Melbourne Cup

Known as "the race that all Australia stops for," the Melbourne Cup is held on the first Tuesday in November. It was first run in 1861 (receiving very little publicity) and has since grown into the biggest all-age handicap in the world.

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The Cup crowns Melbourne's six-week-long Spring Racing Carnival and is a rite of spring for the city. The whole season is an extravaganza of fun, fashion and horseflesh--a great way to shake off winter. The carnival begins in early October and runs until the end of November, with horseraces such as the Cranbourne Cup, the Caulfield Guineas, the Manangatang Cup, the Moe Cup, the Werribee Cup, the Mt. Wycheproof Cup and the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

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On Melbourne Cup Day, Flemington Race Course becomes a sea of colour and extravagant hats from one end to the other. People start arriving at 8 am and continue to pour in until the race starts after 3 pm. By that time, up to 100,000 will have turned up to watch the great event. Some men arrive in tails and top hats; others in wilder gear, such as tails and football shorts.