1875 Melbourne Cup

Annual horse race in Melbourne, Victoria April 2022 November 2021 1875 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Flemington Racecourse 9 November 1875 2 miles Wollomai 3:38.0 16/1 Robert Batty Stephen Moon John Cleeland Turf ≈100,000 1874 1876 The 1875 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 9 November 1875. This year was the fifteenth running of the Melbourne Cup. This would be the first year of the race being held on a Tuesday. The day was a declared public holiday in Victoria in recognition of the 34th birthday of the then Prince of Wales Edward.News of the Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/18346032 7 January 2026 The Age 9 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 2 There were 29 runners that had declared to run in the race, with Imperial and Kingsborough the favoured horses in early betting. The top-weighted horse was John Tait's Goldsborough, who had finished seventh the previous year. 1874 Melbourne Cup winner Haricot was expected to run well again, although stable-mate Nimrod was more fancied. Following its win in the Victoria Derby, John Tait's horse Melbourne was the subject of many bets, more so than the horse it defeated in heavy conditions in that race, Richmond.Sporting Notes https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202168324/18346033 7 January 2026 The Age 9 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 3 A total of 20 runners made their way to the start after a number of horses were withdrawn on race day, including two nameless colts owned by Etienne de Mestre.DeMestre One of the colts known as the "Sylvia colt" won at short odds the Maiden Plate, the race before the Melbourne Cup. The weather for the race day was overcast and windy, and showers began as the field made their way to the start. Goldsborough and Nimrod had the best of the start, with Polidori racing to the front before the first turn. Down the back straight, Nimrod bolted interfering with Sterling, and by the time the horses approached the mile marker Polidori had run its race and started to drop backwards. Goldsborough led the field for a time, but it was Coquette that would lead at the final turn. On the Flemington straight, Coquette wasn't able to hold off Goldsborough, but it was Wollomai that galloped clear to win by two lengths, Richmond rushed home past tiring runners to claim second place by some distance from Goldsborough in third. Bringing up the rear of the field were Calumny, Mohican and Calaba. Wollomai was a surprise winner, having not been featured in much of the pre-race chatter,Victoria Racing Club Spring Meeting - The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202165960/18346037 7 January 2026 The Age 10 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 3 with observers suggesting the horse was "too fat" and lacking fitness to cover the two miles. Trainer Stephen Moon had taken over the preparation of the horse just months before the Cup after the horse was transferred from William Lang. Wollomai was owned by John Cleeland who operated the Albion Hotel on Bourke Street, the hub of operations for Cobb & Co coaches. Cleeland at the time raced his horses under the alias Mr H. Sharpe. He had previously won the Australian Cup with Shenandoah in 1868.John Cleeland https://cleeland.org/?page_id=1373 cleeland.org 8 January 2026 Cleeland would later name his homestead on Phillip Island after the horse.WOLLOMAI HOUSE https://vhd-dr.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/874 Victorian Heritage Database 8 January 2026 Before its win in the Melbourne Cup, Wollomai had won the 1875 Midsummer Handicap on New Year's Day at Flemington and won two races at Warrnambool including the 1875 Warrnambool Cup.The Melbourne Cup https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1384127 8 January 2026 The Brisbane Courier 10 November 1875 Brisbane, Queensland 5 The winning jockey was Scottish-born Robert Batty who was 20-years-old when he won the Melbourne Cup, having won the inaugural Newmarket Handicap on board Maid of Avenel in 1874. It was estimated that there were 100,000 spectators at Flemington Racecourse, far exceeding the number from previous years,News of the Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202165951/18346036 7 January 2026 The Age 10 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 2 although a notable absentee for the time was the Acting-Governor of Victoria, Sir William Stawell. Full results This is the list of placegetters for the 1875 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/#1875 races com au 7 November 2021Cavanough Maurice The Melbourne Cup 1978 0727004859 445 81875 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1875-melbourne-cup/ millersguide.identika.com.au 7 January 2026 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220323110921/http://millersguide.identika.com.au/1875-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 2025Victoria Racing Club - The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7424423/241998 7 January 2026 The Argus 9 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 6The Cup Day https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7424552/242013 8 January 2026 The Argus 10 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 5-6Second (Cup) Day - Tuesday, Nov. 9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/13489041 8 January 2026 The Australasian 13 November 1875 Melbourne, Victoria 10-11Rolfe Costa Winners of the Melbourne Cup 2008 Red Dog Fitzroy, Australia 9781742035093 38–39 PlaceHorseAgeGenderJockeyWeightTrainerOwnerOddsMargin1Wollomai 6y hRobert Batty 7 st 8 lb kg 1 on Sam Harding John CleelandWollomai Listed under the alias Mr H. Sharpe in contemporary references.16/1 2 lengths2Richmond 3y cGeorge Williams 6 st 3 lb kg 1 on Eli Jellett16/1 4 lengths3Goldsborough 5y hJimmy Ashworth 9 st 9 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait10/1 4Loquacity 3y fJohn KilduffKilduff Also known as Jack Kilduff 5 st 9 lb kg 1 on Tom Jordan Gabriel Bennett50/1 5Coquette 4y mW. Howard 6 st 7 lb kg 1 on Mr W. McKenzie33/1 6Imperial 6y gJoe Morrison 8 st 4 lb kg 1 on William Samuel Cox3/1 fav. Favourite7Dilke 4y hSam Cracknell 6 st 2 lb kg 1 on Mr G. Atkinson10/1 8Kingsborough 4y hWilliam Yeomans 8 st 11 lb kg 1 on Hercules Robinson5/1 9 Kincrachnie Aged mW. McLeod 6 st 3 lb kg 1 on Mr D. McLellan14/1 Sterling 4y hM. Bryan 8 st 7 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory16/1 Melbourne 4y h H. Grubb 8 st 6 lb kg 1 on John Tait John Tait20/1 Haricot 5y g Lynch 8 st 2 lb kg 1 on Thomas Chirnside & Andrew Chirnside14/1 Scanmag 4y h McInnes 7 st 12 lb kg 1 on Mr G. Livingstone20/1 Nimrod 6y g Green 7 st 2 lb kg 1 on Thomas Chirnside & Andrew Chirnside20/1 West Australian 5y h Cleary 6 st 10 lb kg 1 on Thomas Ivory20/1 Kingfisher Aged g Ridley 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on Andrew Town7/1 Polidori 4y h Hummerston 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on James Edward Warby20/1 Calumny NZL 6y m H. Lewis 9 st 3 lb kg 1 on Mr J.B. Wallis50/1 Mohican 4y g Harden 6 st 2 lb kg 1 on Mr S.P. Winter50/1 Last Calaba 6y h Snarey 6 st 12 lb kg 1 on Sam Waldock50/1 SCR ScratchedDante5y h 8 st 2 lb kg 1 onWilliam FilgateWilliam FilgateSCR ScratchedBenjiroo7y h 7 st 3 lb kg 1 on William Samuel CoxSCR ScratchedBurwood5y h 7 st 0 lb kg 1 on Mr W. ArcherSCR ScratchedThe DeerAged g 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on Mr J.S. SolomonSCR ScratchedMaid Of All Work3y f 6 st 4 lb kg 1 on James WilsonSCR ScratchedIvanhoe6y g 6 st 3 lb kg 1 on Mr R. FultonSCR ScratchedThe Painter3y c 6 st 0 lb kg 1 on Charles Brown Fisher Prizemoney First prize £1265, 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 1875 Melbourne Cup footyjumpers.com 1875 Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Category:19th century in Melbourne Category:1870s in Melbourne Category:Long stubs with short prose