Adelaide Cup Day is such a huge event in South Australia that Adelaide enjoys a public holiday and the race itself provides a great betting opportunity for punters everywhere thanks to online bookmaker Luxbet.

One of the few genuine staying tests run over the original Cup distance of 3,200m along with the iconic Melbourne Cup, the Group 2 Adelaide Cup is worth $400,000 in prize money.

There are three other Group status races on the Adelaide Cup Day programme, with racing fans also drawn to the action of the Group 2 Yallambee Staud Classic (1200m), the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) and the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m).

Each year the Adelaide Cup field attracts an excellent line-up of local and interstate gallopers and the 2010 Adelaide Cup was won by Capecover a length ahead of Kerdem with Itstheone a close third.

Capecover was coming off a third place finish in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m), before which they won the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) while 2010 Adelaide Cup runner-up Kerdem also came via the Lord Reims having run fourth.

The 2011 Lord Reims Stakes, which will serve as a good indicator for punters placing bets on the Adelaide Cup, will run at Morphettville on March 5.

Back-to-back Adelaide Cup winners are not all that common with the last horse to win successive Adelaide Cups being Our Pompeii (1993 – 1994), however Kerdem managed to finish the Adelaide Cup runner-up in both 2009 and 2010.

Favourites have a solid record in the Adelaide Cup results with the last favourite to win being Zavite in 2009, who was coming off a win in the Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m) in Tasmania.

Nominations for the Adelaide Cup 2011 close on Thursday February 24 while the final field of acceptances will be released on Thursday March 10 and published here so bookmark this site.

In the meantime, get ready for the Adelaide Cup betting action by opening your account with leading online bookmaker Luxbet today!

The Patrick Payne-trained Kiwi stayer Capecover ($5) beat home stablemate Kerdem ($6.50) by a length with Mark Kavanagh’s Itstheone ($10) in third just a short half-head away.

The $4.20 favourite Fairygem, prepared by master Victorian trainer Peter Moody, finished just out of the money in fourth.

It was a sensational result for Plumpton-based trainer Payne, a former champion jockey, and the biggest success of his training career. Payne has now tasted Adelaide Cup success as both a jockey and trainer, as he won aboard Our Pompeii 16 years ago in 1994.

There was a nervous delay following the race, however, as Kerdem’s jockey Payne’s sister Michelle, protested the result. It would still have been a win for Payne either way, but Capecover’s victory was upheld as the objection regarding an alleged interference at the top of the straight was rejected.

After settling towards the back of the field early, topweight Capecover made his move up the outside on the straight charging to the front.

Kerdem put in a courageous effort, challenging the leader and eventual winner all the way down the home straight. The close racing resulted in some bumping between the top two finishers, which was the cause of Michelle Payne’s protest, but not enough to overturn the results.

Capecover was ridden by Steven Arnold, giving the hoop his second Adelaide Cup win following his success on Gallic in 2007.

Capecover has now won 12 of his 43 career starts for prizemoney in excess of $840, 420. Payne has expressed interest in preparing the son of Cape Cross for the prestigious Group 1 Sydney Cup on April 24 at Randwick, but it all depends on how Capecover pulls up over the next week.

Other excellent races to fill the card at the Adelaide Cup meeting included the $100, 000 Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes (1100m) where improving More Than Ready mare Augusta Proud claimed an upset win, and the $200, 000 Group 2 Yallambee Classic (1200m) won by the impressive filly Majestic Music, a stablemate to Augusta Proud. The two group winners gave local trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas a sensational feature race double at the meeting.

2010 Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup Results

The feature race of the day is the $400, 000 Group 2 Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup (3200m) where 17 classy stayers are set to battle it out for the lucrative stakes and status on offer.

The two classy gallopers battling for favouritism ahead of Monday’s Adelaide Cup are Capecover and Moment In Time, both sitting at $5.50 with SportsBet.

Moment In Time, a five-year-old Archway mare prepared by Murray Bridge, is coming off a brilliant win in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) on February 27 at the same track. She has drawn the coveted barrier one for Monday and with in-form hoop Dwayne Dunn aboard she will the runner to beat.

Dunn is aiming at his second Adelaide Cup victory following his success aboard Lacey Underall in 2008.

If Moment In Time does back up her Lord Reims victory with a win on Monday she will be 22^nd horse to take out the Lord Reims – Adelaide Cup double, the first since Chronus in 1997.

The Patrick Payne-trained Capecover ran a gallant third to Moment In Time in the Lord Reims and will start from barrier nine with Steven Arnold behind the reins.

Runner up in the Lord Reims, Dolphin Jo, is also backing up with a run in the 2010 Adelaide Cup. The seven-year-old Dolphin Street gelding has drawn wide with barrier 14 for Monday with Clare Lindop engaged for the ride and is currently at odds of $11.

Other top chances in the Adelaide Cup include Montahlia, De Fine Lago and Kerdem.

Montjeu mare Montahlia has displayed sensational recent form of late, coming off two wins over 3000m at Moonee Valley. The Michael Kent-trained six-year-old will jump from barrier 12 with big race specialist Glen Boss aboard and is paying $7 for a win.

Four-year-old De Fine Lago had an impressive last start when he ran second to Growl in the Hobart Cup (2200m). The Tony Vasil-trained Delago Brom gelding is yet to prove himself over the Adelaide Cup distance, his longest distanced win being over 2500m. De Fine Lago has drawn barrier 15, but with the talented Damien Oliver aboard, still is a strong chance here.

Kerdem has fared better in the barrier draw and will start from barrier six. The seven-year-old gelding from the Patrick Payne stable ran fourth in the Lord Reims Stakes last start and will be looking to improve on that this time round.

Adelaide Cup Day is so important that it is an official public holiday in South Australia and it is easy to see why when the elite line-up of races at the meeting also includes the $100, 000 Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes (1100m), $200, 000 Group 2 Yallambee Classic (1200m) and a three Listed status races.

The 2010 Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup is scheduled as the ninth race on the ten-event programme.

2010 Adelaide Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw: