Some horse races go on forever. Others last a long time and then disappear. One notable race no longer with us was the Williamstown Cup, which was held in November and ranked third behind in importance behind the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup. Until taken over for defence purposes in 1940, the Williamstown racecourse had been home to the Williamstown Racing Club and its cup. The club lingered until 1948 when it merged with other racing bodies and the Williamstown Cup, although held on other metropolitan courses until 1961, was on borrowed time. In 1962 it was renamed the Sandown Cup. The Williamstown Cup was popular with owners and trainers who regarded it as a consolation if their horse did not live up to expectations in the Melbourne Cup. Mara was the winner of the first running of the Williamstown Cup in 1888 and a lot of top horses either won the race or took part over the next 73 years.
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