Melbourne Cup Day

'The most well-known horse racing occasion in Australia is Melbourne Cup Day. It has been contested at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on the first Tuesday in November since 1861. In the state of Victoria, it is a yearly holiday. It is stated that this 3,200-metre handicap race, known as "the race that stops the nation," is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world and one of the wealthiest turf events. It is open to horses aged three and older.  At Flemington Racecourse, there are typically more than 100,000 spectators, and the race is broadcast live to an estimated 650 million viewers worldwide.

Did you know? Phillip Island, which is about 135 kilometres south-east of Melbourne and is better known for its penguin colonies, was the home of Wollomai, the 1875 winner. Animals used to be swum across to the Narrows in ancient times, before there was a ferry service running between Phillip Island and San Remo.
Although it was believed Wollomai had little chance of winning, jockey Bob Batty guided the horse to victory in three minutes, thirty-eight seconds, in front of a crowd of 70,000 spectators.
John Cleeland, the owner, left Cape Woolomai with £22,000 after giving the jockey and trainer each £500'.

Photo: Mike Kotsch via Unsplash