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WAYNE TAYLOR/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE VRC
Melbourne Cup
Glamour is a hallmark of Australian racing
galleries to be explored, as well as wide open spaces, courtesy of the Botanic Gardens and riverside spaces or, farther afield, the Dandenong Ranges and Great Ocean Road. There’s a distinctly European vibe at play here as well, with narrow lanes and arcades some of the distinguishing features of the city – not to mention the restaurants, which fuse new world flavours with the culinary influences of Greece, Italy and Spain, one of the city’s cultural gifts from the waves of immigrants who came to Australia from the beginning of the 19th century, in response to the country’s need for skilled labour. The 2019 Melbourne Cup Carnival begins with AAMI Victoria Derby Day on Saturday, November 2, followed by Lexus Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday, November 5, Kennedy Oaks Day on Thursday, November 7 and Seppelt Wines Stakes Day on Saturday, November 9. Flemington.com.au
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Also last year, on the carnival’s opening day, Darren Weir saddled Extra Brut to win the AAMI Victoria Derby, while the carnival came to a close with Seppelt Wines Stakes Day, on which a 67,567 strong crowd watched AAMI Victoria Derby-winning jockey John Allen ride the Jarrod McLean trained Trap for Fools to win the Seppelt Mackinnon Stakes. Coverage of the Melbourne Cup was streamed to millions of viewers in Australia, while the attendance at Flemington itself was also exceptional, despite the fact that poor weather plagued Cup day. Racegoer numbers were swelled by cruise ships, with three vessels from Sydney and one from Melbourne delivering almost 8,000 visitors. There’s far more to Melbourne, of course, than its eponymous Cup - the city is well known as an ethnically diverse, gastronomical heaven; it’s also celebrated for its incredible coffee culture, stylish boutiques and buzzing cultural scene. There are a wealth of museums and
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status of this world-class event.” During the 2018 Melbourne Cup carnival meeting, 451 horses, including 20 internationally-trained horses, competed in 37 races, which saw 23 individual trainers and 21 jockeys enjoy victory. The event was declared a massive success, highlighted by Godolphin’s breakthrough Melbourne Cup win with Cross Counter. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the win secured Britain’s place in the rich history of the race. Although Australia has a reputation for prowess in many things of a sporting nature, breeding champion racehorses isn’t one of them and, in recent years, it’s been the internationally-bred and -trained horses that have commanded the race. Set over a gruelling two miles, the race lasts for approximately three and half minutes – during which the nation is at a standstill – but there’s always scope for record-breaking: in 1990, Kingston Rule, trained by Bart Cummings, covered the distance in an unmatched 3.16.30 seconds.
Melbourne Cup day at Flemington is a bustling, fantastic occasion with top-class sport
Damian Lane riding Aristia defeats Tim Clark riding Greysful Glamour
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Kerrin McEvoy riding Cross Counter
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