Melbourne Cup Winners 1861-1981
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The Melbourne Cup
This particular line-up is watched across Australia.
'a nation stops on the first Tuesday in November'
It is a public holiday for many people, signifying the importance placed upon this race.
The Melbourne Cup was run for the first time in 1861 with a total prize money of 710 pounds
awarded to the winner.
4000 people attended the first Cup but as early as 1880 there were 100,000 spectators.
Originally the Cup was run on a Thursday but has been run on the first Tuesday in November since the year 1875.
In 1870 the race was postponed because of the rain. Rain again postponed the 1916 race until the following Saturday.
During the war years, 1942, 1943 and 1944 the race was run on a Saturday.
The most famous winner is perhaps Phar Lap, who died in the USA under suspicious circumstances.