The Melbourne Cup is called the « races that stop the nation». It has become a kind of national institution that generates controversy and arouses more interest than any other horse racing in the country (it is worth noting that «» Cups of various ranks are held almost monthly in the states of Australia).
The first Melbourne Cup was held in November 1861. At that time, 17 horses took part in the races. Prize fund — £170 and gold watch. Today the Melbourne — Cup is the most prestigious two-mile handicap in the world and the most expensive «» cup in Australia with a prize fund of 8 million Australian dollars. Only on bets (and almost every Australian bets on this day!) several million dollars are earned. The race is run under the auspices of the Victoria Racing Club (Victoria Racing Club) in Flemington, a suburb of Melbourne.
Melbourne Cup Day — is Australia's most famous Tuesday. It doesn't matter what Australians do — at 3.20 pm (Eastern Australian time) on the first Tuesday in November, people stop everywhere to listen to the racing signal or watch it on TV.
It is also a day of many events at Flemington Racecourse. Ladies invited to the most famous races in the world try to impress with their outfits and, most importantly, — hats fashionable, strange, funny. Coming to a race without a hat — is like staying at home.
Spectators at the hippodrome begin to gather at 8 am, although the races themselves start well after noon. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon the hippodrome is filled with up to 100 thousand people — watch one of the most grandiose shows in the country.
In 2005, Makybe Diva made history by becoming the only horse to win the Melbourne Cup three years in a row. Coach Lee Friedman told the jockey after the race: «Go and find the smallest spectator at this racetrack because this is the only person who has a chance to see this again in their life».
The Melbourne Cup concludes a six-week spring carnival in the state capital of Victoria. All these six weeks — is a continuous celebration of laughter, fashion and... the best trotters in the world. A great way to shake off the remnants of winter! The carnival begins in early October and lasts almost two months.
Melbourne Cup — is not the only horse race of these holidays, but it is definitely the most famous.
Fashion on the field — Fashions On The Field — is no less important event of the day. For the best costume, spectators of the — male and female — horse race are awarded valuable prizes. Fashion trends and costumes of Cup spectators attract almost as much attention as the races themselves. By the way, miniskirts, which gained worldwide popularity in the 60s of the last century, began to be worn precisely after model Jean Shrimpton wore such a skirt in 1965 to celebrate the Melbourne Cup.
Melbourne Cup records:
• Fastest« record » 3 minutes 16.3 seconds in 1990 — belongs to the horse Kingstone Rule.
• Most decorated winner — horse Makybe Diva — wins 2003, 2004, 2005.
• Jockeys Bobby Lewis and Harry White have the most cups.
• In 2015, the Cup went to — woman Michelle Payne for the first time.