1864 Melbourne Cup
The 1864 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Thursday, 3 November 1864.
This year was the fourth running of the Melbourne Cup, and the first to be raced under the control of the Victoria Racing Club.
Lantern, jockeyed by Samuel Pope Davis, carried just 6st 3 lb to defeat Poet and Rose of Denmark finished third. The race was run in heavy going and Lantern's time of 3 minutes and 52 seconds equalled the 1861 Melbourne Cup for the slowest winning time. Trained by William Filgate, Lantern then became the first horse to win the Cup and the VRC Derby in the same year though unlike today the Derby was run after the Cup. The Derby was run a day after the Cup and after winning there he returned to win over a mile the next day to win three races in three straight days. Lantern was put down after he broke down in the Ballarat Cup days later.
In heavy conditions, Saturn led the field at the first turn after the horses had passed in front of the grandstand for the first time. Poet and Lantern then took up the front running before the final turn with Lantern winning by a length-and-a-half from Poet, while Rose of Denmark finished third before three horses passed the post for fourth. The judges awarded fourth to Gwendoline.
Full results
This is the list of placegetters for the 1864 Melbourne Cup.| Place | Horse | Age Gender | Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Owner | Odds | Margin |
| 1 | Lantern | 3y c | Samuel Davis | William Filgate | Hurtle Fisher | 15/1 | 1½ lengths | |
| 2 | Poet | 4y h | W. Perkins | Isaac Pear | 20/1 | 2 lengths | ||
| 3 | Rose of Denmark | 4y m | H. Howard | Hurtle Fisher | Hurtle Fisher | 10/1 | - | |
| 4 | Gwendoline | 3y f | Thomas Pullar | Mr W. Treacy | 25/1 | - | ||
| 5 | Ebor | 6y h | Denis Fountain | James Wilson | Mr J.C. James | 15/1 | - | |
| 6 | Musidora | 5y m | William Simpson | James Wilson | James Wilson | 4/1 | - | |
| Barwon | 5y h | J. Henderson | Joseph Harper | 6/1 | - | |||
| Falcon | 5y h | Joe Morrison | Philip Dowling | 8/1 | - | |||
| Playboy | Aged g | Dowling | Patrick Keighran | 20/1 | - | |||
| Banker | 4y h | Sam Waldock | Joseph Harper | 10/1 | - | |||
| Glenyuille | 4y h | Holmes | Mr Cook | 15/1 | - | |||
| Saturn | 6y h | Lang | Mr T. Henty | 8/1 | - | |||
| Flying Buck | Aged g | J. Carter | Mr Bavin | 10/1 | - | |||
| Chrysolite | 4y m | Redman | Hurtle Fisher | 20/1 | - | |||
| Attila | Aged g | Parslow | Mr C. Day | 25/1 | - | |||
| Fleur-de-Lis | 5y m | Grimwood | Mr Holmes | 10/1 | - | |||
| Freestone | 3y c | Green | Mr D. Robinson | 10/1 | - | |||
| Roebuck | 3y c | Bateman | Philip Dowling | 7/2 | - | |||
| Bedouin | 3y g | Harry Chifney | Mr Jeffrey | 20/1 | - | |||
| Sir Lancer | - | |||||||
| Stag | - |