Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is the richest horse race in Australia and Oceania, and one of the most lucrative in the world. " The race did stops a nation " is held every year on the first Tuesday in November ( in the Australian spring ) on the Flemington Racecourse to the north of Melbourne normally before a crowd of 100,000 instead. Thoroughbreds from 3 years through the unusually long 3.2 km flat route ( Group1 test) on turf.

From 1861 onwards, the race was held as a handicap race ( with weight allowance ) over two miles, 1972, the distance because of the adoption of the decimal system was slightly shortened to 3,200 meters. From 1877, the day on the outskirts of Melbourne was declared a public holiday. Nowadays, the race is part of the good month-long Spring Racing Carnival. On Thursday, after the Melbourne Cup Day, there is another big race, that is Crown Oaks ( Oaks Day), this day is also known as Ladies Day. The total prize money for the Melbourne Cup itself is now about 6 million A $, of which more than half goes to the winner. This is much more than about the Kentucky Derby, but less than the accrued over a shorter distance Dubai World Cup, the Melbourne Cup is therefore "only" is the most lucrative long- distance race in the world. The course record set in 1990 Kingston Rule 3 Minutes 16 seconds. The years 2003 to 2005 saw for the first time a triple winner Makybe Diva with four horses had previously won twice.