The iconic Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy took on an international flavour on Thursday, joining Miss World New Zealand 2013 Ella Liliane Langsford and New Zealand’s Next Top Model judge and Tourism Australia’s shopping and shows advocate Colin Mathura-Jeffree at a special event held at Sofitel Auckland.
Touring with the 18-carat gold Cup is Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour Ambassador and dual-Melbourne Cup winning jockey John Letts, Melbourne milliner to the stars Kim Fletcher, and Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Vice Chairman Amanda Elliott.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup, valued at A$175,000 (NZ$200,000), is in New Zealand as part of its three-month, 34 destination tour around Australasia.
Ms Elliott said she was thrilled to be accompanying the jet-setting Emirates Melbourne Cup, which travels on its own passport, across the Tasman.
“This year we received a record number of tender applications from across Australia and New Zealand to host the Tour. These tenders were of the highest quality and Auckland should feel justifiably proud to play host this year.
“The Tour has a special place in the celebrations of the great race because it allows communities from across both countries to engage with what is rightfully called ‘the People’s Cup’.
“New Zealand has played a significant role in the history of the Emirates Melbourne Cup, having supplied 42 winners of “the race that stops a nation”, most recently in 2007 with Efficient,” she said.
Notable NZ-bred winners of the famous race include Carbine (1890), the weight-carrying record holder, and the unforgettable Phar Lap (1930), the shortest priced favourite to ever win the Cup and a famous figure in Australian and New Zealand folklore.
“Carbine, Phar Lap and Makybe Diva are the most significant horses in the race’s history, and New Zealand has supplied two of the three,” Elliott said.
Since 2003, the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour has travelled more than 325,000 kilometres, visited more than 236 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations, and engaged tens of thousands of people.
The stunning 18-carat gold Emirates Melbourne Cup is crafted by Hardy Brothers Jewellers and sits upon a hand-turned Australian wattle base.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup – the race that stops a nation – is held annually on the first Tuesday of November at 3.00pm, and is watched by millions of people across the globe.
