Discover Horse Racing’s Melbourne Cup
Australia’s Melbourne Cup is one of Thoroughbred racing’s premier events.Travellers to Australia have the unique opportunity to enjoy the spectacle and excitement of Australian horse racing’s premier annual event, the Melbourne Cup, in November.
A revered sporting event in Australia and neighbouring New Zealand since 1861, the Cup is held by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse and attendance regularly exceeds 100,000 people. Attire for the event ranges from traditional formal race-day wear, complete with fashionable and artistic hats for the ladies, to exotic and even amusing costumes. Race day has been declared an official public holiday in the city and surrounding areas, and those prevented from attending the race because of distance tune in on their televisions to share in the excitement.
The most famous winner of the Cup was the three-year-old thoroughbred horse Phar Lap. He won the race in 1930 and was the third highest stakes winner in the world at the time of his death in 1932. Foaled in New Zealand, trained and raced in Australia, Phar Lap’s name has become legendary in the world of horse racing and beyond.
Considered one of the most prestigious turf races in the world, the 3,200 metre handicap is also one of the richest, with a purse of more than A$6 million.
British Airways and Qantas provide direct flights to Melbourne from London Heathrow, while connecting flights come courtesy of Emirates Airlines with stops in Dubai.
