The Mt Barker Cup

By Geoff Whittle. 

First run as the Patriotic Fun Cup over 1¾ miles (converts to 2800 metres), the race became the Mount Barker Cup in 1948.

Since then the running of the cup has seen some great individual performances from both man and beast. Some outstanding horses along with high profile trainers and jockeys have won the race.

Heading the list of cup achievements is that of the late Pingrup trainer Murray Reid who trained four consecutive cup winners between 1968 and 1971. Kefu won back-to-back Cups for the trainer in that sequence while Pikadon took out the race in 1976 to give Reid five wins in the event.

Other great training feats have been Narrikup trainer Don Morton’s four winners and Danny Lalich who prepared three successful cup horses.

Caisceen took two cups on end in 1951/52 and then again in 1955 while Muromoon won consecutively for Albany trainer John Askevold in 1987 and ’88.  Colorado Belle took out the ’94 and ’95 cups in back-to-back wins.

The 1999 winner Turn A Glow was a great feature race campaigner having also won Bunbury and Pinjarra Cups. He carried the heaviest weight in race history to victory in ’99 with 60.5 kilograms.

Popular former race caller Jim Chadwick rode the 1965 winner Prince Astor and outstanding jockey of his time, Keith Watson, regular rider of sprint champ Heron Bridge won the race in 1984 with Beau Conquest.

Local jockeys Jim Lemon and Grant Gibbs won two cups each and the late Glenn Simpson also experienced success.

Shotgun Kid stopped the clock at 2.00.80 in 2005 to establish the race and track record.

Kalgoorlie based jockey Misty Bazeley was the first female rider to win the cup on Monotony Boy in 2001.

“It meant a lot to me to win it. My dad’s family is from down Mt Barker way and I had a lot of relies there that day. It was one of the nicest receptions I’ve ever had following a win. Old Monotony Boy flew the gates and led all the way, the connections were stoked, they were a great bunch of owners,” Bazeley said when asked to reflect on the win.

Bazeley was quickly followed by Elly Dredge on Royal Omen in 2003 and Jessica Valas in 2005 aboard Shotgun Kid as successful female riders in the cup.

Xaarlington won in 2008 for the father-son team of Neville and Brad Parnham.

Mt Barker Cup Winners

1948	Kerlion	J Hopkins	G Kemp	8.4	2.06.00
1949	Sea Gold	J Cahill	A Walkerden	9.8	1.55.00
1950	Topmast	T Bevan	R Smith	8.9	1.55.00
1951	Agrileta	R.G. Woods	L Farrell	8.11	1.55.00
1952	Caisceen	J Cummings	L Silburn	8.13	2.08.00
1953	Caisceen	J Cummings	F Browder	8.6
1954	Whangarie	R.G. Woods	L Pearson	8.4	2.09.06
1955	Caisceen	J Williams	B Powell	8.12	2.14.80
1956	Jondaring	M Lebeck	T Parker	8.1	2.09.50
1957	Mallandra	F.W.A. Warn	W Combes	7.1	2.10.50
1958	Absolve	H.G.Newby	F Anderton	8.12	2.09.50
1959	Nauplia’s Pride	J Parsons	J Atkins	8.1	2.08.50
1960	Channel Red	N.O. Carlisle	K Sigley	8.12	2.13.00
1961	Vamping	H.G.Newby	D McClymans	8.1	2.10.00
1962	Othello	W.B.Shier	I Brown	8	2.12.00
1963	Prince Jason	D.W. Henderson	F Scapens	8.6	2.06.50
1964	Pilmorian	K Buswell	K Sigley	8.2	2.03.50
1965	Prince Astor	H.G.Newby	J Chadwick	8.1	2.05.00
1966	Swan Girl	L.R.Dixon	J Morgan	7.9	2.04.00
1967	Channel’s Double	W.J.Rowe	T Little	7.1	2.07.00
1968	Reracor	M Reid	R.S. Taylor	8.1	2.21.50
1969	Whelarra	M Reid	S Geyer	8.4	2.22.50
1970	Kufu	M Reid	T Lewis	7.11	2.23.00
1971	Kufu	M Reid	P.Jackson	8.5	2.23.00
1972	Great Chest	W.R.Henderson	P Duggan	8.12	2.22.00
1973	Cosne	A.J.McDougall	T Parker	57.5	2.22.00
1974	Nigler	W.J.Oliver	M MacPhilomey	51	1.43.00
1975	Fiery Cross	G.C.Van Eyk	T Parker	55	2.21.00
1976	Pika-Don	M Reid	J Lemon	51	2.22.00
1977	Her Boy	Mrs P L Skinner	B Ryan	54.4	2.22.00
1978	Truentallan	Mrs F Gammon	R Bynder	56.5	2.20.00
1979	Majestic Wonder	P.R. Dowling	R Harvey	59	2.23.00
1980	Flying Blue Peter	K.M Trimble	D Young	52	2.20.10
1981	Otherwise	K.M Trimble	R Harvey	51	2.20.10
1982	Battle Commander	D.M White	A White	54.5	2.06.70
1983	Lee Rani	P.J. Finger	T Finger	56.5	2.08.65
1984	Beau Conquest	D.J. Petersen	K Watson	52	2.05.57
1985	Martone Lad	N.A. Parnham	M Miller	55.5	2.05.99
1986	Silver Flute	J.W.Lugg	C Massey	55	2.06.35
1987	Muromoon	J.E. Askevold	J Lemon	54.5	2.06.61
1988	Muromoon	J.E. Askevold	G Gibbs	53	2.02 56
1989	Lord’s Luck	D.R. Pateman	M Pateman	56	2.08.18
1990	Ridgewood Spice	D.K.Morton	G Gibbs	53	2.02.56
1991	Irish Memoirs	Mrs S W Miller	R Hanson	51	2.03.13
1992	Cambridge Star	D.K.Morton	T Jackson	58.5	2.01.74
1993	Beau Glow	N.R. Lee	T Turner	50.5	2.02.68
1994	Colorado Belle	D Lalich	J Berry	51	2.02.36
1995	Colorado Belle	D Lalich	D Miller	52.5	2.03.59
1996	Isolated Duke	D.K.Morton	D O’Heare	57	2.02.28
1997	Young Einstein	D Lalich	J Claite	53.5	2.01.73
1998	Approaching	N Parnham	D Miller	53	2.04.62
1999	Turn A Glow	C Jones	J Oliver	60.5	2.03.25
2000	Serzar	D Morton	M Molloy	50	2.04.09
2001	Monotony Boy	A McGuiness	M Parsons	50	2.03.06
2002	Juene’s Fantasy	S Wolfe	P Hall	53	2.02.52
2003	Royal Omen	W Bradshaw	E Dredge	52	2.04.16
2004	Special Jester	C Wolfe	D O’Heare	54.5	2.02.86
2005	Shotgun Kid	Mrs B.M. Dudley	J Valas	53.5	2.00.80
2006	Exchequer	L Smith	W Pike	57.5	2.04.72
2007	Carrallen Storm	M Pateman	D Staeck	58.5	2.03.19
2008	Xaarlington	N Parnham	B Parnham	54	2.03.60
2009	Viscount Cameron	Mrs A Smith	S.McGruddy	53	2.02.38
2010	Timely Reign	P Hunter	N Rudland	56.5	2.02.39
2011	Insurgency	G Delane	D Staeck	56	2.05.27
2012	Hibernian	A.Durrant	P Hall	58.5	2.05.05
2013	Imperial Command	Mrs H Harding	D Staeck	54	2.05.87
2014	Finnegans Gold	D.Mueller	S.McGruddy	60.5	2.03.86
2015	Marden	A.Durrant	P Hall	59.5	2.05.95
2016	Ningaloo Blitz	D.Pateman	J.Casey	54.5	2.05.20
2017	Cancelled due to weather
2018	Barzinho	Chris Gangemi	Jarrad Noske	55.5	2.01.98
2019	Gauged	Trainer S. Wolfe	C. Haddon	54.5	2.06.40