THE Albury Gold Cup is not only the Riverina's richest race but also highly sought-after by most of the nation's biggest trainers and jockeys.
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Damien Oliver, Hugh Bowman, Kerrin McEvoy, Glen Boss, Luke Nolen, Craig Newitt, Tim Clark, Steve Arnold, Nick Hall, Tommy Berry, Kathy O'Hara and Nash Rawiller have all ridden over the carnival in recent years.
With Boss, McEvoy, O'Hara, Rawiller, Oliver and Shinn all featuring on the Albury Gold Cup honour roll as previous winners.
Trainer's David Hayes, Gai Waterhouse, Team Williams, Peter Snowden, Lee Freedman and Peter Moody are just a handful of big name trainers that have either won or targeted the Albury feature in recent years.
But it's the form of previous cup winner's after taking out the Albury Gold Cup that is the most fascinating.
Collectively over the past decade previous winners have had a combined total of 207 starts for a paltry nine wins.
And while some of the runners have gone on to race in group 1 company there has been just as many flops coming out of the race.
CAPE D'AMORE - 2009
(12s-1w-3p)
Cape D'Amore scored a thrilling win in the 2009 cup but failed to fire in his next start at Flemington when finishing at the tail of the field. Subsequently sent for a spell Cape D'Amore resumed after a three month spell and managed two city placings before saluting at Flemington. Cape D'Amore had two more preparations but never recaptured any semblance of form in five city starts.
GROWL - 2010
(1s-0w-0p)
Growl was the first winner of the cup after the club boosted the prizemoney from $125,000 to $170,000. Growl who was trained by David Hayes and ridden by Brad Rawiller, only had one more start in the group 1 BMW where he finished unplaced before being retired.
PADDY O'REILLY - 2011
(9s-1w-3p)
Paddy O'Reilly's victory in the 2011 cup proved to be the catalyst that elevated the Albury Gold Cup to listed status that the club desperately craved. The Robert Smerdon-trained galloper won the group 3 Easter Cup at his next start at Caulfield before going for a spell. Paddy O'Reilly was placed on a further three occasions but never made it to the winners stall again. Paddy O'Reilly was implicated as one of the horses that received illegal race day treatment before his Easter Cup victory by disgraced trainer Robert Smerdon who was disqualified from training for life last year.
EXTRA ZERO - 2012
(74s-3w-25p)
Extra Hero handed David Hayes' his second Albury Gold Cup victory and atoned for a second placing behind Paddy O'Reilly the previous year. The Danzero gelding proved to be an old marvel for the Hayes stable, racing until the ripe old age of 11. After his Gold cup victory Extra Zero was mostly known for his 'bridesmaid' tag, as he had further three wins - one of those over the hurdles - to go with 25 minor placings. But some of those 'minor' placings were in group 1 company, including beaten a lip by stablemate Spillway in the 2015 Australian Cup when starting as a 100-1 shot.
NIBLICK - 2013
(10s-0w-1p)
Scored the most controversial victory in Gold Cup history when awarded the race on protest after running third behind Fabriano and Coliseo. Niblick had a further 10 starts for trainer Brett Cavanough but could only manage one minor placing at Caulfield.
CANNY BALLAD - 2014
(22s-1w-1p)
Winning trainer Guy Walter sent Canny Ballad for a spell after her Albury success and she ran second in the Wyong Cup at her next preparation. The Dream Ballad mare won the Darwin Cup in 2016 before being retired shortly afterwards.
KOURKAM - 2015
(22s 2w-2p)
Kourkam produced a barnstorming last to first win in the Albury Cup for trainer Tony McEvoy and jockey Kerrin McEvoy. The French import then finished last in both the Wagga and Scone Cups before heading for a spell. He took almost two years to win another race after saluting at Flemington in Janurary 2017. Kourkam also won the Oakbank Cup in 2017 before being retired in December that year.
TOM MELBOURNE - 2016
(32s-1w-13p)
The people's champion despite having only broken through for one victory since March 2016.
In the past two seasons, Tom Melbourne boasts placings in the four feature mile events in Australia, being the Doncaster Handicap, Epsom Handicap, Cantala Stakes and the Railway Stakes.
He has also placed in Group 2 and Group 3 events between 1400m and 1800m on seven occasions and continues to prove himself as one of the most versatile and consistent horses in Australia despite rarely venturing into the winners circle.
GREEN SWEET - 2017
(21s-0w-3p)
Green Sweet was heavily supported in betting in the 2017 cup and didn't disappoint, coming from well back on the home turn to win impressively in the heavy conditions. But the victory took a toll with the French import running at the tail of the field at his next start at Randwick in group 3 company. Green Sweet is yet to win since his Albury triumph but will contest the Albury feature for a second time on Friday.
WILLI WILLI - 2018
(4s-0w-0p)
Willi Willi is the lastest victim of the Albury Gold Cup curse. The five-year-old was immediately spelled after winning the Albury feature. The Craig Widdison-trained gelding resumed in the spring and finished unplaced in three city runs. Willi Willi resumed earlier this month and was also well beaten in the Eldorado on Wangaratta Cup day.
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