1881 Melbourne Cup
The 1881 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 1 November 1881.
This year was the twenty-first running of the Melbourne Cup. The race was won by 50/1 outsider, four-year-old stallion Zulu, trained by Tom Lamond.
Entries and odds
When nominations closed for the race in June, 120 entries had paid the initial fee. Easy winner of the 1881 Victoria Derby, Darebin started as the betting favourite, with a number of competitors in that race either not fancied or withdrawing from the final field for the Melbourne Cup. 1881 AJC Derby winner Wheatear was considered an outside chance in the race, with the horses it defeated in that race, Monmouth and Sardonyx two of the horses withdrawn on race day. Wheatear did win the Melbourne Stakes on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, having not been entered into the Victoria Derby. In the paddock before the start, most observers fancied Waxy and Odd Trick, as well as the betting favourite Darebin.The race
The final field of 33 runners gatherered for the start, which was delayed when Coreena bolted and ran for more than a mile before being brought under control. It would be Somnus leading the field early, ahead of Wheatear, Santa Claus and Bathurst. Somnus held the lead at the first turn, before Santa Claus took over near the end of the riverside straight. Paddy Piggott had taken Sweetmeat through the field to challenge for the lead, but before the final turn Zulu had challenged Santa Claus and taken over the running from the front. Waxy challenged Zulu ahead of Darebin, with Darebin's challenge falling short in the final mile, dropping back into the pack much to the cheers of the bookmakers.Just before the field entered the Flemington straight, Wheatear's chances evaporated owing to a dog running across the course into the path of the large field. Wheatear fell, giving his jockey Emsworth a nasty spill although he was uninjured, while Suwarrow fell over him in the mayhem. The jockey of Suwarrow, 19-year-old John Dodd was severely injured and subsequently died from his injuries. Dodd had been thrown from the saddle and other horses galloped over him while he on the turf.
Trainer of Wheater Tom Lamond might have rued his misfortune, but at the very moment the fall occurred, his other horse the "lame pony" Zulu was successfully defying all attempts to run him down, leading by as much as two lengths. The small black horse hanging on down the straight to win by close to a length ahead of The Czar who had run on near the finish ahead of a fast-finishing Sweetmeat ahead of the pack which included Waxy and Trump Yoss.
Zulu was one of a number of horses brought to Melbourne for the spring by trainer Tom Lamond. With a light weight and at long odds, Zulu's win was a surprise to many, with many bookmakers offering upwards of 100/1. Lamond, who was largely responsible for preparing Archer on behalf of Etienne de Mestre for his two Melbourne Cups, finally had one of his own. Zulu was owned by Taree grazier Charles McDonnell who had sent the horse to be trained by Lamond in 1880.
Zulu's rider was lightweight jockey Jim Gough was just 14-years-old in his first Melbourne Cup race.
The Melbourne Cup was Zulu's first major race win, having won only the Parramatta Handicap and Birthday Handicap as a three-year-old, also winning the Country Purse at Hawkesbury, and the Squatters Handicap at Randwick earlier in the 1881 spring racing season. Living up to its moniker as a "lame pony", Zulu limped back to the weighing yard to half-hearted cheers from the stands.
Full results
This is the list of placegetters for the 1881 Melbourne Cup.| Place | Horse | Age Gender | Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Owner | Odds | Margin |
| 1 | Zulu | 4y h | Jim Gough | Tom Lamond | Charles McDonnell | 50/1 | ¾ length | |
| 2 | The Czar | 5y h | Trahan | Joe Morrison | Joe Morrison | 20/1 | ¾ length | |
| 3 | Sweetmeat | 6y h | Paddy Piggott | Thomas Ivory | Thomas Ivory | 14/1 | - | |
| 4 | Waxy | 6y h | Donald Nicholson | Richard Rouse | 4/1 | - | ||
| 5 | Trump Yoss | 6y g | Tom Hales | Tom Brown | William A. Long | 20/1 | - | |
| 6 | Creswick | 4y h | John Gainsford | Patrick Brennan | 20/1 | - | ||
| 7 | First Water | 5y h | Wyman | Tom Jordan | William Pile | 20/1 | - | |
| 8 | Odd Trick | 6y h | Walker | William Robert Wilson | 7/1 | - | ||
| 9 | Carmen | 4y m | K. Russell | Mr H. Herbert | 20/1 | - | ||
| 10 | Greyhound | 3y c | Kelby | Mr E.E. Jones | 100/1 | - | ||
| 11 | Santa Claus | 3y c | Bowes | Mr D. Macpherson | 12/1 | - | ||
| 12 | Darebin | 3y c | Power | Francis F. Dakin | Francis F. Dakin | 3/1 | - | |
| 13 | Chatterer | 4y h | William Murphy | Joe Morrison | John Whittingham | 200/1 | - | |
| Wellington | 6y h | William Yeomans | Mr C.G. Baldock | 20/1 | - | |||
| Savanaka | 7y h | Brickwood Colley | John Crozier Jr | 20/1 | - | |||
 Sir Modred|NZLconvert|8|st|4|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|7|st|11|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|7|st|8|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|7|st|7|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|7|st|5|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|7|st|1|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|6|st|11|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aconvert|6|st|7|lb|kg|1|abbr=onn/aPrizemoneyFirst prize £1805, second prize £200, third prize £100. |