Immortal champion
Trained by Etienne de Mestre
Archer won the first two Melbourne Cups ever run, in 1861 and 1862 — walking the 800km from Nowra to Flemington for the inaugural edition.
Trained by Etienne de Mestre, the big bay's third Cup never happened: his entry for 1863 arrived late and was refused, creating the legend of the 'forfeit Cup'. The race has been run on strict deadlines ever since.
Not entered today — entries update as fields are declared. Browse all racing today.
Live fields, barrier draws and best available prices update every 60 seconds on our racing today page, and every result lands on results today with full dividends. For the bigger picture, see today's tips and odds comparison.
A horse is only as good as the team around it. Explore the jockey profiles for the riders booked on today's card, the track guides for venue biases, and our betting guides for how to price a runner properly.
Archer, in 1861, carrying 64kg — still one of the heaviest weights ever to win the race. He won again in 1862.