The event is the last major long-distance event to be run before the
Melbourne Cup. Kingston Rule was the only horse to win the Melbourne Cup after winning the Moonee Valley Cup in the same year (1990). The Moonee Valley Cup has seen several double winners, such as Little Bob in 1891 & 1892, Gladwyn in 1914 and 1915, Gilltown in 1939 and 1940, Valcurl in 1945 and 1946 and Precedence in 2010 and 2013. It is Australia's oldest group 2 horse race.
1948 racebook File:1948 MVRC W. S. Cox Plate Racebook P1.jpg|1948 Moonee Valley Cup racebook front cover File:1948 MVRC W. S. Cox Plate Racebook P2.jpg|1948 Moonee Valley Cup showing raceday officials File:1948 MVRC Moonee Valley Gold Cup Racebook P3.jpg|1948 Moonee Valley Cup starters and results showing the winner, Howe File:1948 MVRC Moonee Valley Gold Cup Racebook P4.jpg|1948 Moonee Valley Cup starters and results File:1948 MVRC W. S. Cox Plate Racebook P4.jpg|Back cover showing admission charges & transport arrangements
Name • 1883–1975 - Moonee Valley Cup • 1976–1979 - Governors Stakes • 1980–1996 - Moonee Valley Cup • 1997–2002 - Grosby Gold Cup • 2003–2010 - Cathay Pacific Gold Cup • 2011–2013 - Drake International Cup • 2014 - racing.com Moonee Valley Gold Cup • 2015 - Melbourne Signage Concepts Moonee Valley Gold Cup • 2016 - Antler Luggage Moonee Valley Gold Cup • 2017–2022 - McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup • 2023–current - Ladbrokes Moonee Valley Gold Cup
Distance • 1883–1884 - 1 mile (~1600 metres) • 1885–1888 - 6
furlongs (~1200 metres) • 1889–1899 - 7 furlongs (~1400 metres) • 1900–1908 - 1 miles (~2200 metres) • 1909 - 1 miles (~2400 metres) • 1910–1918 - 1 (~2000 metres) • 1919 - 1 miles (~2600 metres) • 1920 - 1 miles (~2400 metres) • 1921–1923 - 1 miles (~2600 metres) • 1924–1932 - 1 miles (~2300 metres) • 1933 - 1 miles (~2600 metres) • 1934–1935 1 miles (~2400 metres) • 1936–1972 - 1 miles (~2600 metres) • 1973–1994 – 2600 metres • 1995 onwards - 2500 metres
Grade • 1883–1978 was a Principal race • 1979 - Group 3 • 1980 onwards - Group 2 ==Winners==