| Group 1 race | |
.jpg) Melbourne Cup 2013 | |
| Location | Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1861 (List of Melbourne Cup winners) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Sponsor | Lexus (2022) |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3,200 m (1 mi 1,740 yd) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | A$8,410,000 (2023) |
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest two-mile handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation".[1]
The Melbourne Cup has cemented itself as a part of Melbourne and Australian culture, having been run every year since 1861 (except for an intermission during World War I and World War II). The day of the race has been a public holiday for much of Victoria since 1876.[2] It was originally run over two mi (3.219 km) but was shortened to 3,200 m (1 mi 1,740 yd) in 1972 when Australia adopted the metric system. This reduced the distance by 18.688 m (61 ft 3+3⁄4 in), and Rain Lover's 1968 race record of 3:19.1 was accordingly adjusted to 3:17.9. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3:16.3.
Due to animal cruelty, Melbourne Cup has been steadily declining in popularity, a massive amount of organisations and individuals have boycotted Melbourne Cup.[3][4] From 2014 - 2024, six horses have died in the Melbourne Cup race and 1,400 horses have died on the Australian racetracks.[5] Some brands that have boycotted Melbourne cup include Myer, David Jones and Country Road.[6]
- ^ "Melbourne Cup: how Australia's signature race lost its hold on the nation | Melbourne". The Guardian. November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ "Why is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday?". Public Record Office Victoria. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "The Slow Decline of Our Cruelest Sport". The Humane League. 20 December 2023.
- ^ "Horse racing's disregard for animal life is appalling". The Guardian. 21 April 2023.
- ^ "From fascinators to protests, this is what the Melbourne Cup means to different people". SBS News. 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Melbourne Cup: why brands are quietly distancing themselves from the 'race that stops the nation". The Guardian. 5 November 2023.