Geoffs Life After Work !

Melbourne Cup 2012 First Tuesday in November

The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as “the race that stops a nation”, it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest “two-mile” handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races. Conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, the event starts at 3pm (daylight saving time) the first Tuesday in November.
The race has been held since 1861 (see list of Melbourne Cup winners) and was originally held over two miles (about 3,218 metres) but following preparation for Australia’s adoption of the metric system in the 1970s, the current race distance of 3,200 metres was established in 1972. This reduced the distance by 18.688 metres (61.31 ft), and Rain Lover’s 1968 race record of 3min.19.1sec was accordingly adjusted to 3min.17.9sec. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3min 16.3sec. At this moment in time The government are in the process of curbing pokie (one armed bandits) machines because of the hight rish of gambling addiction ,and yet this race alone takes in millions of dollars EVERYONE is encouraged to “have a bet” even school kids are allowed to watch the race during lessons ! Very contradictory eh? Being a responsible adult (yeah right !) we start our day at 10 am in The Boat Club and entertainment,dining and boozing will spread across 4 0r 5 hours until after the race SO? Cheers and Australians all have agreat winning day

November 3, 2012 - Posted by Luxxys Lovely Lived Life | Uncategorized