| Surface: | Turf |
| Class: | Group 2 |
| Horse Race: | Zipping Classic registered as the MRC Sandown Classic |
| Location: | Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia |
| Inaugurated: | 1888 (as Williamstown Cup) |
| Race Type: | Thoroughbred |
| Distance: | 2,400 metres |
| Track: | Left-handed |
| Qualification: | Maidens ineligible |
| Weight: | Weight for age |
| Purse: | $750,000 (2024) |
| Sponsor: | Quayclean (2024) |
The Zipping Classic, registered as the MRC Sandown Classic is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions over a distance of 2400 metres run at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late-November/early-December.[1] Prize money is A$750,000.
The event was initially held by the Williamstown Racing Club at the Williamstown Racecourse. After the racecourse grandstand burned to the ground in 1947 the racing club amalgamated with the privately owned Victorian Trotting and Racing Association to become the Melbourne Racing Club and moved the event to Sandown Racecourse.[2] In 1963 the racing club merged with the Victoria Amateur Turf Club and the club changed the name of the event.[2]
Prior to 1999 the conditions of the race were an open handicap. Since 2011, the name of the race has been changed to honour Zipping, after he won the race for a fourth consecutive time in 2010. In 2013, the race was transferred to Caulfield due to renovations occurring at Sandown.
Meanwhile, in 2010 the Melbourne Racing Club introduced a new Sandown Cup into the program. This event became a Listed race in 2012 and is held over 3,200 metres.[3]
In 2021, the race was moved to Caulfield Racecourse permanently and occurs two weeks later than its original date, which was one week after the conclusion of the Flemington carnival.[4]
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| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Arapaho | Rachel King | Bjorn Baker | 2:33.01 | |
| 2023 | Military Mission | Jye McNeill | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 2:31.73 | |
| 2022 | Vow And Declare | John Allen | Danny O'Brien | 2:28.13 | |
| 2021 | Sound | Jamie Mott | Michael Moroney | 2:32.65 | |
| 2020 | Sound | Jamie Kah | Michael Moroney | 2:37.09 | |
| 2019 | Southern France | Mark Zahra | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 2:32.01 | |
| 2018 | The Taj Mahal | Ben Melham | Liam Howley | 2:31.52 | |
| 2017 | The Taj Mahal | Ben Melham | Robert Hickmott | 2:30.09 | |
| 2016 | Beautiful Romance | Glyn Schofield | Saeed bin Suroor | 2:29.05 | |
| 2015 | Who Shot Thebarman | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 2:29.10 | |
| 2014 | Au Revoir | Kerrin McEvoy | Andre Fabre | 2:32.06 | |
| 2013 | Sertorius | Ryan Maloney | Bruce Elkington | 2:30.97 | |
| 2012 | Tanby | Nicholas Hall | Robert Hickmott | 2:32.01 | |
| 2011 | Americain | Gerald Mosse | 2:37.87 | ||
| 2010 | Zipping | Nicholas Hall | Robert Hickmott | 2:39.49 | |
| 2009 | Zipping | Michael Rodd | Robert Hickmott | 2:32.29 | |
| 2008 | Zipping | Michael Rodd | John Sadler | 2:35.05 | |
| 2007 | Zipping | Steven Arnold | John Sadler | 2:33.72 | |
| 2006 | Gallant Guru | Steven Arnold | Lee Freedman | 2:30.87 | |
| 2005 | Roman Arch | Noel Callow | Robbie Laing | 2:33.75 | |
| 2004 | Count Ricardo | Blake Shinn | Stephen Theodore | 2:37.94 | |
| 2003 | Legible | Danny Nikolic | Bradley Marzato | 2:29.83 | |
| 2002 | Hail | Greg Childs | Bruce Marsh | 2:27.91 | |
| 2001 | Sky Heights | Damien Oliver | Colin Alderson | 2:28.35 | |
| 2000 | Brave Chief | Patrick Payne | John Ledger | 2:24.31 | |
| 1999 | Aerosmith | Greg Childs | Peter Hurdle | 2:30.30 |
Charts results (1983 -)[7]