History of the Melbourne Cup
The history of the Melbourne Cup takes quite a few interesting turns as it gains and wanes in popularity over the years. First run in 1861, the Melbourne Cup was originally a race of over 2 miles. When Australia converted to the metric system, this length was shortened to 3200 metres, shortening the race by 61 feet and 6 inches.
From the very beginning, the Melbourne Cup was designed to attract a crowd. Robert Bagot, who was the first secretary of the Victorian Racing Club, issued member with two ladies tickets. This was a ploy to attract more male attendees and the ploy is really still in use today – though now through the use of fashion competitions, with everyone being used as bait for both sexes.
The first Melbourne Cup race only had 17 starters and was run on a Thursday in November of 1861, not a Tuesday as is the case now, which first occurred in the 1875 race. A stallion named Archer took the first race, winning the prize of £710 in cash and a gold watch. Unlike the modern race, where the first 10 horses who finish are given prize-money, the first Melbourne Cup prize went entirely to the victor. Archer actually won the second Melbourne Cup as well, making him also the first horse to win two consecutive Melbourne Cup races. This has very rarely occurred, only being achieved by Archer, Rain Lover, Think Big and Makybe Diva, who won three consecutive Melbourne Cups.
A particularly interesting race in the Melbourne Cup is the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Won by Phar Lap, the race itself wasn’t a close call – Phar Lap had the shortest Melbourne Cup odds ever, at 11 to 8 (though this may be somewhat unfair to later horses, as the pari-mutuel betting system in Australia has minimum payout levels that may not reflect how favored some later horses truly have been). What makes the 1930 race interesting is that an assassination attempt was made on Phar Lap. Someone tried to shoot Phar Lap, so the horse was taken into hiding, brought out a mere hour before the race was to start. He unsurprisingly took the race and added a Melbourne Cup win to his legendary status.
In more recent Melbourne Cups, horses from farther afield have been entered into the race. While international entries have been a part of the Melbourne Cup for much of its history, they have generally not been as successful as Australian horses. It must be remembered that the Melbourne Cup is quite a long race compared to other major worldwide races, so many foreign horses have found the Melbourne Cup to be quite challenging.
The most exciting piece of Melbourne Cup history in recent years was the triple win of Makybe Diva. Not only was this mare the only horse to win three times, both consecutively and overall, she was also the first mare to garner multiple Melbourne Cup wins. Considering how often great horses from the past are spoken of in more reverential tones than contemporary thoroughbreds, Makybe Diva should be remembered as one of the greatest horses of her time.
As the years go by, the Melbourne Cup’s history grows ever richer. One of the unfortunate parts of great historical moments is that few people ever realize they are witnessing them as they happen. Luckily for the runners of the Melbourne Cup, Australia considers every last one of these races to be an integral and important part of the history of horse racing and Australia itself.
