1861 Melbourne Cup

The 1861 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 7 November 1861.
This year was the first running of the Melbourne Cup. Billed as "one of the finest races ever seen upon the course," 57 horses were nominated and there were 20 acceptances. Three were scratched on race day, leaving 17 starters.
After one false start, three horses fell due to congestion on the first turn, resulting in deaths to two runners Despatch and Medora. One jockey was knocked unconscious and Joe Morrison sustained a compound fracture to his arm after coming off Despatch. The fall led to changes to the track at Flemington, including lengthening the straight.
Mormon led the remaining runners down the river side of the course, with Prince and Flatcatcher falling back from the leader due to the pace, while Antonelli and the two de Mestre runners moved forward. Archer took the lead ahead of Antonelli at the far turn and by the time Archer led the field into the straight its lead was so great that the race was only on for second place. Mormon eventually drew forward from the pack to finish second ahead of Prince who got ahead of a tiring Antonelli.
Ridden by John Cutts, Archer won the race by six lengths in a time of 3:52. Archer had been leased by Etienne L. de Mestre, and had been brought to Melbourne from Sydney aboard the SS City of Sydney, which transported several horses to Melbourne. A long-standing folktale was that Archer had walked from Nowra to Flemington.
As a lessee de Mestre owned and was fully responsible for Archer during the lease. Archer was leased from the "Exeter Farm" of Jembaicumbene near Braidwood, New South Wales. His owners were Thomas John "Tom" Roberts, Rowland H. Hassall, and Edmund Molyneux Royds and William Edward Royds.
The race was held not long after news had reached Melbourne of the death of explorers Burke and Wills who had left Melbourne in August 1860, with some accounting that the news had led to lower than expected attendance for the race meeting.

Full results

This is the list of placegetters for the 1861 Melbourne Cup.

Place	Horse	Age Gender	Jockey	Weight	Trainer	Owner	Odds	Margin
1	Archer	5y h	John Cutts		Etienne L. de Mestre	Etienne L. de Mestre	5/1	6 lengths
2	Mormon	6y h	William Simpson			James Henderson	3/1	2 lengths
3	Prince	Aged g	J. Bishop			William Pearson	20/1	-
4	Antonelli	3y c	Cowen			Mr. Warby	20/1	-
5	Toryboy	4y g	H. Cooke			William Cross Yuille	5/1	-
6	Flatcatcher	Aged g	Perkins			Mr T.J. Bavin	10/1	-
7	The Moor	Aged g	Robinson			George Watson	12/1	-
	Nutwith	Aged g	Sam Waldock			Mr. J.D. Fisher	12/1	-
	Inheritor	Aged g	McCabe		Etienne L. de Mestre	Etienne L. de Mestre	10/1	-
	Grey Dawn	4y m	Harry Yeend			John Coldham	25/1	-
	Black Bess	6y m	James Monaghan			Mr. Evans	50/1	-
	Sorcerer	3y g	Hughes			James Henderson	33/1	-
	Fireaway	3y g	H. Howard			Mr. Cole	20/1	-
	Lucy Ashton	3y f	S. Davis			Mr. Coleman	50/1	-
Fell	Despatch	Aged m	Joe Morrison			James Henderson	7/2	-
Fell	Twilight	Aged m	Haynes			John Coldham	20/1	-
Fell	Medora	3y f	J. Henderson			James Henderson	16/1	-
	Eagle's Plume	3y c	Lankey			John Orr	20/1	-
	Parisan	Aged g				Mr. T. Chirnside		-
	Defence	6y g				Mr. Coleman		-

Prizemoney

First prize £710, second prize £20.
The winning owner was also presented with a hand-beaten gold watch.