The oft-cited slogan really is true – Melbourne Cup is the race that stops a nation.
Victoria celebrates the occasion with a public holiday, as only an Australian city obsessed with sport can. It has done since 1877; that’s a race with a lot of history.
Melbourne Cup 2016 will certainly go down in the history books for us…
We finally backed a winner! Almandin you beauty!
In fact we cleaned up pretty well, which makes a change from the straight set of losses on our previous attempt at spending the day course-side.
The atmosphere at the cup is something else, especially when the sun decides to make an appearance. In many ways it reminded me of a British festival in summer time, only with less portaloos any many more fascinators. The amount of drunk people brawling, vomiting or generally revel-making as the event draws to a close is much the same.
We were pretty lucky with how the day worked out. We escaped without any major losses – financially or of dignity. The emergency poncho only had to come out once. I’m only slightly sunburnt. There are no pictures of me vomiting in to a handbag splashed across the internet.
Just shy of 100,000 people made it to Flemington Racecourse for the day, not to mention the 650 million + viewers around the world. I’m glad to have been one of them.
The Langfords 