Horse Racing
20 August, 2025
Racing royalty at Sheep Hills Cup
Racegoers will also have a chance to meet true racing royalty later this month in Warracknabeal, as the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour arrives in town for the 2025 Sheep Hills Cup, featuring the coveted 18-carat gold trophy.
The iconic event on August 30 will see two Melbourne Cup-winning champions, Prince of Penzance and Twilight Payment, coming from Flemington to the Wimmera.
Warracknabeal is one of just 36 destinations selected to host the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, placing the Wimmera proudly in the national spotlight.
Attendees will also have a chance to capture their moment with one of the most recognisable trophies in Australian sport during the racing royalty visit to the town.
This moment carries deep local significance for the Warracknabeal Racing Club, and its long-standing committee member, Lance Huebner, said the upcoming event will be one of the biggest things in the town's history.
"Most of the community was there that warm summer's day in 1966 to see Justice win the Cup in a three-horse field on a flint-hard dirt track," he said.
"It was the last time they raced at Sheep Hills after more than a century.
"This year's meeting at Warracknabeal, with the Melbourne Cup on course and two champions in tow, will be the biggest highlight in the Sheep Hills Cup's long history."
Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy a four-course lunch paired with local wines, served alongside live music in a warm indoor setting.
Interested people can explore the options at country.racing.com/warracknabeal/calendar/sheep-hills-cup.