The Melbourne Cup

Results are here!

The $5 million (Australian) Emirates Melbourne Cup (G1) is the world's most famous 2 mile race, and is the "Race That Stops a Nation", as millions of Australians tune into the race on the first Tuesday in November, on television and on radio, as up to 24 runners contest the 3200 meters (about 2 miles) on the turf at Flemington Racecourse, under handicap conditions, before crowds of up to 120,000. The race was originally run at 2 miles but when Australia converted to the metric system, the 1972 running was the first contested at its current 3200 meters. The Melbourne Cup is to Australia what the Kentucky Derby is to America.

The already famous race earned an even larger international following in 2005, when mare Makybe Diva became the only three-time winner of the race of either gender, after already setting the record as the only mare to win it twice. After the third win, her trainer Lee Freedman said, "Go and find the youngest child on the course, because that's the only person here who will have a chance of seeing this happen again in their lifetime." She was promptly retired after the race and had a colt by English Derby winner Galileo. Other than Makybe Diva, the race's most famous winner is Phar Lap, who captured the 1930 running, the highlight of a career when he won 32 of 35 starts. In 2006, Delta Blues became the first Japanese trained horse to capture the famous three-handled loving cup, with Pop Rock completing the all-Japan exacta. The current stakes record time is 3:16.30 set by Kingston Rule in 1990.

Post positions were drawn on Saturday afternoon and the full field with program numbers and post positions is listed below. Coolmore representative Scorpion wss listed as the 58.5 kg (129 lb) highweight but he was scratched after pulling up lame in a workout on Tuesday. American-bred Tawqeet, winner of the Caulfield Cup (G1), will carry 56.5 kg (125 lb) from post position 3 and is the current favorite in the future books. He is owned by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, who just won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Lahudood.

The Melbourne Cup is carded as race 7 of a 10 race card at Flemington on Tuesday, November 6, going to post at 3 PM local time. Racing fans in North America can watch the race at simulcast locations on Monday night, November 5, with the Cup going off at 11:00 PM ET.

• 2007 Melbourne Cup field information - All the horses running where each horse name links to a form guide (past performances) and photos for that horse.
• Melbourne Cup official site - Everything you could want to know about the race from who is running to history.
• Here comes the Melbourne Cup - A nice overview from Larry Rivera the About.com guide to Australia for Visitors.
• Past Melbourne Cup Winners - With jockey, trainer, age, post, and other info for each year.
• Melbourne Cup History - A look at the history of Australia's biggest race of the year, first run in 1861.
• Melbourne Cup Facts and Stats - Interesting trivia about the Melbourne Cup.
• History of the Trophy - A look back at the various trophies used over the years at the Melbourne Cup up to the current three-handled one.
• Australian Racing - Lots of info including free program pages with past performances when available, handicapping contest, trivia, analysis of contenders, and where to wager in the US. Photos and possibly video after the race is over. Aimed at the US simulcast market.
• The Race That Stops a Nation - An interesting article about the Melbourne Cup from Highflyer International.
• Phar Lap: Australia's Wonder Horse - lots of photos and info about Phar Lap from the Museum Victoria.