Cup tour to land at Portarlington

THE MELBOURNE Cup will come to Portarlington this year in a milestone tour for Australia’s most prestigious racing trophy.

The Bellarine town has been announced a host of the 20th annual Melbourne Cup tour, which will see the prize visit local landmarks and allow local residents to get up close with the famous award.

The Cup’s cross-country tour will reach Portarlington on October 4 – four weeks before the race that stops the nation.

The Portarlington Business Development Association applied earlier this year to host the Cup as part of its tour, and the association’s president John Rae said he was looking forward to the trip.

“We are very excited to be part of this year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, especially given the Cup has never been to Portarlington,” Mr Rae said.

“We look forward to welcoming the iconic trophy and sharing the magic of the People’s Cup with the community.”

As part of the tour, Portarlington will also go in the cup’s national sweep for a chance to win $50,000 for a local charity or initiative.

Portarlington is one of 24 regional towns from across Australia that will each be assigned a barrier number ahead of the race.

The town whose barrier has the winning horse wins the cash donation.

Victorian Racing Club chair Neil Wilson said the tour helped “share the magic of the Cup” right across Australia.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour has only continued to grow in popularity, with a record-breaking number of applications from towns and communities for its milestone 20th edition,” he said.

“We are humbled by the excitement and joy the Cup brings to people of all ages and backgrounds and are pleased to be taking the iconic trophy back on the road and sharing it with the nation again after restricted travel over the past two years.”