The first Tuesday in November is when the nation stops to watch a horse race, The Melbourne Cup. It is one of the wealthiest horse races in the world. Besides huge amounts spent on betting there is also thousands of dollars spent on fashion, food and drinks. It is party time for Australia. In Victoria it is a public holiday and in the rest of Australia many people have the day off and many offices stop work to watch the race at 2:00pm ESDT. There are Melbourne Cup luncheons in just about every hotel, club and restaurant as well as at private homes. Others flock to their local racecourse for the celebrations dressed in all their splendour.
TOH and I had a sandwich on our deck. Afterwards we watched the race on television just like most of the other residents of Australia.
The following photos are from our TV screen.
The horse are getting put into the starting gates.
They are almost ready to bolt out of the gates. Tension in the whole country.
They're off.
On their way vying for a good position.
After 3 minutes a leader is obvious.
Every muscle of "Green Moon" is straining to the optimum.
The triumphant jockey is Brett Prebble. It is every jockey's dream to win this race. The horse is owned by Lloyd Williams of Australia.
There were some special guests. Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall.
What an interesting post. Well - except for the 'putting down' of the horse but I understand that. I only watch races here in the spring which are the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont and the Preakness. I get all tensed up with those. :)
ReplyDeletea good commentary Diane and while the race was 'on' I was in a hardware store buying paint and sprinkler heads. The staff were around a tv in the corner for the race.
ReplyDeleteThat must be exciting, we don't have horse racings here. It is a typical Brittish event I think. But it is a nice story.
ReplyDeleteOh your photos are fantastic. It was like I was there. Sorry about the loss:)
ReplyDeleteMy Hero always finds something to buy:) B
Great post Diane. Was a great race and we watched in on the TV too :)
ReplyDeleteI actually knitted whilst I watched.
It seems to be only the last few years that interstate people have become very interested in the Melbourne Cup. I worked and I could have listened to the race on the radio, but I didn't bother. I found out which horse won a few hours later, and it wasn't the one I had in the sweep.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, sounds like a fun day watching the big horse race. It is similiar to the Preakness they have here in Baltimore and part of the famous Triple Crown. Congrats to the horse, owner and the jockey of Green Moon.
ReplyDeletei was relieved when i read your post, by the title i thought you were referring to the USA Jackass race we are voting on today.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is always fond of telling me - every year on my birthday - that whilst recovering after my 'arrival', she won the Melbourne cup sweep run by the hospital.
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with your wonderful photos of the race on your TV. I tried to take some of the Jubilee and they didn't work out at all. It is fun when a big event happens on TV and everyone's watching and cheering on their favourites. Lovely to see you enjoying your meal outside! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us share in this special day at the races!
ReplyDeleteI would MUCH prefer doing that the first Tuesday in November than what we do - oh wait did I say that? Today is last voting for the year and YAY no more political ads (my TV and radio have been off for the last 3 days).
ReplyDeleteSacrilegious I know, but I forgot. One dollar saved is a dollar earned?
ReplyDeleteDon't know how you got the shots from the teev, but they make for an interesting story.
Won't ask which of you won the fashion on the field comp at your place!
It's certainly a nice tradition anyway far better then football (soccer) I know nearly nothing about horse races except the hats of the English women, lol !
ReplyDeleteI think Diane you could have had a career as a race caller.
ReplyDeleteSome "interesting" comments, rather surprised that two Aussies were busy doing other things???
I also think that horse racing is not confined to the English speaking world - the Asians are horse mad and it certainly is big time in France, Germany, Italy and most other countries around the World. The Arabs and the Japanese are owners of the biggest racing empires of all.
Still, I love the day and I don't live in Victoria! It is probably the only day that unites all Australians.
Now to start preparing for 2013!
Cheers
Colin
There you are on your lovely refinished deck enjoying the day.
ReplyDeleteEven the Triple Crown here which is always exciting for the few minutes it takes to run isn't as all encompassing as your Cup race seems to be.
I took shots of my TV screen of the cartoons my Grandson liked when we babysat for a week so I could have them for a scrapbook. Glad I'm not the only one taking those kind of shots!!
In 1978 I was in the US for the running of all three races in the triple Crown as it is called. It is a 3 year old race for colts, geldings and fillies, but very few fillies participate. The fillies go at 3 years of age in the equivalent triple Crown of their sex.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate that in 1978, Affirmed, was the last winner of this achievement. Affirmed became a premier Sire at a Kentucky Blue Grass Stud.
Here we have two versions of the Triple Crown.
For two year olds, it is the Sydney Autumn Carnival - The Golden Slipper, The Sires Produce and the Champagne Stakes.
The Spring version moves to Melbourne for the older horses, the Caulfield Cup, the (WFA) Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup. To achieve this one, the horse becomes a "legend".
Done only once - Rising Fast(1954).
Cheers
Colin
For a second there I thought you were talking about the Presidential race over here. Unlike your dear friend (and our mutual commenter), I am very happy about the way our 'horse race' turned out. Life is good... or it least it still has the potential for being good.
ReplyDeleteBack on the subject at hand, it really is very interesting to me that one horse race is so important to a whole country. I guess the Super Bowl (US football) would be sort of the same thing.
Great post, Diane! Love the photos as well!
ReplyDeleteHubby and I too sat down and had a celebration drink together during the race but forgot to turn on the tele!
ReplyDeletewhat an interesting post, dear diane,
ReplyDeletegorgeous photos you show.
love the british feel!
have a great day~
big hugs!
What great photos, I can't take photos as good as that from the TV. I would love to see the Melbourne Cup in real life, in fact I would also like to see Melbourne. I don't think though we will be making the trip to Australia again unless we win the lottery and can afford to travel 1st class. Nigel at 6'4" can't get his legs behind the seats and I just hate the trip, last time I arrived with a migraine!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post. Keep well Diane
Looks like a good reason to celebrate! My late MIL loved horse racing and would chat about it happily for hours.
ReplyDeleteDiane do you bet on this race as well
ReplyDelete? If so how'd you do? What a large race, even the Prince himself was there, now that's something!
A final comment on the 2012 "Cup".
ReplyDeleteJust in case some of you come back to see other comments.
One of my selections, Ethiopia, seemed to have broken down as reported by me in Diane's report.
I have been in contact with a senior turf reporter, Paul Richards, who writes for a major turf paper.
He reports: "Ethiopia is fine.
He just picked up a few lacerations and was eased down.
He'll be back."
That's great news, the horse was only very lightly raced and the future looks bright - maybe 2013?
Cheers
Colin (HB)
I seem to be lucky every year with this race Diane, I picked first, second and third and believe it or not it was completely random..happens every year much to my lunch buddies disgust haha!
ReplyDeleteEven reading this several days after, you make it sound exciting!
ReplyDelete