The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March.

History

The first Adelaide Cup was raced on 21 April 1864 at Thebarton Racecourse, where Mile End is today. The race had stakes of 500 sovereigns with an additional sweep of 50 sovereigns to induce owners from other colonies to compete in the race. Victoria's P. Dowling's Falcon carried 10 stone, 1 pound () and ridden by jockey J. Morrison won the race in a time of 3:50.50. A crowd of 7,000 or 8,000 was present for the event.

In 1869 the Autumn meeting returned to "the Old Course" (Victoria Park Racecourse) where the Cup was run as a handicap race over two miles.

The Totalizator, whose operation on South Australian racecourses became legal in 1880, was abolished by the Totalizator Repeal Act of 1883, and the SAJC suffered a financial collapse. The racecourse was mortgaged and the 1885 Adelaide Cup was held at Flemington, Victoria, and was not held for three more years. In 1889, running of the Cup resumed at Morphettville when Sir Richard Baker and A. O. Whitington took over the course.

In 1980 due to renovation of Morphettville Racecourse the race was run at Victoria Park Racecourse and in 2000 the Cup race day was abandoned due to rain and was rescheduled later and also run at Victoria Park. In the decade since the move of the Adelaide Cup to March, attendance has fallen to a third of previous levels, seeing 10,500 people trackside in 2015. This is due to use of the public holiday by other "Mad March" events (the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, the associated Adelaide Fringe Festival, the WOMAD world music festival, a touring car race the weekend prior). Thoroughbred Racing SA and the South Australian Jockey Club wish to move the race and its associated public holiday out of March. However, in 2015, the South Australian government Minister for Racing, Leon Bignell said "We can't be at the whim of a racing club that wants to dictate when the public holiday is going to be" and suggests if the race be moved again then it be held on a Saturday.

Grade

The race was a Principal Race from 1864 until 1979 and a Group 1 race from 1979 until 2006.

  • 2025 - Silent Surrente
  • 2024 - Excelleration
  • 2023 - Rebel Racer
  • 2022 - Daqiansweet Junior
  • 2021 - Good Idea
  • 2020 – King Of Leogrance
  • 2019 – Surprise Baby
  • 2018 – Fanatic
  • 2017 – Annus Mirabilis
  • 2016 – Purple Smile
  • 2015 – Tanby
  • 2014 – Outback Joe
  • 2013 – Norsqui
  • 2012 – Rialya
  • 2011 – Muir
  • 2010 – Capecover
  • 2009 – Zavite
  • 2008 – Lacey Underall
  • 2007 – Gallic
  • 2006 – Exalted Time
  • 2005 – Demerger
  • 2004 – Pantani
  • 2003 – Pillage 'N Plunder
  • 2002 – The A Train
  • 2001 – Apache King
  • 2000 – Bohemiath
  • 1999 – Sheer Kingston
  • 1998 – The Hind
  • 1997 – Cronus
  • 1996 – French Resort
  • 1995 – Scrupulous
  • 1994 – Our Pompeii
  • 1993 – Our Pompeii
  • 1992 – Subzero
  • 1991 – Ideal Centreman
  • 1990 – Water Boatman
  • 1989 – Lord Reims
  • 1988 – Lord Reims
  • 1987 – Lord Reims
  • 1986 – Mr. Lomondy
  • 1985 – Toujours Mio
  • 1984 – Moss Kingdom
  • 1983 – Amarant
  • 1982 – Dealer's Choice
  • 1981 – Just A Dash
  • 1980 – Yashmak
  • 1979 – Panamint
  • 1978 – Hyperno
  • 1977 – Reckless
  • 1976 – Grand Scale
  • 1975 – Soulman
  • 1974 – Phar Ace
  • 1973 – Tavel
  • 1972 – Wine Taster
  • 1971 – Laelia
  • 1970 – Tavel
  • 1969 – Gnapur
  • 1968 – Rain Lover
  • 1967 – Fulmen
  • 1966 – Prince Camillo
  • 1965 – Hunting Horn
  • 1964 – Jamagne
  • 1963 – Woolstar
  • 1962 – Cheong Sam
  • 1961 – Far Away Places
  • 1960 – Lourdale
  • 1959 – Mac
  • 1958 – Star Aim
  • 1957 – Borgia
  • 1956 – Pushover
  • 1955 – Storm Glow
  • 1954 – Spearfolio
  • 1953 – Royal Pageant
  • 1952 – Aldershot
  • 1951 – Peerless Fox
  • 1950 – Peerless Fox
  • 1949 – Colin
  • 1948 – Sanctus
  • 1947 – Beau Cheval
  • 1946 – Little Tich
  • 1945 – Blankenburg
  • 1944 – Chief Watchman
  • 1943 – †race not held
  • 1942 – †race not held
  • 1941 – Yodvara
  • 1940 – Apostrophe
  • 1939 – Son Of Aurous
  • 1938 – Dartford
  • 1937 – Donaster
  • 1936 – Cape York
  • 1935 – Mellion
  • 1934 – Sir Roseland
  • 1933 – Infirmiere
  • 1932 – Romany Rye
  • 1931 – Suzumi
  • 1930 – Temptation
  • 1929 – Parallana
  • 1928 – Altimeter
  • 1927 – Three Kings
  • 1926 – Spearer
  • 1925 – Stralia
  • 1924 – Wynette
  • 1923 – King Ingoda
  • 1922 – Repique
  • 1921 – Sir Marco
  • 1920 – Wee Gun
  • 1919 – Dependence
  • 1918 – Elsdon
  • 1917 – Greencap
  • 1916 – St. Spasa
  • 1915 – Naxbery
  • 1914 – Hamburg Belle
  • 1913 – Midnight Sun
  • 1912 – Eye Glass
  • 1911 – Eye Glass
  • 1910 – Medaglia
  • 1909 – Kooringa
  • 1908 – Destinist
  • 1907 – Spinaway
  • 1906 – Dynamite
  • 1905 – Troytown
  • 1904 – Sport Royal
  • 1903 – Sojourner
  • 1902 – The Idler
  • 1901 – Gunga Din
  • 1900 – Tarquin
  • 1899 – Contrast
  • 1898 – Paul Pry
  • 1897 – Mora
  • 1896 – Warpaint
  • 1895 – Elswick
  • 1894 – Port Admiral
  • 1893 – Vakeel
  • 1892 – Jericho
  • 1891 – Stanley
  • 1890 – Shootover
  • 1889 – The Lawyer
  • 1888 – race not held
  • 1887 – race not held
  • 1886 – race not held
  • 1885 – ‡Lord Wilton
  • 1884 – Malua
  • 1883 – Sting
  • 1882 – Euclid
  • 1881 – Totalisator
  • 1880 – First Water
  • 1879 – Banter
  • 1878 – Glenormiston
  • 1877 – Aldinga
  • 1876 – Impudence
  • 1875 – Lurline
  • 1874 – Ace Of Trumps
  • 1873 – Dolphin
  • 1872 – Australian Buck
  • 1871 – race not held
  • 1870 – race not held
  • 1869 – Norma
  • 1868 – Cupbearer
  • 1867 – Cowra
  • 1866 – Cowra
  • 1865 – Ebor
  • 1864 – Falcon