Melbourne Cup November 1st 2022
Melbourne Cup Day is Australia’s most famous sporting event which has been dubbed, “the race which stops a nation.” The 162nd Melbourne Cup sits at the pinnacle of the Australian horse racing calendar and is one of the richest prizes in Australian sport, contested by horses from all over the world. Many people spend the day at Flemington, dressed in all their finery, soaking up the atmosphere in marquees, the Birdcage or just picnicking on the lawn.
The first Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse was held in 1861 and Robert Cooper Bagot, the founding secretary, encouraged people to attend, offering its members free tickets for the ladies. Bagot even lobbied the State Government to support the Melbourne Cup, and his efforts paid dividends. Melbourne Cup soon became an official public holiday.
There have been some incredible winning Melbourne Cup horses over the years including Phar Lap who won 37 of the 51 races he entered and then went on to win the Cup in 1930.
Makybe Diva was the winner of the 2003, 2004, 2005 Melbourne Cup and broke the record for most Cup wins. Whilst the racing carnival is touted as an important event on the Spring racing calendar, it is important to note that Racing Victoria has recently announced a new global safety benchmark for horses competing in the Spring Racing Carnival. The initiatives which have been introduced will ensure the safety of jockeys and horses and deliver a safer Melbourne Cup, one that all Australians can continue to enjoy and be proud of.
Here are some great resources to help you enjoy The Melbourne Cup Carnival!
Life As I Know It by Michelle Payne
In Life As I Know It, Michelle Payne tells her deeply moving story. It will lift your spirits, stir your heart and give you courage. Michelle was put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to win the Melbourne Cup. At thirty she rode into history as the first female jockey to win the Cup. It was a moment that inspired everyone who dreams of beating the odds.
Also Available as: eBook (Libby), eAudio (Borrowbox).
This book was made into the spectacular movie "Ride Like a Girl". You can watch it on DVD, as well as on Kanopy streaming.
Makybe Diva by Trevor Marshallsea
This is the story of a once-in-a-lifetime horse who would surpass all the rest. Before Winx, before Black Caviar, there was an incredible, mould-breaking mare who won the hearts of the nation and added the most fantastic chapter of all to the story of its greatest race. Makybe Diva didn't just win one Melbourne Cup. She won three, in successive years, seizing Australia's attention during a wild spring of 2005 by completing a hat-trick deeply etched in the nation's folklore. This is her story, with all the colour and excitement the most extraordinary racing story can deliver.
Horses of the World by Elise Rousseau
Horses of the World is a comprehensive, large-format overview of 570 breeds of domestic and extant wild horses, including hybrids between the two and between domestic breeds and other equids, such as zebras. This beautifully illustrated and detailed guide covers the origins of modern horses, anatomy and physiology, variation in breeds, and modern equestrian practices. The treatment of breeds is organized by country within broader geographical regions-from Eurasia through Australasia and to the Americas.
The big book of Australian racing stories : great tales of the turf from Jorrocks to Black Caviar by Jim Haynes
Jim Haynes loves the sport of kings nearly as much as he loves bush yarns, and in this volume he brings these two great loves together in the biggest book of Australian racing stories ever.
Also available as: Audiobook (MP3), eBook (Borrow Box), Audiobook (CD).
