/1Sir Modred NZL4y hRawlings 8 st 4 lb kg 1 on H. Goodman Mr H. Driver100/1Lord Burghley6y hFrancis 7 st 11 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory Thomas Ivory50/1Waterloo4y hMick O'Brien 7 st 8 lb kg 1 on P. Heywood Donald Smith Wallace20/1Bathurst (late Telephone)4y hWilliamson 7 st 7 lb kg 1 on Michael Fennelly James White25/1Canary4y hSullivan 7 st 5 lb kg 1 on Harry Chifney Mr M. Jacobs50/1The Wandering Jew5y hBurton 7 st 1 lb kg 1 on Etienne de Mestre Mr J.K. Maitland12/1Pawnbroker5y hGeorge Williams 6 st 11 lb kg 1 on H. TothillRobert Trivess Moore50/1Pollio5y hPearse 6 st 7 lb kg 1 on William Lang Mr G. Livingstone20/1Somnus NZL3y cSam Cracknell 6 st 7 lb kg 1 on H. Goodman Mr H. Driver25/1Orient4y hRiley 6 st 6 lb kg 1 on Etienne de Mestre Etienne de Mestre20/1Guinea4y hSheehan 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on Etienne de Mestre Etienne de Mestre 25/1Duchess4y mYoung 5 st 9 lb kg 1 onDuchess Was supposed to carry 5st 7lbJames Wilson Messrs. Skene Bros10/1Coreena3y fRicketson 5 st 10 lb kg 1 on Mr H. Burrell100/1Bandalbion4y hConnors 6 st 10 lb kg 1 on Dan Melhado100/1The Cockney3y cBarr 5 st 7 lb kg 1 on Mr T. Coker100/1LastOxaliaAged mPhillips 5 st 10 lb kg 1 onOxalia Was supposed to carry 5st 7lb Mr R. Alexander12/1FellSuwarrow5y hJohn Dodd 8 st 3 lb kg 1 on Robert Howie Robert Howie50/1FellWheatear3y cEmsworth 6 st 12 lb kg 1 on Tom Lamond Frank Osborne25/1SCR ScratchedRespite 4y h7 st 7 lb kg 1 onMr A. DaviesSCR ScratchedWarlock 6y h7 st 6 lb kg 1 onA. SelmanMr J. PatersonSCR ScratchedMonmouth 3y c6 st 13 lb kg 1 onJames WhiteSCR ScratchedSir Peter 5y h6 st 9 lb kg 1 onThomas WilsonMartin LoughlinSCR ScratchedSpectre 3y c5 st 8 lb kg 1 onTom JordanWilliam PileSCR ScratchedSomerset 3y c6 st 10 lb kg 1 onJames WilsonMr E. LeeSCR ScratchedRoyal Maid3y f6 st 8 lb kg 1 onJames WilsonWilliam BranchSCR ScratchedSardonyx 3y c5 st 7 lb kg 1 onJames MonaghanFitzwilliam WentworthSCR ScratchedPrimrose3y f5 st 7 lb kg 1 onThomas ChirnsideSCR ScratchedSangfroid 3y c5 st 13 lb kg 1 on Tom Brown William A. LongSCR ScratchedSpinningdale 3y f6 st 9 lb kg 1 onTom LamondThomas ChirnsideSCR ScratchedWizard 4y g5 st 13 lb kg 1 onA. SelmanMr J. Paterson Prizemoney First prize £1805, second prize £200, third prize £100. See also Horses Sports Australia Melbourne Cup List of Melbourne Cup winners Victoria Racing Club Notes References External links 1881 Melbourne Cup footyjumpers.com 1881 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Category:19th century in Melbourne Category:1880s in Melbourne