Topical 8/11/24

As most people would know, ‘The race that stops the nation’ – the Melbourne Cup was held on Tuesday, November 5. Did you know that the youngest jockey to ever win the cup was Peter St Albans riding Briseis. He was eight days short of his 12th birthday when he rode the Australian mare to victory in 1876. However, the official age required to take part in the race was 13 years of age, this was the official age recorded for him. Some other trivia – the Melbourne Cup was declared a public holiday for Victoria in 1877. In 1890 the race had 39 runners, the most throughout its history. The field is now restricted to 24 runners for safety reasons. During the Great Depression, tea and coffee service were presented instead of a trophy. In 1993 the Cup became internationalised when Vintage Crop won the race. Michelle Payne was the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015. There are over 16,000 rose bushes at Flemington, which are pruned and tied during the winter months.