Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is the ‘race that stops a nation’ on the first Tuesday in November each year around 3pm as over 100,000 enthusiastic racegoers head to Flemington racecourse to witness Australia’s most famous race.

Raced over a distance of 3200 metres, the Melbourne Cup is the richest “two-mile” handicap race in the world and brings together an eclectic mix of gallopers from Australia, New Zealand and across the globe to do battle for over $6Million in prizemoney.

The 2010 Melbourne Cup will be the 150th running of Australia’s greatest race and a host of celebrations are planned to commemorate the occasion.

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The Victoria Turf Club (VRC) hosts the Melbourne Cup which is one of four prestigious Group 1 races that combine to make up the 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival along with AAMI Victoria Derby, Crown Oaks and Emirates Stakes.

Melbourne Cup Day is a huge day of betting across Australia with all types of punters betting on the great race and betting turnover topped over $100Million in NSW and Victoria alone on 2009 Melbourne Cup Day.

Melbourne Cup week is the headline act of the 2010 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in Victoria which is the biggest sporting event held each year in Australia during September to November.

Prestigious Group 1 races the $2.5Million Caulfield Cup at Caulfield racecourse and $3Million WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley racecourse, both held in October, combine to make Melbourne the mecca of big time racing in springtime.

2010 Melbourne Cup Day race times

The 2010 Melbourne Cup commences at 3:00pm AEST Melbourne time at the picturesque Flemington racecourse in front of more than 100,000 racing fans on Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 2nd November. The Emirates Melbourne Cup is Race 7 on the program.

Th 2009 Melbourne Cup meeting was attended by 102,161 racing fans who were lucky enough to see Shocking defy the International challengers to win the Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup History

The Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861 and taken out by Archer, who also won it again the next year. Over the years some historic names have won the great race including the lendary Phar Lap (1930), Peter Pan (1932 & 1934), Rising Fast (1954), Rain Lover (1968 & 1969), Saintly (1996) and Might And Power (1997).

Grand mare Makybe Diva is the only galloper to win the great race three times when she was successful in consecutive years (2003, 2004 & 2005) and stamped herself as one of the greatest mares of all time in this country.

Winning the Melbourne Cup commands a rich place in history for both horse and connections with all owners, trainers and riders aspiring to win the Cup and take their place in history. Master trainer of stayers Bart Cummings has scored the most Melbourne Cup winners with twelve while jockeys Bobbie Lewis and Harry White have both ridden the most winners with four each.