Melbourne Cup

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AUSTRALIAN SAIJIKI

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Melbourne Cup

***** Location: Australia
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation


The Melbourne Cup
is widely regarded as Australia’s major thoroughbred horse race. Held annually on the first Tuesday of November, the Melbourne Cup attracts some of the best horses in the world, all vying for a chance to claim some of the $6 million prize money that is offered each year. Known as ‘the race that stops a nation’, the Melbourne Cup is run over a distance of 3,200 metres and is the richest and most prestigious ‘two-mile’ handicap in the world. It is also one of the richest turf races worldwide and is the feature race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Held at Melbourne’s famed Flemington Racecourse, which is under the operation of the Victorian Racing Club, the cup is a handicap race open to all horses aged three-years-old and above.

The first Melbourne Cup was held in 1861 and was originally run over a distance of 3,218 metres, or two miles. After the introduction of the metric system into Australia in the 1970s, the current distance of 3,200 metres was introduced in 1972. Previous race records, such as 1968 winner Rain Lover’s record time of 3 minutes and 17.9 seconds, were readjusted to by two seconds to take into account the longer distance they travelled. The current record holder is Kingston Rule, who won the 1990 Melbourne Cup with a time of 3 minutes and 16.3 seconds.

source : www.horseracing.com.au


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Worldwide use


Canada

. Family Day .

Australian Capital Territory Family & Community Day
was celebrated on the first Tuesday of November in 2007, 2008 and 2009, coinciding with the Melbourne Cup.


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

todays big race -
we line up to go
to the toilet


Cup Day
chicken and champagne
in the park


- Shared by There's a holiday today in Australia to...
Bee Jay -
Joys of Japan, October 2012



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Related words


. WKD : Derby and Car Race .


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AUSTRALIAN SAIJIKI


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