You won’t believe are true!
If you haven't heard of the Melbourne Cup, then you must be living under a pile of horse apples.
This is the biggest and most highly prized horse racing event in Australia and one of the most prestigious in the world. But even a race this big has its oddities – its strange moments, odd truths and peculiarities. Do you want to know what they are?
Then read on, because we've got some of the weirdest Melbourne Cup facts for you right here!
It all began in the 19th century
The Melbourne Cup is an old race. And the very first event took place all the way back in 1861.
The winning jockey's name was John Cutts and he rode his horse, Archer, to victory. John Cutts and Archer then backed up in 1862 for another win and so became the first multiple winners of the great race. Not a bad start!
Attendees drink a staggering amount of alcohol
Fashion and betting are two of the main attractions of the Melbourne Cup, but for many it's all about the drinking. Want proof?
According to a recent study on alcohol sales during the Melbourne Cup, we drink approximately the equivalent of 25 million Olympic swimming pools of alcohol on race day, which is pretty wild when you think about it.
Barrier 18 is the bogie barrier
You might think that all barriers are created equal. Sadly, that's not the case. In fact, there have been zero winners from barrier 18 in the Melbourne Cup since 1924.
That's a whole 92 years of bad luck!
On the opposite side of this fact are barriers 9 and 12 – each of which has produced 11 winners. As for the number 18 saddlecloth, there have only been two Melbourne Cup winners. This means that the chances of a win when your horse is associated with 18 are pretty much non-existent!
Women go on a credit-card-card melting shopping spree
The only thing more famous than picking a winner in the Melbourne Cup is the outfits that people wear to watch the event.
Women are more inclined to spend than men, with 91% willing to spend up to $200 on grooming and 86% admitting they'll drop some serious cash on accessories. But it's not just women who want to look the part. Men also get in on the act, with 70% saying they would spend up to $200 on race-day duds.
Even risk-avert Aussies punt on the Melbourne cup
Recent Melbourne Cup years have been quite slim. But according to TAB, 2017 was a big year of race day punters with $90 million in bets placed pre-event.
And if that wasn't impressive enough, there was a point leading up to the race when more than 3,000 betting transactions per second were registered. As for the most prominent bettors throughout Australia, that award goes to New South Welshmen and women who put on average $1,200 per wager – 22% above the national average.
Derby Day 1965 was quite a day for women's fashion
We've already mentioned that fashion is a big part of the Melbourne Cup.
And you only have to open the paper after the event to see just how racey (pardon the pun) some of these getups can be. By far the most groundbreaking and scandalous outfit, however, goes to none other than British model Jean Shrimpton.
In 1965, she rocked up to Derby Day wearing a miniskirt that stopped well above the knee – with no hat, gloves or stockings to boot. The media had an absolute field day with her daring choice of attire and it's fair to say that it was a pretty big deal at the time.
It's pretty much always won by male jockeys (well... almost always)
The Melbourne Cup is a historically male-dominated event. But its reputation as a man's only race came to an end in 2015 when Michelle Payne rode Prince of Penzance to victory.
It was a momentous win, not just because she became the first female jockey to take out the Melbourne Cup, but also because she did it against all odds – the bookies had her at $100 pre-race, which just goes to show that anything can happen on Melbourne Cup day!
The Melbourne Cup is a very big deal in Australia
In case you didn't realise already, the Melbourne Cup is a really big deal! Not only is it a public holiday in the state where it's held (Victoria), but it's also one of the biggest sporting events in Australia.
In fact, it's often referred to as "the race that stops a nation" because so many people tune in to watch it. And we're not just talking about people in Australia – the event is broadcast to over 5 million people in more than 200 countries around the world with more than 90,000 punters attending live!
Makybe Diva is our horse racing GOAT
The best Melbourne Cup horse in history? This prestigious title goes to Makybe Diva. She won the Melbourne Cup three times in a row (2003, 2004 and 2005). And she also took out the Cox Plate twice (2003 and 2004), cementing her place in Australian racing folklore.
Now, after learning all of these incredible Melbourne Cup facts, there's only one thing left to do – warm-up for this massive race with a few Uptown Pokies wagers!
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