1863 Melbourne Cup

1863 Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
LocationFlemington Racecourse
Date20 Nov 1863
Distance2 miles
Winning horseBanker
Winning time3:44.0
Final odds10/1
JockeyH. Chifney
TrainerSam Waldock
OwnerJoseph Harper
SurfaceTurf
Attendance7,000
← 1862
1864 →

The 1863 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Friday, 20 November 1863.[1]

This year was the third running of the Melbourne Cup. Controversially, two-time defending winner Archer was not allowed to take his place in the race after his nomination arrived in Melbourne one day late. The nomination arrived on a public holiday in Melbourne: Separation or Succession day to celebrate Victoria separating from New South Wales. As a result, The Victoria Turf Club's offices were closed for the holiday and Archer's nomination was rejected for being "too late". Because of this, Sydney trainers boycotted the race leaving only horses trained by Melbourne trainers. The resulting seven horse field is the lowest in the race's history. Archer would have carried 11st 4 lb (71 kg).[2] By contrast, the winner, Banker carried 5st 9 lb (33.5 kg), the lightest weight carried by a winner and third place, Rose of Denmark carried 5st 12 lb (36 kg).[3]

Rose Of Denmark was later disqualified as her jockey had not weighed in.[1]

This is the list of placegetters for the 1863 Melbourne Cup.[4][5]

Place Name Jockey Trainer Owner
1 Banker H. Chifney Sam Waldock Joseph Harper
2 Musidora D. Fountain J Wilson James Wilson
3 Rose of Denmark H. Tothill Hurtle Fisher
4 Barwon Sam Waldock Joseph Harper
5 Aruma T Pullar Gideon Scott Lang
6 Shillelagh H Howard J Morrison
7 Falcon J Morrison Thomas Dowling
  1. ^ a b "1863 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide". millersguide.identika.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  2. ^ "The Race That Stops A Nation". onlymelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Melbourne Cup, 1863". rogersouthernresearch. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  4. ^ "1861 to 1870 Melbourne Cup Winners". races com au. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ^ "VICTORIA TURF CLUB SPRING MEETING". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 5, 448. Victoria, Australia. 21 November 1863. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.