bm_melbourne_cup


 * The Race That Stops the Nation**
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At 3pm on the first Tuesday of November, at Flemington Racecourse, the race that stops the nation has taken place. The Melbourne Cup is the greatest day on the Australian sporting and social calender. It is Australia's major yearly thoroughbred horse race, is the biggest day in the Melbourne Cup Carnival and is a festive ritual involving millions of people from Australia. The race is for three year old horses and over. The prize that they contest, which is ran over 3200m, is $5.65m. The race is the richest and most prestigious two mile handicap in the world. The first race ever run was on the 7th of November, 1861. 17 horses competed for the prize of 710 gold sovereigns and a hand-beaten gold watch. Even back then the prize was not the largest or the greatest reward. The winner of the first Melbourne Cup was a horse named Archer, he was ridden by a jockey named John Cutts, the first aboriginal jockey, and trained by Etienne de Mestre. It won in a time of 3 minutes and 52 seconds. A large crowd of 4,000 men and women watched on, the crowd was thought to be less than expected because the explorers Burke and Wills had died 5 days earlier. The race had some contreversy when three of the starting 17 horses fell and later two of them died. Also one of the horses, had a false start, sprinted before the race started. The race continued and outsider Archer won the race by 6 lengths.

The first time the Melbourne Cup was run on the first Tuesday of November was in 1875 and in 1877, Melbourne Cup day was officially made a public holiday. Etienne de Mestre won his fifth Melbourne Cup in 1878. Bart Cummings equalled this record in 1975 and has now won 12 Melbourne Cups, he is now contesting for his 13th Melbourne Cup. During 1925, the Cup was broadcast on radio, for the first time, by the ABC. A year later, a record crowd of 118,877 watched the Melbourne Cup, a feat which wasn't broken until 2000 when 121,015 spectators witnessed Brew defeat a class field of 21 other horses to win the Cup. The 1930 Melbourne Cup was won by Pharlap, the most famed horse, ever. Pharlap was concealed in Geelong before the event, following threats to kill him, he later appeared an hour before the race and ended up winning it as the smallest priced favourite in the history of the Melbourne Cup.

In recent years the Melbourne Cup has changed significantly, mainly because of the foreign horses that have competed. In 2006, the Japanese horse, Delta Blues won the Cup by an inch over fellow Japanese horse Pop Rock. Due to the Australian Equine Influenza, which was believed to have originated form Japan, Delta Blues and Pop rock didn't return for the Cup as didn't other foriegn horses. Makybe Diva was the first horse to win three Melbourne Cups, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the first horse to win under different trainers, David Hall and Lee Freedman. Makybe Diva also won its first Melbourne Cup before a record crowd of 122,736. In the 2003 Cup, Makybe Diva came form the back of the pack and won the race. In 2004, she won the race in a downpour of rain beating a field of top class horses, including 2002 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle. She finished the trifecta in 2005, again, winning in wet conditions. This year is the 149th Melbourne Cup and the chance for Bart Cummings to win his 13th Cup and restate himself as the King of Cups. The field is wide open and Bart Cumming's Viewed is favourite to win its second Cup in a row.

Congratulations to Shocking for winning the annual Melbourne Cup for 2009. Also to Mark Kavanagh, the trainer, and Corey Brown, the jockey for winning their first Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne Cup is also loved by the crowd because of the 'Fashion on the Field'. Women and men dress to impress by strutting their stuff on the catwalk. The best-dressed man and woman win a substantial prize. The race day fashion draws as much attention as the race itself. A lot of effort is put into making themselves look the best that they can. The fascinator (hatinator), dresses and accesories play a big role in this. Social and drinking culture has developed around the Cup for many years. Parties are thrown from dawn until late into the night. Melbourne Cup day is also loved by the people because of the public holiday, on which people don't have to work, on the Tuesday and for the school children, up until now.... the Monday was also taken off. __THE PRIZE__ **

The prize money for the Melbourne Cup has varied over the years. From the early years the prize money hasn't been the most substantial. This years prize money is $5.56 million. The owner of the horse gets 85% of the prize money, trainer 10% and the jockey 5%. The trophy itself is made of 34 pieces of hand-beaten gold. The trophy is worth around $125,000.