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The Melbourne Cup may be billed as “the race that stops a nation,” but it’s largely ignored outside Australia.
That’s too bad because it’s a longer race than The Belmont Stakes, which is a test of stamina. The Melbourne Cup is considered “the staying championship of the world.”
Anyway, if you’re a casual racing fan here in the US (which I define as someone who watches the Kentucky Derby and the other US Triple Crown races on TV), I bet you’ve never heard of The Melbourne Cup.
Race day, the first Tuesday in November, is more than the Australian equivalent of Kentucky’s first Saturday in May.
Never fear, though, I still love the Kentucky Derby. I was grew up in Kentucky. I have my priorities. But I think more people should know about The Melbourne Cup, too.
Melbourne Cup Day is an official holiday in Melbourne, the state of Victoria and the ACT (Australian Capital Territory, apparently similar to the US’s District of Columbia).
Race day is preceded by a four-day Carnival, not unlike Louisville’s Kentucky Derby Festival. The Melbourne Cup is older than the Derby, too. The 2008 Melbourne Cup is the 148th running of the race. This spring, Big Brown won the 133rd Kentucky Derby.
However, the Melbourne Cup is billed as “the race that stops a nation.” The Kentucky Derby doesn’t stop a nation, but much of Kentucky does stop what its doing to watch the race. But the Derby is also run on a Saturday, too, when most people are off work anyway.
Frankly, I think the only sporting event that might stop the US might be the Super Bowl. But that’s held on a Sunday, too.
So, loyal Kentucky Derby fan or not, I wanted to learn more about the Melbourne Cup beyond the official word on the promotional website.
I consulted with one of my “Brain Trusts.” I hang out in several groups willing to share knowledge. This time the very international Blog Mastermind student forum fit the bill. Ron, who writes the blog “Fun Things to Do in Sydney”, answered my hail.
The Race That Stops a Nation
Ron confirmed the hype, that the race really does stop a nation, but mostly only for the time of the race, usually about 3 or 4 pm local time. However, Melbourne and the surrounding area celebrate for the entire day.
Workplaces often conduct what we call “pools,” but Ron called them “sweeps,” as fans draw a horse’s name out of a hat. Here’s how they work Down Under:
“People usually put in $2 (one horse) or alternatively $5 or $10 will get you more horses (there can be multiple sweeps in the same workplace.)”
Like the Derby field, the Melbourne Cup field is large, about 24 horses, according to Ron, so picking the winner can be a challenge.
As of this writing, the list of entries appeared to be need updating. For example, the New Zealand horse Efficient was scratched but is still on the list.
Adding to the challenge is that the Melbourne Cup is a long race, at 3,200 meters – almost two miles. That’s longer than the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes, the third and longest jewel in the US Triple Crown.
That makes me want to compare the Dosage Profiles of the current runners with the DPs of the past winners.
The Fascinators
The modern Melbourne Cup is a fashion parade, too. The races aren’t the only competition offered during the race week.
“The ladies dress up with extravagant Old World charm, with beautiful hats or fascinators,” Ron said. “The men scrub up pretty nice in their suits.”
Plus, even outside the competitions, spectators can make fashion history.
Model and ’60s celebrity Jean Shrimpton caused a sensation among the traditional race-goers in 1965 with her outfit – no hat, no gloves, no hose and a mini-dress.
Today her dress looks conservative, even quaintly sweet, but it was revolutionary and daring then where tradition was revered.
At the Mercy of the Weather
Of course, like the Kentucky Derby, everyone at the Melbourne Cup — from the fashionable to the hardworkers on the backstretch to the horses racing on the track– everyone is at the mercy of the weather.
Ron said that it often rains. The after-effect of a long day + rain + all that fashion: “Women are holding their high heels in their hands and have mascara running down their faces.”
That sounds like the Kentucky Derby. It’s either sunny, warm and postcard gorgeous. Or rainy, muddy and cold.
And I’ve also seen the previously chic ladies looking like drowned rats when they leave Churchill Downs.
Live Melbourne Cup Coverage
Of course, here in the US, we’ll need to have HRTV (HorseRacingTV) on our satellite or cable TV systems to watch the race live. The coverage starts at 6 pm EST on Monday, Nov. 3, because of the International Date Line.
(Don’t feel bad. I don’t have HRTV, either. Maybe we’ll find the race somewhere on the Net afterward.)
Tags: horse racing, Kentucky Derby, Melbourne Cup, thoroughbred racing
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