1870 Melbourne Cup
The 1870 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 10 November 1870.
| Melbourne Cup | |
| Location | Flemington Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 10 Nov 1870 |
| Distance | 2 miles |
| Winning horse | Nimblefoot |
| Winning time | 3:37.0 |
| Final odds | 12/1 |
| Jockey | John Day |
| Trainer | W. Lang |
| Surface | Turf |
| Attendance | 30,000 |
This year was the tenth running of the Melbourne Cup. The entire carnival was pushed back to a week due to a waterlogged track. This race has become a big part of Melbourne Cup folklore. Ballarat publican Walter Craig bought Nimblefoot from Melbourne bookmaker Joe Thompson. Serval months before the 1870 race Craig dreams of a horse in his colours winning the race but with its jockey wearing a black arm band. Craig told friends about this and was sure that Nimblefoot would win, but he would not live to see the 12/1 shot's tense battle with Lapdog.[1] Craig died on the morning of 17 August from gout and pneumonia. Craig's dream was recounted in The Age newspaper the day before the cup. At about 4 O'clock Ms. Craig with tears in her eyes reveals to Ballarat that Nimblefoot had won with its jockey wearing a black arm band.[2] The winning time of 3:37.0 was at the time the fastest winning time in the race's history.[3]
This is the list of placegetters for the 1870 Melbourne Cup.[4]
| Place | Name | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nimblefoot | John Day | W. Lang |
| 2 | Lapdog | J. Wilson Jr | |
| 3 | Valentine | H. Howard |
References
- O'Reilly, Paddy (2016). "Nimblefoot (1870)". Facts, Stats & Trivia of The Melbourne Cup. Melbourne: New Holland Publishers Pty Ltd. pp. 22–23. ISBN 9781742579054.
- "History - Craigs Royal Hotel". craigsroyal.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- "1867 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide". millersgudie.identika.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- "1861 to 1870 Melbourne Cup Winners". races com au. Retrieved 16 September 2021.