Port Adelaide Cup

Port Adelaide Cup
	Listed race
Location	Morphettville Racecourse, South Australia
Inaugurated	1906
Race type	Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Mittys (2016)
Race information
Distance	2,500 metres
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Horses three years old and older
Weight	Quality handicap
Purse	$100,000 (2020)

The Port Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Listed Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over, at quality handicap conditions, over a distance of 2,500 metres at the Morphettville Racecourse, Adelaide, Australia in the Autumn Carnival.[1]

History

The race has assumed the history of the Port Adelaide Cup after the closure of Cheltenham Park Racecourse in 2009.

The race was the principal long distance race of the Port Adelaide Racing Club. It was held initially in the Christmas holiday period. However, after the demise of the club in 1975 and later the closure of the track where the race was predominantly held the race had lost its prestige when it was downgraded to a Listed race in 2003.[2] The current SAJC has had less stability with the scheduling of the race having it run in February several times in the last 10 years.

There existed a race in the South Australian racing calendar that was actually named the Queen's Cup that had its own identity but was sporadically run.[3]

Name

prior 2012 - Port Adelaide Cup
2013 - Queen's Cup
2014 - Port Adelaide Cup
2015 - Japan Trophy
2016 - Port Adelaide Cup

Grade

1908–1985 - Principal Race
1979–2002 - Group 3
2003–2012 - Listed Race
2013 - Group 3
2014 - Listed race

Venue

1906–1941 - Cheltenham Park
1943 - Victoria Park Racecourse[4]
1944 - Morphettville[5]
1945–1980 - Cheltenham Park
1981–1989 - Morphettville
1990–2009 - Cheltenham Park
2010 - Morphettville Parks[6] (inner course)
2011 onwards - Morphettville

Distance

1906–1907 - 1 ¹⁄₂ miles (~2400 metres)
1908–1909 - 1 ¹⁄₈ miles (~1800 metres)
1910–1917 - 1 ³⁄₈ miles (~2200 metres)
1918–1920 - 1 ¹⁄₂ miles (~2400 metres)
1921–1941 - 1 ⁷⁄₈ miles (~3050 metres)
1943 - 1 ³⁄₈ miles[4] (~2200 metres)
1944 – 2 miles[5] (~3200 metres)
1945–1972 - 1 ⁷⁄₈ miles (~3050 metres)
1973–1974 – 3050 metres
1975–1980 – 2400 metres
1981–1984 – 2500 metres
1985–2001 – 2400 metres
2002 – 2410 metres[7]
2003–2005 – 2400 metres
2006–2010 – 2250 metres
2012 – 2019 metres
2013 onwards – 2500 metres

King's Cup

During the 1930 Adelaide Cup Carnival, that was held in May at the time, the SAJC inaugurated a race known as the King's Cup run over a distance of 1 ¹⁄₂ miles which was won by the famous Australian champion Phar Lap.[8] But by next year the race was missing from the carnival and was not seen again until 1936 when Donaster won the race over the same distance.[9] After the World War II the race was renewed in 1948 when Valcurl was victorious.[10]

However, the next time the race was run in 1954 the race was known as the Queen's Cup and the winner's trophy was presented by Queen Elizabeth II who was present in Adelaide.[11] The name of the race has since been called the Queen's Cup.

The race has maintained its Group 3 status even though it has been run sporadically. In 1990, 2003, and 2008 the race was held at Cheltenham Park.[12] The 1996 December race was run over a distance of 2000 metres[13] and in 2008 the distance was 2414 metres.[14]

Winners