The History Of The Melbourne Cup

Most Australians know of the importance of the Melbourne Cup in our culture but few know how it all came about – how our nation has fallen in love with the event that ’stops our nation’ in its tracks. Our information on Melbourne Cup will shed some light on the Melbourne Cup history and how it all began.

Melbourne Cup history:



The very first Melbourne Cup took place in 1861 was two miles long and the brainchild of Captain Frederick Standish. Standish, a one time VRC Chairman and former a former Chief Commissioner of Victoria’s Police force founded the race with the intention to add a little prize-money to the mix to entice people to take part.

It was the Victoria Turf Cub’s quest to put on a “good handicap” to rival its ‘enemy,’ the Victoria Jockey Club.Today it is clear to all fans that those early visions have contributed to be one of the biggest events in the world on the yearly sporting calendar.

The race conditions for that very first race stated “a sweepstakes of 20 sovereigns, 10 sovereigns forfeit or 5 sovereigns if declared, with 200 sovereigns added money.” Archer was the first horse ever to have won the Melbourne Cup in front of an estimated 4,000 spectators.

Flemington became ‘the place to be’ for society conscious Australians:
After the somewhat subdued start of the Melbourne Cup due to coinciding with the death of Wills and Burke the race considerable gained attention year after year and things really started to heat up thanks to the efforts of Robert Cooper Bagot, the first Secretary of the VRC.

By 1880, some 100,000 spectators made the journey to Flemington. They came to witness Grand Flaneur win Australia’s greatest race prize. Back then Melbourne had a population of only 290,000, therefore the attendance figures were huge. It was in the middle of the gold rush period that created many rich Melbournians in the process, giving them ample funds to wager some of their money on a horse.

The rest as they say ‘is history.’

Information on Melbourne Cup fashion and trends:
With money came fashion and trends that have excited and amused track visitors for ages. Fashion On The Field is one of the biggest attractions on Cup day in this day and age with substantial prizes awarded for the best-dressed woman and man.

One of the most obvious fashion attires are the hats of all sizes and shapes. Elegant hats have become synonym with Melbourne Cup day and keep the local milliners in business.

Flowers are also strongly associated with Melbourne Cup history and each race at Flemington has its own flower:

* Victoria Derby Day has the Corn Flower,
* Melbourne Cup Day has the Yellow Rose,
* Oaks Day has the Pink Rose
* Stakes Day goes to the Red Rose

Money waged by keen betters:
It seems that the Cup has made us keen betters as was unveiled in 2000 when an estimated 80 percent of our population waged a bet on the race. Most of us think nothing of placing a bet on a horse or a sweep stake in order to win some money.

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Why Thoroughbred horses are raced?
Thoroughbreds are known thanks to horse racing around the world, not just in the Melbourne Cup. The word “thoroughbred” can be used to refer to a purebred horse, but technically speaking it refers to the Thoroughbred breed only. This breed is considered to be hot-blooded, full of spirit, speed and agility to boost.

Those attributes alone make a Thoroughbred the ideal horse for horse racing. These animals love to race -it’s in their blood. You could see them as the Lamborghini of horses, keen to put their power into gear.

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Related posts:

1. 5 Closest Finishes of the Melbourne Cup, Ever
2. A Melbourne Cup Retrospective
3. A brief synopsis of the Melbourne Cup
4. Melbourne Cup 2009 Best Bet to Win
5. Profound Beauty What Will Happen To Her Now?

 

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