Race Overview
The Group 1 Doomben Cup is for horses aged 3YO and older and is run under Weight-For-Age conditions at Doomben in Brisbane.
Run over 2000m, the $700,000 race is held during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival and is the final Group 1 race at Doomben for the calendar year.
The inaugural race was won by Pentheus in 1933 and was known as the BATC Doomben Cup until 1982.
From 1987-1991, the race assumed sponsors names before becoming the Doomben Cup in 1992.
It was a principal race from 1933-1979 before becoming a Group 1 race in 1980.
The race has always been a 2000m race for stayers but the distance has changed slightly over the years and was 2160m in 1989 and 2200m from 1997-2006.
Some of Australian’s greatest trainers have saluted in the race including John Wheeler who trained three winners in 1991-1993 and the legendary TJ Smith who also trained three winners in 1973, 1976 and 1978.
The most successful jockeys have been Jim Cassidy and Maurice McCarten who have each won the race 3 times.
McCarten added a 4th race win as a trainer in 1952.
A plethora of champion stayers have saluted in the Doomben Cup including Bernborough (1946), Winfreux (1966), Divide And Rule (1970), Rough Habit (1991, 1992, 1993), Danewin (1995), Might And Power (1998), Intergaze (1999), Defier (2004) and Streama (2014).
The Peter and Paul Snowdon-trained Heutor won the race in 2022.
Form Indicators
*Favourites backers have enjoyed moderate success in recent years with 15 favourites winning since 1983 including 2021 winner Zaaki ($2.25) and the legendary Might And Power ($1.18) in 1998.
*The most successful lead-up race has been 1800m Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast where 18 winners have emerged from the race since 1991.
*The last horse to win the Hollindale Stakes/Doomben Cup double was the Guy Walter-trained Streama in 2014.
*Backing a horse coming off a strong lead-up run hasn’t been imperative in recent years with 3 horses since 2017 saluting after coming off lead-up runs of worse than 5th.
*Only 1 horse in the race’s history has managed to win the race 3 times with Rough Habit saluting in 3 consecutive years from 1991-1993.
*The most successful barriers have been barriers 2, 4 and 11 which have delivered 4 winners since 1983.
*During the same period, the least successful barriers have been barriers 10, 12, 16 and 19 which have delivered just 1 win apiece.
*Since 2000, only 5 horses have won from double-digit barriers.
*Only 2 horses have completed the Doomben Cup/Brisbane Cup double including Lord Hybrow (1988) and Scenic Shot (2009).
*Mares have a poor record in the race with only 3 mares saluting in recent years including Cento (2007), Streama (2014) and Kenedna (2019).
*The Doomben Cup has a field size capacity of 16 horses and 5 emergencies.
Previous Winners:
2022 – Huetor
2021 – Zaaki
2020 – race not held
2019 – Kenedna
2018 – Comin’ Through
2017 – Sense Of Occasion
2016 – Our Ivanhowe
2015 – Pornichet
2014 – Streama
2013 – Beaten Up
2012 – Mawingo
2011 – Scenic Shot
2010 – Metal Bender
Huetor takes out the Doomben Cup 🏆
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 28, 2022
That is a W for #RICHOSROUGHIES too 👌 pic.twitter.com/2O2EJ7O1Ey