When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year

admin  4/10/2022
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Australians are expected to sink over $300 million into the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, but what does the horse you have bet on say about you?

ESPN horse racing expert* Mike Wise has run the numbers, read the tea leaves and had a chat to a mate that swears blind that he partied with Tom Waterhouse on Hamilton Island once.

The Melbourne Cup has been held on the first Tuesday of November every year since 1875 (except for during the Second World War, when it was run on Saturdays). Between the first running in 1861. Some general facts and figures on the Melbourne Cup:. First run in 1861 under the banner of the Victorian Turf Club and won by the Etienne de Mestre-trained Archer who beat the favourite Mormon by six lengths. The prize was 1420 pounds and the trophy a gold watch. The 1866 Melbourne Cup race was run on a Thursday, and in 1867 the Cup was run in October. It wasn’t until 1875 that the race was run on the first Tuesday of November. Although the three-handled loving cup is widely recognised as the traditional cup design, this has only been the case since 1919. The 2020 Melbourne Cup is almost upon us, and while this year it will be very different off the track, on the track it is one of the most exciting in recent memory. Melbourne Cup Fields & Odds; Since 1993, horses trained in the northern hemisphere have travelled to Melbourne each year to compete in the Melbourne Cup. In the very first year of this pilgrimage, the Irish-owned and Dermot Weld-trained Vintage Crop changed the Melbourne Cup.

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year

Forget the form guide. Below is the true insight into the 2019 Melbourne Cup field.

Cup

*Not a real expert.

1. CROSS COUNTER

Number one. You got one horse into the form guide and decided that dedicating too much thought to this was a waste of time. Cross Counter will be popular with people who like fries, margarita pizzas, Coca-Cola and other first-on-the-menu items.

2. MER DE GLACE

Congratulations, you've picked the bookies' favourite. You're probably also a Patriots fan.

3. MASTER OF REALITY

Don't be fooled by the name -- this is the fantasists pick. Why? This is Melbourne Cup number 17 for jockey Frankie Dettori, who is yet to ride a winner.

4. MIRAGE DANCER

Mirage Dancer's third-place finish in the Caulfield Cup had a distinct 'bronze is better than silver' vibe to it. Mediocrity, maybe a place, is this horse's destiny.

5. SOUTHERN FRANCE

Voted by its peers as 'the horse most likely to be scratched,' Southern France is perhaps the most nondescript, anonymous horse out there. Most likely a winner then.

6. HUNTING HORN

Ah yes the mating call of Flemington. Woo girls and frat boys (YIEW!) will be sounding their hunting horns to cheer on this Aidan O'Brien-trained bolter. Stay clear unless you plan on walking home from your Melbourne Cup festivities barefoot, carrying your shoes.

7. LATROBE

The only people backing Latrobe are alums, people from MALbourne, or those keen on taking down horse number 19. More on that later.

8. MUSTAJEER

Mustajeer not wearing mustard feels like a real missed opportunity. Instead, Damien Oliver will be donning the 'lucky' horseshoe. This will bring zero luck to Mustajeer or its fans -- 15th place at best.

9. ROSTROPOVICH

The results are in ... daytime TV fans are investing heavily in Rostropovich, of the Maury Povich stable. DNA tests will be needed later to prove that Rostropovich's dad really is Frankel.

10. TWILIGHT PAYMENT

Named after the reparations owed to society for the Twilight saga movies, Twilight Payment an excellent choice for a winner -- kudos to those who have picked it. A triumph here and the debt owed to us all for Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 will be forgiven.

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year 2019

12. FINCHE

Exactly like his namesake, Australia's ODI cricket captain Aaron Finch, Finche is a boom or bust type horse. Those that have backed this horse can expect a duck or to be kissing the badge at the end of the race. Flip a coin.

12. PRINCE OF ARRAN

Eagle-eyed punters will have noticed that this horse ran in last year's Melbourne Cup under the name 'A Prince of Arran.' Losing a whole A should be a weight off this horse's shoulders but, then again, do horses have shoulders?

13. RAYMOND TUSK

Isn't Raymond Tusk some sort of eccentric billionaire that dabbles in philanthropy and round-the-world air balloon races? He's mad as a hatter, but that won't help him in a running race against actual horses. Our pick: dead last but enjoying every minute of it.

14. DOWNDRAFT

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year 2020

Kitted out in Parra colours, Downdraft clearly peaked in the early 80s -- just like anyone who fancies this horse as a winner.

15. MAGIC WAND

Those in the know say that Magic Wand will start the Melbourne Cup well before fading -- which is, of course, complete nonsense. If there's one certainty that this column can offer, it's that Magic Wand will stay completely opaque throughout the whole race.

16. NEUFBOSC

Always a fan of the underdog, thrill-seekers will have sought out the horse with the longest odds: Neufbosc. Unfortunately, this cheese-eating surrender monkey has no chance of staging an upset.

17. SOUND

Sound's name just lends itself to too many corny headlines. Stay clear unless you really, really like dad jokes.

18. SURPRISE BABY

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year Every

Described as a 'lightly raced stayer' by most outlets, which is basically real-estate speak for a real fixer-upper. Either way, Surprise Baby is a work in progress -- a 'glad to be part of the day' type.

19. CONSTANTINOPLE

History buffs will be all over Constantinople. SMARTER history buffs will know to stay clear because the fall of Constantinople was because of the enlightenment, aka universities, aka horse No. 7. Simples.

20. IL PARADISO

This horse is likely named after a cocktail that has too much Malibu in it. Most people should stay well clear of backing Il Paradiso, unless super sweet, fake coconuts are your thing.

21. STEEL PRINCE

Savvy punters will know that despite all the 'information' in the 'form guide' this horse actually hails from Newcastle and the jockey is Joey Johns. Guaranteed to be a winner.

22. THE CHOSEN ONE

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year

So you've picked The Chosen One as your chosen one? Could you be any more basic?

23. VOW AND DECLARE

Michael Jordan, David Beckham, LeBron James and ... Vow and Declare? Punters who backed horse 23 will be dancing like Shane Warne with a stump in his hand if this gelding gets up.

When Is The Melbourne Cup Run Each Year Since

24. YOUNGSTAR

What Time Is The Melbourne Cup Run This Year

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HORSES IN THIS RACE?!? Youngstar ran sixth last year and clearly has been wheeled out again to make up the numbers. A 'roughie' is the nice way to describe it.