BTC Cup

THE BTC Cup – also known as the Darley Kingsford Smith Cup – is a Group 1 race held at Brisbane’s Eagle Farm. The race is a three-year-old’s and older weight-for-age event over 1300m.

The BTC Cup was previously the opening group one race of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, but is now run in the middle of the Carnival following the Doomben 10,000 and the Doomben Cup.

Formerly run over the 1200m journey, the $700,000 race is now over the 1300m trip and has a fantastic group of former winners among its ranks.

The 2020 BTC Cup was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

2021 BTC Cup Betting Odds

Following a close up second in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes, the James Cummings-trained Savatiano is an early all-in market elect for the 2021 BTC Cup.

Following strong form in QLD in the past, both Prague and Trekking share the second line of betting, with $7 available for the pair to claim the Group 1 event over 1300m.

Local cult hero The Harrovian is a $15 chance to take out his first Group 1 success.

Best BTC Cup bookmakers

The BTC CUP is a group one race that previously kicked off the Brisbane Winter Carnival, and while it is not as prominent as it once was, any bookmaker worth their salt has markets up well in advance of the race.

Tote prices and other Fixed Odds markets tend to open when the race is four to five days away.

Sport Table

Betting on the BTC Cup

The BTC Cup always brings out the best sprinters in the country to the sunshine state, and is the preamble to the Stradbroke Handicap, which is typically run a fortnight later.

Naturally, the key form race heading into the BTC Cup is the Doomben 10,000 held a fortnight prior, and for the interestate raiders the TJ Smith Stakes has produced a couple of winners of the years.

In recent times however, the race has been not favourable to the key market elects.

Since Black Caviar won the race as a short-priced favourite in 2011, only one favourite Impending (2018) has rewarded favourite punters since. The average winning price for the Kingsford-Smith Cup has been $12.10 since 2010.

Punters need to beware of the big names in this race, given a lot of runners use the race as a tune up for the Stradbroke.

2019 BTC Cup result

Recent BTC Cup winners

• 2019: The Bostonian does the Doomben 10,000 - BTC Cup double
  Remarkably, The Bostonian was sent around as a $10 chance in the BTC Cup, but on the back of another superb steer from Michael Cahill the pair grabbed back to back Group 1 victories. Having been granted the run of the race, Cahill found a gap in the home straight at the 300m mark and the Tony Pike-trained gelding managed to hold out the rank outsider Princess Posh and race favourite Trekking in the concluding stages.
• 2018: Impending wins in the last stride
  Godolphin runner Impending came into the 2018 BTC Cup hoping to improve on a strong run in the Doomben 10000 two weeks prior, but when Le Romain kicked away in the straight it looked like a win would be beyond the four-year-old. The horse surged to the line however to topple Le Romain in a photo-finish.
• 2017: Clearly Innocent wins in the wet
  Clearly Innocent trounced its rivals in the 2017 Kingsford-Smith Cup (BTC Cup) at Eagle Farm. The Kris Lees-trained runner was considered a course specialist at Scone, but transferred that form to Eagle Farm where it enjoyed the wet conditions at Eagle Farm. Read the report here.
• 2016: Malaguerra a photo finish
  Malaguerra was not one of the key elects in the market going into the 2016 BTC Cup, but was found late in the market to firm into $7. In one of the tightest finishes in the race’s history the gelding held on well in a photo-finish ahead of Dothraki.
• 2015: Hot Snitzel makes it a last win to remember
  The $26 outsider Hot Snitzel was not expected to be a factor in the 2015 edition of the race, but when the horse sprinted from midfield to challenge the long-time leader, roughie backers would have had their hearts in their mouths. The horse went on to salute, but failed to win a race thereafter.
• 2014: Famous Seamus finally delivers elusive win
  Famous Seamus is a horse that teased punters over the journey, and most backers did not want to go near the $21 pop heading into the race. However, under a perfect ride from Ryan Wiggins the Kiwi import blazed down the outside to record one of the best wins of its career.
• 2013: Your Song records commanding win
  In a performance that belied its huge price, Your Song ($12) absolutely torched its rivals to record a comfortable five length win – the biggest margin since Black Caviar’s towering performance in 2011. The horse raced just a further two times in its career before retiring a month later.

Previous BTC Cup winners

BTC Cup Past Winners Pre 2000

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