Melbourne Cup 2015: Horses, fashion and food to star at the race that stops the nation
More than 100,000 racegoers are expected to descend on Flemington for the 155th Melbourne Cup, but despite the dry weather forecast there are concerns a 'soft and sticky' section of the track could cause trouble for jockeys and their mounts.
Worth $6.2 million, the jump for the world's richest handicap race is scheduled for 3:00pm (AEDT), with nine other races also featured throughout the day.
The cup field of 24 is once again dominated by overseas entrants, with Fame Game and Trip to Paris leading the charge.
The coveted prize itself, an 18-carat gold cup, is worth $175,000.
The weather forecast has been kind to punters with a mostly sunny and dry day expected, reaching a top of 22 degrees.
Racing Victoria handicapper Greg Carpenter said conditions were promising.
"It's a beautiful, sunny day in Melbourne, so I think we're going to deliver a very even playing field today for the 24 horses that have come from all over the world," he said.
"I think we've been really lucky this year, one of the Melbourne journalists said yesterday it's the greatest race ever run in Australia.
"We lost Mongolian Khan, the Caulfield Cup winner going through, but apart from that we have all the great winners of the major staying races in Europe.
"All the 13 Australian-trained horses go into the race in really good form too so it's one of the most competitive races that we've had.
"I'm surprised that the favourite Fame Game is so popular in betting. He's bit shorter than I thought he would be."
Track controversy as 'slow lane' develops
There has been some controversy around the condition of the Flemington track today, with a so-called 'slow lane' developing after wet conditions in the lead-up.
ABC Grandstand's Gerard Whateley said it was "unacceptable".
"This is a blight on the potential for the Melbourne Cup," he said.
"The width of the track, the inside 10 metres, so the six horses across the tackle race, that's the best part of the track.
"Then there is an actual slow line which is softer and sticker than the rest of the track, between 10 metres and 14 metres.
"This will be a no-go zone. If you think about the Melbourne Cup when they come around the turn and all fan and use the full expanse of the track, there is a four-metre block where it will be quicksand.
"Outside of that is slower. This is terrible. There are 24 horses who want to be where six horses can run."
Whateley said it could even become dangerous as the jockeys vied to stay in the one 10-metre section of the track.
"This is the section where the horses worked on Tuesday morning which it's done every year, they aerated the track and I presumed it rained at the wrong moment," he said.
"We have a slow lane down the middle. For all the possibilities of a Melbourne Cup, you don't expect that. Honestly, that's not on."
Tributes flow for 'Cups King' Cummings
It will be the first Spring Carnival since the death of one of Australia's greatest trainers, Bart Cummings, who passed away in August.
It is 50 years since the 'Cups King' won the first of his 12 cups, with Light Fingers in 1965.
Race three has been named in his honour, and there will be a number of other tributes throughout the day.
His grandson, and trainer in his own right, James Cummings, said the family had been touched by the tributes over the past week.
"Bart used to run horses in that race. He used to call it something like the concession stakes, for horses that weren't going to be good enough to run in the Melbourne Cup," he said.
Fashion the focus for many cup day revellers
Cup day is a public holiday for much of Victoria, with some regional and rural areas opting to take their local race day instead, with office sweeps and bets amongst friends a mainstay of celebrations.
Australians like to have a flutter during the cup festivities, with a reported $296.4 million wagered on Melbourne Cup Day and a total of $582.7 million bet over the four day carnival in 2014.
The number of full-time employees who call in sick the next day jumps by 25 per cent, according to the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
The 2014 cup carnival generated $374.2 million of gross economic benefit to the state, according to figures supplied by the Victorian Government, and attracted visitors from 43 countries.
A study by business consultancy IER found more than 18,000 staff and contractors were hired at Flemington in the lead-up to and during the event.
Off the track, race day is one of the city's premier fashion events, with the hotly contested Fashions on the Field often attracting as much interest as the races themselves.
Unlike Derby Day, where tradition sees racegoers stick to black and white, there is no limitations to colour and creativity.
Last year 375,938 fashion items were bought for the Spring, including 75,000 hats and fascinators, 61,000 dresses, 59,000 pairs of shoes, 30,000 handbags, 17,000 shirts and 15,000 suits.
Oysters, scones, party pies on the Flemington menu
There is also plenty of focus on food and drinks, from picnics on the lawn to the exclusive members area.
Eating at the Spring Racing Carnival:
- 5,000kg of meat and poultry eaten over four days
- 5,200kg of seafood
- 32,000 scones and 75,000 party pies
- 72,000 glasses of champagne and sparkling wine
- 180 people dedicated to filling alcohol fridges each day
A corporate suite in the Hill Stand can cost up to $44,000 for the day.
Acclaimed chefs Ben Shewry and Shane Delia will be among those cooking up a storm in the celebrity marquees.
Over the four days of the racing carnival, 75,000 party pies, 15,000 oysters and 32,000 scones will be consumed.
US-based owner of Max Dynamite, Rich Ricci, said he was amazed at how the whole country got involved in the cup spirit.
"It's incredible. To have a runner here is a real thrill, it's a treat. We just don't have anything like this at home," he said.
Source: ABC News, Stephanie Chalkley-Rhoden, 3rd November 2015
Originally published as: Melbourne Cup 2015: Horses, fashion and food to star at the race that stops the nation
