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 2012 Melbourne Cup (152nd Running)
 Melbourne Cup News Stories

OTI Looking Forward To A Big Autumn:  Classy international Group winner My Quest For Peace will join the Peter Moody stable after failing to secure an invitation to contest the Hong Kong International Vase at Sha Tin next month. (29 November 2012)

Spring Racing Carnival wagering turnover up 5.9%:  Australia's wagering market leader, Tabcorp Holdings Limited, today released 2012 Spring Racing Carnival turnover figures. (27 November 2012)

Japan result underlines Cup absence:  An international racing expert says a relaxation of quarantine rules are needed if horses who dominated in the Japan Cup are to run in the Melbourne Cup. (26 November 2012)

Mount Athos tries for better luck in Japan:  Mount Athos will be one of three Melbourne Cup runners to contest the Japan Cup, the richest race in that country. (18 November 2012)

Melbourne Cup runners head to Japan:  Melbourne Cup runners Jakkalberry, Mount Athos and Red Cadeaux are on their way to Tokyo to contest the Japan Cup. (13 November 2012)

Puissance De Lune headed for light autum:  New boom stayer Puissance De Lune will have a light autumn campaign ahead of a spring preparation that is already bristling with expectation. (11 November 2012)

Eyes On The 2013 Cup:  Champion jockey Glen Boss rated the dominant five lengths win by rising staying star Puissance De Lune as the 'performance of the year' after the grey laid an early claim for next year's Melbourne Cup with his hollow victory in the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. (11 November 2012)

Eyes On The 2013 Cup:  Champion jockey Glen Boss rated the dominant five lengths win by rising staying star Puissance De Lune as the 'performance of the year' after the grey laid an early claim for next year's Melbourne Cup with his hollow victory in the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. (11 November 2012)

Globetrotting Cup Runners Head To Asia:  Hong Kong and Japan will be the next port of call for a number of the beaten international runners in last Tuesday's Melbourne Cup (8 November 2012)

No more Melbourne Cups for Green Moon:  Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon is finished with chasing the richest trophy in Australian racing but his owner is not. (7 November 2012)

Americain Ends Fabulous Career:  Champion French galloper Americain has graced the racing community with his final presence following his unplaced effort in yesterday's Group 1 Melbourne Cup. (7 November 2012)

Back to business for Prebble:  Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble will enjoy a short but sweet stay back home before returning to business as usual in Hong Kong. (7 November 2012)

Ethiopia May Need Scan:  Mornington trainer Pat Carey has revealed Ethiopia may need to go for a scan after being tailed off in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. (7 November 2012)

Cup Suspensions, Injuries, Fines and Inquiries:  Three jockeys were suspended after a rough Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday that also became heated in the stewards room after the race. (6 November 2012)

Massive Cup Turnover and Dividends:  Tabcorp's betting turnover on the 2012 Melbourne Cup was almost $100 million, rising by more than 6 percent from last year. (6 November 2012)

Click here to view the latest News on the 2012 Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Track Rating: Dead 4
Track Type: Turf
Penetrometer: 4.78
Rail Location: +2m Entire
Irrigation: 9mm past 24hrs; 35mm past week.
Rainfall: Nil past 24hrs; 0.16mm past week.
Forecast: Showers
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 Melbourne Cup - the History
The Victoria Racing Club runs the most important sporting and cultural festival in this country every year. Central to that carnival is the Melbourne Cup on the First Tuesday in November. Put simply it is the most watched 200 odd seconds in television each year in Australia.

Over two miles (or now 3200m) the Cup takes a long, slow preparation, countless unfriendly hours and such hard work to deliver the greatest sporting prize we have. Its value is now that highly regarded, the greatest trainers around the world target the race with the Irish mastermind Dermot Weld plotting two successful raids with Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle and now the French have gone back to back.

It was first run in 1861 when Archer strode from Nowra by foot to Flemington and took the glory. He would double up 12 months later providing Etienne de Mestre with wins that would ultimately total five – a record he would hold until 1977. That win was worth 710 pounds. Compare that to the race now which is one of the richest in the world and has total stakes of $6.175m and prize money paid down to 10th position.

2010 was the 150th running in history, but it should be noted that the race has revolved around three central characters – Phar Lap, Bart Cummings and Makybe Diva.

The Phar Lap story in 1930 was that good it became a classic Australian movie depicting the feats of a legend of the turf through the troubled Great Depression.

The second pillar of the Melbourne Cup has been 'Bart'. No matter how many men and women have and will try over history, I guarantee no one will better James Bartholomew Cummings' 12 Melbourne Cups. Who's to say he won't make it a baker's dozen.

Finally to Makybe Diva and her three wins. When Lee Freedman said "Go and find the youngest child on this course today because they will be the only possible person who might witness a horse winning three Melbourne Cups" he wasn't wrong.

Will we see another hero emerge in a tight finish like last year when barely a whisker separated Dunaden and Red Cadeaux?

Who will get to handle the famous Loving Cup – the three handled trophy so precious in this land?
 Melbourne Cup - the Champions
In toto, while the Melbourne Cup's list of winners isn't as great by comparison to the Cox Plate, simple history tells you it has become the race most want to win.

However when you consider Carbine, Phar Lap, Peter Pan, Rising Fast, Galilee, Let's Elope, Doriemus, Saintly, Might and Power and Makybe Diva adorn the winners, it 'ain't that bad'.

Bart's 12 will never be beaten but Lee Freedman had five in the space of 16 years showing you can get on a roll with skill and luck by your side.

Bobbie Lewis and Harry White hold the jockey's record with four wins as Glen Boss closed in with his three on the mighty mare in '03/'04/'05.

Question is in 2012 who wants to put their names beside those who were champions but became legends in the 152nd running?
 
 

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