Queen Takes King (NZ) ridden by Tom Ryan wins the THE ROAD TO JERICHO at Moonee Valley Racecourse. (Photo by George Salpigtidis/Racing Photos)
Australia’s longest and most unique flat race, the $304,000 Haymes Paint Jericho Cup (4600m), will see 14 of Australia and New Zealand’s toughest stayers battle it out this Sunday, 1 December in the race that honours the Australian Light Horsemen and their World War 1 heroics.
The race has been run annually on the fourth Sunday after the Melbourne Cup at the Warrnambool Racing Club since its 100th anniversary in 2018 and is only open to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses.
Entry to the Jericho Cup is secured via designated ‘guaranteed start’ races and points accrued in staying races of 3000m or further throughout the previous year. The Jericho Cup follows the path of the Grand Annual Steeplechase through the paddocks at Warrnambool with registered jumps jockeys in the saddle.
Among those vying for the top prize will be locally prepared Queen Takes King who, along with new stablemate Highland Blaze, is one of two runners for emerging trainer Shane Jackson who finished third as a jockey in the 2020 Jericho Cup.
Assigned the top weight of 70kg, striking grey Queen Takes King will be looking to repeat her six-and-a-half length win in the Road to Jericho (3800m) qualifier at The Valley earlier this month (pictured) to deliver Jackson a prized double after he trained Mystery Island to win the 2024 Warrnambool Cup.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne and her training partner and brother Patrick will also saddle up two runners in Privileged Son and New Zealand qualifier Split who will make his Australian debut for the stable.
Privileged Son, who will be ridden by Tommy Corrigan Medallist Aaron Kuru, placed third in the Road to Jericho qualifier last start and is the early race favourite with a 2.5kg weight turnaround on Queen Takes King from that defeat.
Among the other runners to create interest is the James Ponsonby-trained Will To Excel who will line up on Jericho Cup Day for the fourth consecutive year. The New South Wales visitor finished fifth in the 2021 Jericho Cup and seventh in the 2022 edition, before running fourth in the consolation last year.
The horse that won the 2023 Jericho Cup Consolation is the Jan Taylor-trained South Australian visitor Staying Strong who will take his place in the main event on Sunday.
Sunday’s Warrnambool race meeting pays tribute to the Australian Light Horsemen and their mounts in World War 1 with each of the nine races honouring individual people, horses or battles.
A highlight of the day is always the incredible recreation of the Australian Light Horse Association charging down the straight before the running of the Charge of Beersheba Sprint.
Additionally, Warrnambool will pay homage to servicemen and women and will feature the national anthems of both Australia and New Zealand, along with The Last Post.
The modern-day Jericho Cup was brought to life by philanthropist Bill Gibbins who revived the race to honour the bravery of the Australian Light Horsemen and their mounts in World War 1.
“I was amazed when I first started working on the race how many people in the racing industry could trace back to the first World War,” Gibbins explained.
“It’s the fact that their parents and their grandparents were horsemen 100 years ago and they’re still horsemen today.
“When you’re celebrating the Jericho Cup, you’re celebrating your own history.”
All hospitality packages for the Jericho Cup meeting have sold out, but General Admission tickets are still available for purchase here.
With racing to commence at 12.35pm, the Jericho Cup will be run as Race 8 at 4.55pm (AEDT) and will broadcast live on Racing.com and RSN.