A combination of class and endurance is required to win the 2240m Grand Circuit event, which invariably attracts the best runners Australia and New Zealand have to offer.

Taking a look at the SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup honor roll, it reads like a who's who of Australian harness racing. Paleface Adios, Preux Chevalier, Franco Ice, Golden Reign, Holmes DG, Shakamaker and Blacks A Fake are among the superstars to win the Victoria Cup. The immortal Popular Alm, Bag Limit, Sinbad Bay and Desperate Comment are the horses to have won the race twice, while Koala King etched his name into harness racing folklore with three consecutive wins from 1978-80.

The Victoria Cup was traditionally run in late summer but switched to its current pre-Christmas time slot in December 2003, kick starting a summer of feature racing for Harness Racing in Victoria.