As this year’s edition of the Sportsbet Victoria Cup draws near, Koala King reigns supreme as the only horse to win the prestigious race on three occasions.
The Brian Hancock-driven Koala King secured triumphs in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 editions of the Grand Circuit classic.
While champions like Popular Alm, Bag Limit, and Desperate Comment have etched their names into history with two Victoria Cup victories, only Koala King stands alone on the top rung on the ladder, with his unmatched three wins.
His dominance from 1978 to 1980 remains unparalleled, securing his place as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
“The records are meant to be broken,” Hancock said.
Driver Brian Hancock has fond memories of his triumphs in what was known as the Winfield Cup.
“It was a pretty big honour and Australian cricketer, Keith Stackpole presented me the cup,” he said.
“It was great driving by me and it was great training by Ray Wisbey, it was in front of 35,000 people at Moonee Valley.
The magic of what the Victoria Cup brings is not lost on the 76-year-old.
“It was a great race and you are a lot younger and you sort of think the world is your oyster,” he said.
“Whoever got the best horse in the race and who ever ran the best race won it, I use to draw against Pure Steel and Rip Van Winkle and other really good horses.”
The relationship between Hancock and Koala King came about by pure chance.
“The late Kevin Robertson use to drive him and Ray (Wisbey) trained him and Kevin got six-months one night at Harold Park for miss taking the laps,” Hancock said.
“I actually beat Koala King as a four-year-old at Bulli with a little mare called Becky James and she won the Silver Chalice in Melbourne. I got on good with him (Koala King) and they use to drive him a bit weak.
“He is not a weak horse and he had $90,000 in the bank when I started driving him and he finished with $600,000.
“He is a different horse and he had a lot of high speed, he was a sit and sprint horse.”
“The race still stands as one of the countries great races.
“It was the second biggest race in Victoria behind the Hunter Cup,” Hancock said. “Harness racing has been my life and I love it.
“The Victoria Cup is on the top of the shelf and it is up there with the Inter Dominion.
“I will sit down and watch the Cup this year and it is a great race and it will always be a great race.”
Comparing today’s stars with those of the past is tough, as the sport constantly evolves, according to the 76-year-old.
“You can’t compare the past to the present our good horses today have continued to grow and get faster,” he said.
The New South Wales horseman also had a short, but successful stint on another Inter Dominion champion.
“I also drove Gammalite, which I drove for five starts for five wins and I won the four-year-old championship at Harold Park on him, I have a better record on him them anyone else who drove him,” Hancock laughed.
Saturday night’s Sportsbet Victoria Cup card is set to feature six Group 1 classics including the Queen Of The Pacific and the Bill Collins Trotters Sprint.
The October 12 meeting will be shown on Sky Racing, with a special free-to-air broadcast on Racing.com’s channels 68 and 78.
