The Geelong Cup is a Group 3 race for smart staying horses and is a part of the Melbourne Spring Carnival every year.
The race, which is an open handicap staged over 2400m, traditionally takes place on the last Wednesday in October - a public holiday in the city of Geelong (about 72km outside Melbourne) and just days before the
Melbourne Cup at Flemington. It is open to all ages and carries a total prize fund of $300,000.
The
Geelong Cup, one of the strongest country cups held outside of metropolitan city, has a rich history having been first run in 1872.
It is typically a strong guide towards the Melbourne Cup with three recent Geelong Cup winners having gone on to score in the big one at Flemington. The trio were all European-trained horses in Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).
The Geelong Cup is usually the last chance for Melbourne Cup contenders to fine tune their preparations for the big race. The Melbourne Cup betting markets can often be affected by the outcome of the Geelong Cup, meaning if you Flemington fancy is expected to run a big race it is worth taking the odds early before they potentially tumble.