Do single word names win more Melbourne Cups than two words horse names?

Once you have read all the form and listened to every horse racing “expert” sprout their knowledge of the 2021 Melbourne Cup; the most likely outcome is you will thoroughly confused.

So at HorseBetting.com.au, we like to simplify the world once it becomes too noisy. Lets looks at which Melbourne Cup horses win more Melbourne Cup base purely on their names!

What? you must be kidding right? No there is a definitive edge to gained from looking at the history of the great race.

The vast majority of Melbourne Cup winning horses have had single word names having won 89 of the 160 cups to be raced, including the last single word name winner Rekindling in 2017.

Two word names have won 64 Melbourne Cups with Twilight Payment being the last winner in 2020.

Three word horse names have performed the worst in Cups having won just seven times, but have have dramatically improved their form in recent cups having win with Vow And Declare in 2019, and in 2015 with Prince Of Penzance.

Due to letter count restrictions on horses names there has never been a four worded horse name to have won the Melbourne Cup.

So while single word horses have traditionally performed the best, the fact three word horses have won two of the last six runnings – but only seven of the previous 160 races – suggest they are the rapid improver. We suggest you consider that fact deeply while reading our 2021 Melbourne Cup runner by runner betting preview.

Bet on the 2021 Melbourne cup


2021 Melbourne Cup Odds

Flemington – Race 7
Lexus Melbourne Cup

Status: Open
Track Rating: Good4
Weather: TBA
AUS

3200m03:00pm – Tue 2nd Nov


2021 Melbourne Cup Field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Odds
1 Twilight Payment Melbourne Cup 2021 Twilight Payment Joseph O’Brien Jye McNeil 2 58kg $11
2 Incentivise Melbourne Cup 2021 Incentivise Peter Moody Brett Prebble 16 57kg $2.50
3 Spanish Mission Melbourne Cup 2021 Spanish Mission Andrew Balding Craig Williams 14 57kg $9
4 Verry Elleegant Melbourne Cup 2021 Verry Elleegant Chris Waller James McDonald 19 57kg $15
5 Explosive Jack Melbourne Cup 2021 Explosive Jack C Maher & D Eustace John Allen 4 54kg $51
6 The Chose One Melbourne Cup 2021 The Chosen One M Baker & A Forsman Damian Lane 5 54kg $61
7 Delphi Melbourne Cup 2021 Delphi A & S Freedman Damien Oliver 3 53.5kg $41
8 Ocean Billy Melbourne Cup 2021 Ocean Billy Chris Waller Damian Thornton 13 53.5kg $101
9 Selino Melbourne Cup 2021 Selino Chris Waller Ron Stewart 24 53.5kg $151
10 Johnny Get Angry Melbourne Cup 2021 Johnny Get Angry Denis Pagan Lachlan King 22 53kg $101
11 Knights Order Melbourne Cup 2021 Knights Order G Waterhouse & A Bott Daniel Stackhouse 9 53kg $201
12 Persan Melbourne Cup 2020 Persan C Maher & D Eustace Luke Currie 11 53kg $31
13 Carif Melbourne Cup 2021 Carif P & P Snowden Blaike McDougall 8 52.5kg $201
14 Master Of Wine Melbourne Cup 2021 Master Of Wine Team Hawkes Fred Kersley 6 52.5kg $101
15 Pondus Melbourne Cup 2020 Pondus Robert Hickmott Rachel King 1 52.5kg $41
16 Grand Promenade Melbourne Cup 2021 Grand Promenade C Maher & D Eustace Kerrin McEvoy 21 52kg $21
17 Miami Bound Melbourne Cup 2021 Miami Bound Danny O’Brien Patrick Moloney 17 52kg $151
18 Port Guillaume Melbourne Cup 2021 Port Guillaume Ben & JD Hayes Harry Coffey 23 52kg $151
19 She's Ideel Melbourne Cup 2021 She’s Ideel Bjorn Baker Craig Newitt 20 52kg $101
20 Future Score Melbourne Cup 2021 Future Score Matt Cumani Dean Yendall 15 51.5kg $301
21 Tralee Rose Melbourne Cup 2021 Tralee Rose Symon Wilde Dean Holland 12 51kg $17
22 Floating Artist Melbourne Cup 2021 Floating Artist C Maher & D Eustace Teo Nugent 10 50kg $18
23 Great House Melbourne Cup 2021 Great House Chris Waller Michael Dee 7 50kg $31
24 Sir Lucan Melbourne Cup 2021 Sir Lucan G Waterhouse & A Bott Glen Boss 18 50kg $26

Related posts