The Race that stops a Nation

Today was Melbourne Cup and as usual, Australia came to a grinding halt. It amazes me how horse racing mad the Aussies are when it comes to this annual event. Not that everyone watches the race - its more an excuse get out of work, dress up and get totally pissed. Not to mention a bit of gambling too. Our bosses were in Melbourne, watching the race first hand. The rest of us went for a slap up buffet lunch on the harbour. Here I am with Kate Best and Kate Bofman.

And here's Mark who is leaving us in a couple of weeks. Very sad.
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Some facts about the Melbourne Cups

• Started in 1861 (Melbourne was only discovered in 1833)
• The cup is always held on the first Tuesday in November
• The race is 3200 meters long
• Since 1877, the day of the Melbourne Cup has been declared a public holiday in Victoria. Its a virtual holiday everywhere else in the country too.
• In 1930, the famous Phar Lap (some would say the best racing horse to ever live) won the Cup as the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race at 11/8.
• The Melbourne Cup trophy is a stunning 18 carat gold trophy valued at $80,000.
• The fastest time for the race is 3 minutes, 16.3 seconds. That's an average speed of 59 km per hour!