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The Race History of the 2018 Moreton Cup run at Sunshine Coast on Saturday has a fascinating fact about it.

No horse has done the double into the Stradbroke. Ortensia did go close after taking this race in 2009. Not sure the 2018 Moreton Cup (1200m) at Sunshine Coast on Saturday will produce the first.

2018 MORETON CUP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Moreton Cup is a Group 2 race conducted by the Brisbane Racing Club as a feature sprint event of the Brisbane racing carnival.

The Moreton Cup was introduced in 1979 as the Katies Cup and subsequently carried other sponsor names race before it was established as the QTC Cup in 1992.

2017 will be the first running of the race under the title of the Moreton Cup. The Queensland Turf Club (QTC) merged with the Brisbane Racing Club in 2010.

The QTC Cup/Moreton Cup is run over 1200m under set weights and penalty conditions and is the traditional final lead-up race to the Stradbroke Handicap.

The QTC Cup/Moreton Cup has been run at 1200m since its inception in 1979 apart from the years 2006-2014 when the distance was increased to 1300m.

The QTC Cup/Moreton Cup was introduced as a Group 3 race in 1979 and was promoted to Group 2 in 1984.

The race has been run at Eagle Farm every year with exception of 2015 when it was transferred to Doomben. This year it is at Caloundra because of Eagle Farm’s issues.

The 2018 Moreton Cup is worth prizemoney of $175,000.

Notable winners of the QTC Cup include Winter’s Dance, Tulip Town, My Gold Hope, Manuan, Eye Of The Sky, Vitalic, Rechabite, Schillaci, Hareeba, Scandinavia, Falkirk, Sir Breakfast, Ortensia, Sacred Star and Ball Of Muscle.

Although giving the winner penalty free ballot exemption for the Stradbroke Handicap, no horse has won the QTC Cup/Stradbroke double, perhaps because of the short seven day time span between the two races.

The race has been won seven times by fillies/mares and three-year-olds boast a strong record in the race.

The 2017 Moreton Cup was won by Deploy from Dothraki and Perfect Dare.