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On the first Tuesday in November each year, Australia has a unique event that has become part of our culture and heritage. Even non-gamblers are likely to have a "flutter" on a runner in this famous horse-race on this day.
"The Melbourne Cup"
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous horse race, and is truly the "race, which stops a nation".
All over Australia, millions of people tune in to watch or listen to the famous race - even proceedings in Parliament cease so that Members can hear it.
In Melbourne it is the reason for a Public Holiday and is considered the biggest tourist attraction in its home state of Victoria.
In many ways the Melbourne Cup is an anachronism - being a handicap and run over the unfashionable distance of 3200m - when in other countries the feature events are more likely to be run at weight-for-age and over 2000m to 2400m.
Described by Mark Twain as Australia's true folk festival, the Cup has been won by champions and duffers alike. It emanated as a result of one upmanship between two rival turf clubs, who both ran similar types of races named and styled after traditional English events. In an attempt to break away from its rival Victoria Jockey Club and have something completely different, the Victoria Turf Club decided in 1861 to introduce a two mile handicap .The inaugural running attracted 4,000 people with the race being worth $710 sovereigns.
It is now the richest handicap in the world, worth some $4 million and attracts around 100,000 people to Flemington, with an increasingly popular international appeal since the win of Irish-trained Vintage Crop in 1993, with winners automatically becoming part of Australian racing history.
The favorite for this year's Cup is Makybe Diva who has won it the previous two years. If she wins this year, she becomes the only horse ever to win it 3 times. She will carry 58.5 kgs, approx. 130 lbs over 2 miles.
Thought you might be interested.
"The Melbourne Cup"
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous horse race, and is truly the "race, which stops a nation".
All over Australia, millions of people tune in to watch or listen to the famous race - even proceedings in Parliament cease so that Members can hear it.
In Melbourne it is the reason for a Public Holiday and is considered the biggest tourist attraction in its home state of Victoria.
In many ways the Melbourne Cup is an anachronism - being a handicap and run over the unfashionable distance of 3200m - when in other countries the feature events are more likely to be run at weight-for-age and over 2000m to 2400m.
Described by Mark Twain as Australia's true folk festival, the Cup has been won by champions and duffers alike. It emanated as a result of one upmanship between two rival turf clubs, who both ran similar types of races named and styled after traditional English events. In an attempt to break away from its rival Victoria Jockey Club and have something completely different, the Victoria Turf Club decided in 1861 to introduce a two mile handicap .The inaugural running attracted 4,000 people with the race being worth $710 sovereigns.
It is now the richest handicap in the world, worth some $4 million and attracts around 100,000 people to Flemington, with an increasingly popular international appeal since the win of Irish-trained Vintage Crop in 1993, with winners automatically becoming part of Australian racing history.
The favorite for this year's Cup is Makybe Diva who has won it the previous two years. If she wins this year, she becomes the only horse ever to win it 3 times. She will carry 58.5 kgs, approx. 130 lbs over 2 miles.
Thought you might be interested.
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