Geelong Cup winner to get golden ticket into Melbourne Cup

THE status of the Geelong Cup has galloped ahead, with the winner of this year’s edition to now receive a “golden ticket” into the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

The Group 3 Geelong Cup, to be run over 2,400m on October 22, is one of two new additions to the list of ballot-exempt races that will see the winning horses get a shot at the race that stops a nation on November 4.

There are now 10 races that will grant a golden ticket, with the Geelong Cup sitting alongside storied events such as the Caufield Cup, the Cox Plate and the Lexus Archer Stakes.

The Geelong Cup has long been an important qualifier for the Melbourne Cup, with Geelong Cup winners Dunaden (2011), Americain (2010) and Media Puzzle (2002) making history by completing the Geelong Cup-Melbourne Cup double.

Geelong Racing Club chief executive officer Luke Rayner welcomed the announcement by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) today (Friday, July 10).

“This is the most significant racing announcement in the 160-year history of the Geelong Racing Club,” he said.

“For our club to now hold a golden ticket into the most famous of races is just amazing, and we are extremely appreciative of the Victoria Racing Club who have recognised the Geelong Cup as a legitimate lead-up and form race into the Melbourne Cup.”

He said the Geelong Cup had a proud history, with this year being the 138th running of the event and the race producing multiple winners of the iconic Group 1 race over the past 25 years.

“We see this an amazing fit within the Spring Racing Carnival.

The Geelong Racing Club looks forward to being a significant part of the fever that grips the nation throughout the spring carnival and in the lead up to the Tuesday that stops our nation.

We look forward to further announcements and opportunities for those who attend this year’s Geelong Cup to be a part of this historic occasion.”

Geelong Racing Club President Peter Murrihy said he was also thrilled by the news.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the Geelong Racing Club has achieved. It’s been quite a journey to reach this point, and it’s a testament to the hard work and vision of so many people over the years,” he said.

“This announcement will elevate the Ladbrokes Geelong Cup to even greater importance on the racing calendar, and we look forward to seeing its impact for our club, the economic benefit to Geelong and the broader racing community.”

The VRC also announced total prizemoney for the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival would increase to $32.5 million from $30.6 million.

VRC chief executive officer Kylie Rogers said the prizemoney adjustments were a significant boost for VRC’s racing program at Flemington and important to the industry as a whole.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup is unrivalled for its history, status and reach and the VRC is proud to be able to now reward every local and international participant in the great race.

It reflects the significant effort required to prepare and qualify for the Lexus Melbourne Cup and goes hand-in-hand with a decision to add additional qualifying opportunities through the Geelong Cup and Moonee Valley Gold Cup.”