Hunter Cup


The Hunter Cup, also known as the A.G. Hunter Cup, is a Group 1 harness horse race for standardbreds or pacers held at Melton Entertainment Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The race was named after Alex G Hunter, the Trotting Control Board’s first chairman who was inducted into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall Of Fame in 2011. The inaugural race was held for a stake of two thousand pounds in 1949 with Silver Peak winning, driven by Frank Culvert.
The race used to be staged at Moonee Valley before moving in 2011 to Victoria's new home of harness racing at Melton Entertainment Park.
The race distance has changed many times over its history. Since 2017 it has been raced over 2,760 metres but prior to that it was run over a longer distance for many years. From 1986 to 1991 it was a 2380m event. It is currently contested from a mobile start but was a standing start event from 1993 until 2016.

Race results

The following are winners of the A G Hunter Cup.
YearDistanceWinnerTrainerDriverMile Rate2nd3rd
20252760mSwayzeeJason GrimsonCameron Hart1:51.9Leap To FameRepublican Party
20242760mLeap To FameGrant DixonGrant Dixon1:54.0Don't Stop Dreaming Max Delight
20232760mHonolua BayEmma StewartDavid Moran1:55.2I Cast No Shadow Old Town Road
20222760mKing Of Swing Belinda McCarthyLuke McCarthy1:56.7Spirit of St Lewis Amazing Dream
20212760mLochinvar ArtDavid MoranDavid Moran1:54.8Alta Orlando King of Swing
20202760mKing Of Swing Craig CrossGary E Hall Jnr1:55.4Our Uncle SamChase Auckland
20192760mTiger Tara Kevin PizzutoTodd McCarthy1:53.2Our Uncle SamSan Carlo
20182760mLazarus Mark PurdonMark Purdon1:54.1Soho TribecaHeaven Rocks
20173280mBling It OnJohn McCarthyLuke McCarthy1:55.1Yayas Hot Spot Lennytheshark
20163280mSmoldaMark PurdonMark Purdon1:57.3Ohoka Punter My Hard Copy
20153280mArden Rooney Kerryn ManningKerryn Manning1:58.4Franco Ledger Easy on the Eye
20143280mChristen Me Cran DalgetyDexter Dunn1:59.2Caribbean BlasterGold Ace
20133280mMah Sish Tim ButtAnthony Butt1:59.2Jaccka Clive Caribbean Blaster
20123280mChoise Achiever Tim ButtAnthony Butt1:59.9Auckland Reactor Jaccka Clive
20113280mStunnin Cullen Tim ButtAnthony Butt2:01.1Smiling Shard Im Themightyquinn
20103065mBondy David ButtDavid Butt2:01.7Karloo MickIm Themightyquinn
20093065mMr Feelgood Tim ButtAnthony Butt1:59.3I Am SamReport for Duty
20083065mBlacks A FakeNatalie RasmussenNatalie Rasmussen1:58.9Smoken Up Report for Duty
20073065mSting Lika BeeBrian TuddenhamChris Alford2:00.6Toe TaperFlashing Red
20063050mAbout To RockAndy GathKate Thompson 2:03.0
20053050mElsu Geoff SmallDavid Butcher2:01.9
20043050mMister D GTim ButtAnthony Butt2:03.5
20033050mMont Denver GoldBarry W AlfordChris Alford2:02.6
20023050mSafe and SoundJohn D JusticeLance J Justice2:01.9
20013050mAnother PartyM B ReedM B Reed2:01.4
20003020mYulestarJudith Lorraine NolanTony Shaw2:01.3
19993280mParis AffairPeter TonkinChris Alford2:04.3
19983280mTry a FlukeJustin WarwickBrian Hancock2:02.5
19973280mSurprise PackageBarry PurdonTony Herlihy2:02:4*
19963280mVics VanceBarry Purdon2:03.4
19953280mBlossom LadyDerek JonesAnthony Butt2:00.6
19943280mBlossom LadyDerek JonesAnthony Butt2:01.1
19932840mMaster MusicianRobert DunnRobert Dunn2:02.8
1992not run-
19912380mOdds ToradoStephen Dove2:01.0
19902380mOur BrenrayTracey L O’Sullivan2:02.3
19892380mVictorysPhil T Mahar2:00.2
19882380mSir ReillyVincent Knight1:59.3
19872380mTrunkey StingT B Warwick2:00.8
19862380mVillage KidBill HornChris Lewis1:59.4
19852870m *Preux Chevalier frBarry PerkinsBarry Perkins1:58.5
19842870m *Rapid Frost frM. Cunningham2:04.0
19832870m *Popular Alm frBob KnightVincent Knight1:59.4
19822870m *Gammalite frLeo O'ConnorBruce Clarke2:05.4
19812870m *Koala King frRay WisbeyBrian Gath2:04.5
19802870m *Pure Steel frPhil CoulsonTed Demmler2:08.3
19792900m *Hanna's Boy frH. Hocking2:06.0
19782800m *Pure Steel frPhil CoulsonTed Demmler2:01.7
19772900m *Pure Steel frPhil CoulsonJ. Retzlaff2:04.6
19762851mTruant Armagh frGraeme MorganBrian Gath2:10.4
19752851mRoyal Gaze frK. Pocock2:07.5
19742851mMonara frD. V. Dove2:07.9
197314f.36yMonara frD. V. Dove2:11.0
197214f.36yDixie Boy frJ. L. Young2:09.0
197114f.36ySon of Nancy frN. Welsh2:07.6
197014f.36yAdios Court frC. J. Webster2:07.0
196914f.36yGolden Alley frH. Pullen2:07.8
196814f.36yBon Adios frW. Shinn2:08.8
196714fWaitaki Hanover 24yDoody Townley2:06.6
196614fMinuteman 12yEric R. Hurley2:08.8
196514fStormy Bruce frB. J. Forrester2:08.0
196414fMinuteman frEric R Hurley2:09.2
196314fIdle Raider frP. J. Ryan2:10.0
196214fSheffield Globe 12yW. Shinn2:09.6
196114fSheffield Globe frW. Shinn2:10.2
196014fSibelia 12yM. Adams2:07.8
195914fPay Load frW. A. Hickey2:14.2
195814fRadian Venture 12yF. Connor2:12.0
195712½fMineral Spring 12yM. Adams2:09.2
195612½fMerchant 12yW. K. Webster2:10.0
195512½fGentleman John frE. J. Rothacker2:09.6
195412½fRibands 48yP. J. Hall2:08.2
195312½fNew Oro frJ. W. King2:10.2
195212½fFloodlight frD. L. Cornish2:09.4
195112½fAvian Derby frS. W. Bray2:10.4
195012½fAmorous 24yA. R. Gath2:11.6
194912½fSilver Peak frFrank Culbert2:11.0