The 1954 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 2 November 1954.[1]

1954 Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
LocationFlemington Racecourse
Date2 Nov 1954
Distance2 miles
Winning horseRising Fast
Winning time3:23.0
Final odds5/2
JockeyJack Purtell
TrainerI J Tucker
SurfaceTurf
← 1953
1955 →

Here's Rising Fast going after him at every stride, Pandie Star behind them and then coming home well Commodore. Rising Fast has hit the front from Gay Helios at the furlong post, Hellion coming from the clouds on the outside, Rising Fast is too far in front however and in the run to the post Rising Fast going to win the Melbourne Cup by two lengths from Hellion!

Commentator Bill Collins describes the climax of the race

Rising Fast became the first and to date only horse to complete The Spring Grand Slam by winning the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate before winning the Melbourne Cup which was part of a string of seven straight wins.[2] Behind him was 7/1 shot Hellion by 1 1/4 lengths and 200/1 outsider Gay Helios.[1] The race is also noteworthy because the great racecaller Bill Collins called his first Melbourne Cup.

This is the list of placegetters for the 1954 Melbourne Cup.[3]

Place Name Jockey Trainer
1 Rising Fast Jack Purtell Ivan J Tucker
2 Hellion N McGrowdie W. Foster
3 Gay Helios W Toohey S. Boyden

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "1954 Melbourne Cup MillersGuide". millersgudie.identika.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ^ O'Reilly, Paddy (2016). "Rising Fast (1954)". Facts, Stats & Trivia of The Melbourne Cup. Melbourne: New Holland Publishers Pty Ltd. p. 89. ISBN 9781742579054.
  3. ^ "1951 to 1960 Melbourne Cup Winners". races com au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.