Australia Comes to a Standstill on “Cup Day”
(Last undated Nov. 7, 2007)
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Efficient crosses line a half length ahead of Purple Moon (SMH) |
Meanwhile at the local pub in Brunswick….
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Eleanor counts the $30 she won in a raffle while granddad Bill and Uncle Ned watch the race on TV. Eleanor didn’t seem very interested in the famous Melbourne Cup Race, and why would she since she had already won more than anyone else at the table did by throwing money at the bookmaker at the bar. Last seen, Eleanor was chewing on a $20 note until Mum took it away for safekeeping. When asked what she intended to do with her ill-gotten gains, Eleanor said, “Buy lollies!” All the action was at the Lomond Hotel, a pub in Brunswick, and the place rocked with screaming punters urging on their horses and the bartenders furiously tried to keep up with the demand for more pots of ale. (Photo by Jacob) |
Tilly with the bottle of bubbly she won in the fancy dress contest (Photo by Jacob) |
Eleanor and Tilly on a balcony at the Brunswick pub where we all watched the Melbourne Cup Race. The girls had a great time, along with their little cousin, Esme, who came with her dad, Ned (Photo by Jacob) |
Australia is the only country I know of that has a national holiday for a horse race, but in this sports-mad place that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. The famous Melbourne Cup race, which is the highlight of a “Spring Carnival” of racing each year, is equivalent to the Kentucky Derby in the U.S., except that just about everything grinds to a halt all over the country and a goodly portion of our 20 million people have their eyes glued on TV screens as the 3-year-olds gallop around the 3,200-meter grass track at Flemington Racecourse for the $5 million prize.
The Melbourne Cup, which is widely considered to be the most prestigious “two –mile” handicap race in the world, was first run in 1876, and the following year it was officially gazetted as a full public holiday. Crowds of over 100,000 fill the sprawling Flemington grandstands (in 2003 the attendance was 122,736) and showing up in fancy and exotic hats for the ladies is almost as important as what’s happening on the track.
For those who decide not to go to the track, turning out to the local pub is the thing to do on Cup Day. That’s what Alma and I did when we joined Lisa, Jacob, Tilly, Eleanor and Jacob’s brother, Ned, at the Lomond Hotel, in Brunswick, yesterday to cheer on our favorites. The day started well for Tilly, who won first prize (a bottle of sparkling wine) in the fancy dress contest, and for Eleanor (age 3), who won $30 in a raffle. Already somewhat subdued by the kiddies’ good fortune, the rest of us placed our bets without high expectations of winning. Mostly, our expectations were met. Although I picked two of the three top finishers in the Trifecta, I didn’t have very much to show for it because I didn’t have any money on the Melbourne-owned Efficient, who surprised everybody and won the race by half a length. Efficient was the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup a year after winning the Victoria Derby since the legendary Phar Lap did it in 1930. Alma won a few bucks on Purple Moon, who finished second, and Tilly won $2.39 on her pick.
But the pleasure, of course, was in the colorful race-day atmosphere at the pub, which was packed with screaming punters, excited children, women dressed to the Nines and the usual bar flies, drunks, weirdoes and other locals. That’s what pubs are for, right?
Following are some more photos, some taken by Jacob and a few nicked by me from the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age websites.
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Tilly, in Cup Day hat, and her Mum arrive at theLomon Hotel pub for the Melbourne Cup festivities. This is a tradition is sports-crazy Australia and the kids have as much fun as their Mums and Dads, but they don’t lose as much money. |
Another durable tradition at the Melbourne Cup race (The Age) |
Jockey Michal Rodd and Efficient celebrate a win (SMH)
Fancy dressers ride the tram to Flemington track (Age) |
