Have a selfie with the Melbourne Cup in SA
Hold on to your fascinators, folks! A three-handled cup that’s likely to be worth more than your house, car and your super, is on its way to SA. The three quarter of a million dollar, 18-carat-gold Melbourne Cup, has been trotting around the globe in all it’s glory and is making its way to regional SA as part of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour.
If you’re in Port Lincoln, Clare or Murray Bridge, you might get a glimpse of the famous sparkling trophy, or even get to pop on a fancy white glove and touch it for yourself!
But there’s more at stake than just a fleeting touch of gold, as the Cup makes its way to 39 destinations across six countries on the prestigious tour, from South Australia to New York, Tokyo, Dublin and London.
The Cup tour is a unique opportunity to experience the excitement leading up to the race that stops the nation on the first Tuesday in November, and each hosting regional town also gets to take part in the National Sweep, a Victorian Racing Club charity initiative which sees regional towns allocated a barrier for the Cup.
Representatives from each of the 24 destinations will be flown to Melbourne to watch the Lexus Melbourne Cup live on track at Flemington and the town which draws the barrier of the winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to put towards a charity of their choice.
Cup Tour kicks off Port Lincoln’s biggest ever racing season
The famous race holds a special place in the hearts of Port Lincoln locals. The community will welcome the Melbourne Cup Tour from 7.30am on Tuesday September 17, at the foreshore of Boston Bay, where the Makybe Diva statue proudly stands. A free breakfast will be served by the town’s Rotary Club, with barista-made coffee by the local Red Cross. There’ll be an opportunity for people to have their photo with the Cup before it makes its way to visit residents of Mathew Flinders Home – a charity greatly supported by Port Lincoln Racing Club.
The Cup Tour coincides with the opening of the Club’s racing season. A VIP luncheon, catered by 1802, includes a 2-hour drinks package, as well as guest speaker, two-time Melbourne Cup winning Jockey, Corey Brown. And not only will guests have a chance to pose with the cup, they’ll also be able to check out the new season’s talent, with the first round of barrier trials on view throughout the event. To find our more click here.
Murray Bridge hosts Gold Cup Launch
The coveted trophy bound for Flemington will be a feature of Murray Bridge Racing Club’s Gold Cup Launch on September 20. A special luncheon will celebrate the spring carnival and ramp up the excitement ahead of the 2024 Carlton Draught Murray Bridge Gold Cup, which will be held on October 12.
Sports broadcasters Matt Hill and Jason Richardson will be guest speakers at the event, as well as local trainers Dan Clark and Oopy McGillivray, who are eyeing this year’s Melbourne Cup, with brilliant stayer, The Map. Recently-retired champion Jockey, Corey Brown, will also speak at the event. Tickets are available here.
Melbourne Cup tours Clare’s wine region
The People’s Cup will tour the Clare Valley on Sunday September 22, starting at Clare Racecourse at 9.30am, before residents at Carinya Aged Care home get a chance to catch a glimpse of the golden trophy and reminisce Cup days past.
No visit to the Clare Valley would be complete without a photoshoot on the famous Riesling Trail, as the Cup makes its way to Clare Valley Wine and Tourism Centre from 2.30-4pm. Locals and visitors are welcome to drop by for a photo with the Cup before it takes centre stage just up the road at Greg Cooley Wines for a ticketed sporting night from 6pm.
The Clare Valley Racing Club has chosen a charity close to the hearts of the local community in the National Sweepstake, and if the winning barrier is drawn, $50,000 prize money will be donated to the Kade MacDonald Foundation.
Club secretary, Peter Darwin is hopeful of drawing South Aussie horse, The Map, in what would be a beautifully fitting story for the State.
To find out more about the Melbourne Cup Tour in Clare, keep your eye on Clare Valley Racing Club’s Facebook page.
