The race that stops a nation – This is the most popular moniker for the Melbourne Cup. Also known to many as the Cup, the Melbourne Cup is Australia’s largest annual horse race. The best thoroughbred horse runners from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world compete over 3,200 metres. It is also the most prestigious horse race in the world for its given distance, with prize money reaching up to AUD5.5 million in 2008. More than 150,000 flock to the Melbourne Cup racecourse for the week-long carnival and for the day of the race. An additional 700 million watch on television all over the world and a few million more go online and make their wager for the Melbourne Cup.
Flemington Racecourse
| The Flemington Racecourse is the most popular and oldest metropolitan horse racing track in Australia and the setting for the prestigious Melbourne Cup every first Tuesday of November. The course is located on low alluvial flats with the Maribyrnong River next to it. The low lying field is complemented by the hill surrounding the racetrack so that spectators can get a good view of the race.
The Flemington Racecourse represents the strong Melburnian and Australian heritage. The first race meeting held in Flemington was on the rough river flats near the Maribyrnong River in 1840. In 2006, Flemington Racecourse was enlisted in the National Heritage List as a centre for traditional and cultural celebration and being one of the few sport venues that displays the passion of a nation. |
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Spring Racing Carnivals
Aside from being the official Melbourne Cup Racecourse, Flemington is also renowned for its Spring racing carnival, which is considered the best racing festival in the world. The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the most interesting time of the year for horse racing, since almost all Group One races in Melbourne are held during the carnival. The Spring Racing Carnival is scheduled as such to make way for football and cricket seasons, which are equally popular to Australians. During the Spring Racing Carnival, football and cricket take a back seat as Australian fans and punters shift their interest to horse racing.
The Spring Carnival is one of the few events in the world that captures the attention of the most uninterested fans of the sport. Low-stake casual gambling for carnival races is available all over the nation like random lotteries and straight wagers.
Casual Games For The Carnival
During the carnival, dorm rooms and office corners play a wager game called Sweep. In this game, each participant pays a small fee to the money pool then draws the name of a horse just like a raffle. The winner of the pot is the participant that drew the winning horse. Small prizes are also given to participants that drew placegetters and the last-placed horse. Sweep is an exciting game for many casual punters because each participant ends up rooting for the horse that they have drawn without knowing who the best horses from the race are. Office corners and dorm rooms are very noisy with every major race.
A more complex and riskier form of sweep is the “Calcutta”. The game is mainly played in fundraising events and community meets. In this game, the participants set a wager and draw a ticket of a random horse. Then, the participants can trade their tickets to other participants or other bidders for a higher value.
Race Meetings in Flemington
The Flemington Racecourse schedules races alongside the Caulfield Racecourse, Geelong Racecourse, and Moone Valley Racecourse. The Flemington Spring Racing Carnival attracts the most attention from the media and the community among all Spring Racing carnivals.
The Flemington carnival starts with the Victoria Derby on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup. This race is a set-weight competition for three-year-old horses and serves as the preview for horses competing in the Melbourne Cup four days after.
The Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday following the Victoria Derby. This day of is a public holiday in Melbourne and watched by millions of fans and punters in Australia and around the world. Other races held during the Flemington Spring Carnival include Victoria Racing Club Oaks held on the Thursday immediately after the Melbourne Cup, and the Victoria Racing Club Stakes held every Saturday after the Oaks. The Oaks is traditionally called the “ladies’ day” while the Stakes is called as the “family day”.
Aside from hosting the most exciting horse racing events in Australia, Flemington is also known for its streams of beautiful roses which lined up in a mounting enclosure around the track. These roses are in full bloom in time for the Spring race carnivals serving as a nice backdrop for the winning post. The Flemington Racecourse is also known for the “straight six” – a stretch of the track that runs a straight 1200 metres joining the course proper.
Melbourne Cup Racecourse Venues
There are many venues within Flemington that guests can look forward to during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Some of the best venues include the Chairman’s Club, the Gallery, Hill Stand Corporate Suites, Panorama Restaurant, the Peak, and Saintly Place Restaurant. Most of these venues offer a direct angle to the whole racecourse while providing the luxuries and amenities for VIPs.
The Melbourne Cup racecourse attracts new and old punters from around the globe with the high profile races happening here. You can find the latest odds and lines, as well as the best betting options for the Melbourne Cup from top horse racing websites. Once you register, you can view the latest news and make your finals bets before the start of the race.
Travelling to Flemington Racecourse
Here are your transport options if you want to know how to get to Flemington Racecourse:
Train:
The nearest train station is the Flemington Racecourse Station on the Flemington Racecourse Line. The station is at the gates to Flemington Racecourse. Visit the Metlink website to plan your journey to Flemington Racecourse via train.
Tram:
Flemington Racecourse is stop 29 on the 57 tram (City/Elizabeth St to West Maribyrnong). Visit the Metlink website to plan your journey to Flemington Racecourse via tram.
Car:
Flemington Racecourse is located at 400 Epsom Rd in Flemington, about 5kms north west of the Melbourne CBD. It should only take you 15 minutes to get there. There is limited parking at the venue, and parking costs apply. It is suggested that visitors seek public transport options on big race days.
