Melbourne Cup Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of November, in 2019, on November 5. You can find the full race calendar for the day below.
As always, the main event of the day will be the Melbourne Cup itself, however, there are ten races scheduled throughout the day, and a handful is the events of Group A.
The Melbourne Cup is the world's richest two-mile Paralympic race and the largest event in the Australian calendar. The total price of $ 8 million is at stake in the Grand Race.
See all racing activities on the big day with additions, live updates and high score results.
Races run throughout the day for approximately 40 minutes, with a longer break before the Melbourne Cup to allow 24 riders and horses to compete for the trophy.
2019 Melbourne Cup Race Schedule
Race NoTime (AEDT)RaceDistance
110:55 AMDarley Ottawa Stakes1000m
211:35 AMGrinders Coffee Roasters Trophy1400m
312:10 PMTAB Trophy1700m
412:45 PMThe Maccas Run2400m
51:20 PMSchweppervessence Plate1000m
61:55 PMJim Beam Stakes1400m
73:00 PMMelbourne Cup3200m
84:00 PMFurphy Plate1800m
94:40 PMMSS Security Sprint1200m
105:15 PMThe Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes1400m
Melbourne Cup Day in Australia
Melbourne Cup Day is the best known horse race in Australia held on the first Tuesday of November each year. This event is known as the race that stops the nation.
Is Melbourne Day a holiday?
Melbourne Cobb Day is a holiday in Victoria, where it is a public holiday, schools and most businesses are closed.
Melbourne Cup Day Celebration
Melbourne Cup Day is one of Australia's most popular social and racing events. The main race is held at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria. More than 100,000 people usually attend the Flemington Racecourse. Local races are held across the country on this day and when today's main race takes place at the Flemington Racecourse, it is broadcast on screens on race tracks across Australia. The race is broadcast live to an audience of about 650 million people worldwide. Many people stop what they do just before 3 pm on the Melbourne Cup day to watch or listen to the main race, whether on television, the Internet or radio.
In races, people wear clothes: many women wear the best hats and colorful dresses, and some participate in fashion shows in the countryside. The tents are equipped for VIP guests, including local, national and international celebrities who attended the ceremony. Champagne, wine and delicious snacks are usually served on this day.
Many offices across Australia stop working near the main race time to celebrate the event. Activities include office parties including clothing and clothing competitions, lunches for restaurant staff and afternoon tea, where a TV is available for staff to watch the main race. Bets are made on this day, even those who do not usually bet try their luck with a small bet or enter a sweep, a lottery where each ticket holder is combined with a randomly drawn horse. There are some Australians who consider horse racing a cruel sport and have protested over the years. Public Life
Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday in Melbourne so many people have the day off work. Other towns and cities in Victoria can have a public holiday or 2 half-day public holidays in lieu of Melbourne Cup Day. For example, the town of Wodonga, in northern Victoria, celebrates Wodonga Gold Cup Day, on the last Friday of November.
Although it is a legal holiday in only Victoria, it is observed in many towns and cities so there may be traffic congestion near race tracks in urban areas and parking may be difficult to find in these areas.
About Melbourne Cup Day
Melbourne Cup Day has been observed in Australia since the first race was held at the Flemington Racecourse in Victoria in 1861. The race was won by Archer, who won it again the following year. The event features races, including the handicap race which is run by about 20 thoroughbreds for a couple of million Australian dollars. The story of Phar Lap, a legendary New Zealand thoroughbred who won the Melbourne Cup in 1930 and was nicknamed Australia's wonder horse, was made into a movie. Some people believe he was poisoned when he died.
The first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup Day, was officially gazetted a full public holiday in 1877 in Melbourne. While all of Melbourne's 31 metropolitan councils celebrated the first Tuesday in November, there was a gap where some regional councils had not selected an 11th public holiday. Therefore, in 2008 the Victorian Parliament passed new legislation that saw Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday for all council areas in the state except those where other holidays have been designated. This means that Melbourne Cup Day is now officially a public holiday throughout the state. There are similar races throughout Australia, as horse racing is popular, but Melbourne Cup Day is still the number one horse racing event in the country.
Read More: Melbourne Cup 2019 Field, Tips, Horses, Odds, Winners
