The Melbourne Cup is the most famous horse race in Australia and one of the richest thoroughbred races in the entire world. Raced over 3200 metres by horses three years old and over, this great event is the major highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Hosted every year at Flemington Racecourse, the Melbourne Cup truly is “the race that stops a nation”.

With a history that stretches back to 1861, many of Australia’s most elite horses have won this event. Archer won the inaugural race in front of an estimated crowd of 4000 people, in a race that was eventful to say the least. With one horse bolting before the start and seventeen starters falling during the race, two of which died, the Melbourne Cup got off to a rather inauspicious start.

The Melbourne Cup quickly became popular with racing fans, however, with 100,000 people in attendance by 1880. The Cup was originally held on a Thursday, moving to its Tuesday timeslot in 1875 and remaining that way ever since except for a few years during the Second World War. While a number of great horses have won the Melbourne Cup over the years, perhaps the most famous winner was Phar Lap in 1930, who became the shortest priced favourite to win this event.

Some of the other champions who have won the Melbourne Cup over the years include Carbine in 1890, Peter Pan in 1932 and 1934, Comic Court in 1950, Rising Fast in 1954, Rain Lover in 1968 and 1969, Kiwi in 1983, Vintage Crop in 1993, Might and Power in 1997, and Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In the last few years, winners include Viewed in 2008, Shocking in 2009, Americain in 2010, Dunaden in 2011, and Green Moon in 2012.

The last decade has been an eventful one for the Melbourne Cup, with a number of historic races and events taking place. Makybe Diva became the only horse to win the race three times in 2005, Bart Cummings took his 12th victory as a trainer in 2008, and French horse Dunaden crossed the finish line first in the closest finish ever in 2011.

The Melbourne Cup is more than just a horse race, with this special event surrounded by a rich and vibrant culture. Off-the-track attractions include ‘Fashions On The Field” and a variety of musical entertainment, with celebrity guests, fine dining, and flowers also playing a special role in “the race that stops a nation”. The Melbourne Cup is held on the first Tuesday of November each year, with this single day of racing the major highlight of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival each year.

‘Fashions On The Field’ is an important part of the Melbourne Cup, with great prizes on offer for the best-dressed man and woman. Everyone makes an effort in the fashion stakes for the Melbourne Cup, with Flemington transformed into a fashion capital for the day. Elegant hats and fascinators also play a big role on the day, with women taking the opportunity to wear their most outlandish and spectacular head-ware.

If anything can compete with the fashion culture which surrounds the Melbourne Cup each year, it would be the flower displays that adorn Flemington Racecourse. Flowers, especially roses, are a vital part of Melbourne Cup Day, with no expense spared in making Flemington Racecourse beautiful. There are around 12,000 roses in the racecourse grounds, with 200 separate varieties looked after by a team of up to 12 gardeners. Each of the major racedays at Flemington has an official flower, and for the Melbourne Cup it is the Yellow Rose.

Thoroughbred racing culture is as rich and vibrant as ever, with this one event continuing to capture the imagination of the entire nation. In the Melbourne metropolitan area, Melbourne Cup Day has been a public holiday since 1877, with the rest of the country known to stop for long lunches and special events. It has been estimated that 80 percent of the Australian population places a bet on the Melbourne Cup each year, with the popularity of this great race continuing to expand all over the world.

In the news:

French jockey Christophe Lemaire has returned to Australia as a Melbourne Cup winner, feeling like a movie star, and with a second Cup victory in sight.

Two years ago he flew into Melbourne as a late replacement for the suspended Craig Williams on Dunaden and won the Melbourne Cup in the tightest finish in history.

Lemaire, who is back to partner another French horse Verema, soaked up the pre-race atmosphere in the annual Cup parade in Melbourne on Monday.

“I have great memories (of 2011) but everything went very fast because I arrived just the day before the race and I left the day after so I couldn’t enjoy the real excitement of the race, especially with the crowd and Melbourne city,” Lemaire said.

“So I’m glad to be here today and to be part of this big event.

“For the European guys, we are not used to live this kind of event for horse racing. So today we are like stars, or movie stars, or big sportsmen. For us it’s quite different than in Europe.”

Lemaire has only had one ride at Flemington and should things go as he hopes, it will be two from two come Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m very confident with her because she’s a Group Two winner in France and she stays very well the trip,” Lemaire said of Verema.

“She’s tough and very mature for this kind of race. She likes fast ground so she’s got a lot of positive points.

“There’s 23 other runners in the race so the trip will be very important. I’ll try to give her a smooth race and if she has a smooth run she’s able to accelerate very well and has a good dash at the end. So we can expect her to run a big race.”

Lemaire was called on to ride Dunaden in 2011 after Craig Williams failed in an appeal against a careless riding suspension.

He rates this year’s race a more open field than two years ago.

Both Dunaden and Red Cadeaux, who fought out the finish in 2011, are back for Tuesday’s $6.2 million race along with seven other internationally-trained horses.

Lemaire said Dunaden and Verema were “quite similar”.

“They are both very good stayers and have very good acceleration at the end. A very good finish,” he said.

“Maybe they have the same quality. Dunaden won, so very much she can win also.”