Melbourne Cup galloping toward Ballarat

THE famed and coveted Melbourne Cup is coming to Ballarat on Thursday 16 October as part of its annual international tour en route to Flemington in the lead up to Melbourne Cup Day.

Closely overseen by officials with Victoria Racing Club, the prized trophy will visit a range of locations including local schools and the Ballarat Base Hospital before taking pride of place at a public fundraising event on Thursday evening.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour is one of the most significant ways we can share the excitement and legacy of the Lexus Melbourne Cup with communities across Australia and beyond,” Victoria Racing Club CEO Kylie Rogers said.

The cup’s tour started in New York, USA, in June and since then it’s cantered over thousands of kilometres, visiting communities urban and rural across the nation in the lead up to the big race day on Tuesday 4 November.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the Melbourne Cup Tour to Ballarat on October 16,” Ballarat Turf Club CEO Peter Downs said.

“The cup holds a special place in the heart of our community, and it’s a privilege to celebrate its legacy through school visits, a hospital stop, and a unique charity fundraiser that will see shares in racehorses auctioned off to support a great local cause.”

Ballarat Turf Club business development manager Leigh Brady said that during its Ballarat visit the cup will be accompanied by some racing legends.

“We will be doing a tour around Ballarat and we’re going to have Michelle Payne with us for the day coming up to the 10 year anniversary since winning The Cup with Prince of Penzance.

“We will also have 2015 Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance with us, and another Melbourne Cup winner with us that Rob Hickmott trained, 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin.

“We will have those two horses going around to the schools.

“Our first stop with the cup will be to Ballarat Base Hospital for a tour and photo opp with Michelle Payne with patients and staff, then we’ll have a brief photo opportunity for people at the lake with Michelle and the horses, at around 11.15am.

“Then we go to Loreto College where Michelle used to attend for an assembly and Q&A with students.”

The day’s schedule will also feature tour stops at Miners Rest Primary School for a photo opp with students and also Ballarat Grammar’s Mount Rowan campus.

The evening of the cup’s Ballarat visit will feature a special event at City Oval Hotel Ballarat bringing in industry stakeholders and community leaders with special guests, a charity auction for Grampians Health, and local trainers auctioning racehorse shares with all proceeds to Grampians Health.