scone.com.auCup to Arrive on Horses’ Birthday
SCONE and Aberdeen are on the map for the 17th annual Lexus Melbourne Cup tour, with the Cup scheduled to arrive in Scone on the Horses’ Birthday, August 1.
The Victoria Racing Club announced that Scone and Aberdeen had made the cut of 38 towns and cities yesterday, after receiving a record-breaking number of applications.
Throughout the tour, barriers will be drawn at random in each town, with the town which draws the barrier for Lexus Melbourne Cup winning horse to be presented with $50,000 for a charity or local community initiative.
The Cup will be visiting Godolphin’s Kelvinside Stud Farm, managing director, Vin Cox said he was looking forward to the visit.
“We are excited to celebrate the Cup’s arrival with the community and reflect on the thrilling victory of Cross Counter in last year’s Melbourne Cup,” said Mr Cox.
“We encourage everyone in the Upper Hunter region to come and visit Kelvinside to see the Cup,” Vin Cox said.
This year marks 100 years of the renowned three-handed design, since the style of Cup was first presented to connections of Artilleryman in 1919.
Custodians of the 1919 trophy, the Myer family in Grafton, will also be part of the tour this year and share their rare artefact alongside the current Cup when it visits their hometown.
Overseas the Cup tour will include York Racecourse in the United Kingdom and be in Tokyo, Japan while Australia plays there in the World Cup.
There will also be a special appearance on Ramsey Street, on the set of Neighbours.
Amanda Elliott, chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, said this year’s tour will visit more communities than ever before and celebrates the appeal of appeal of racing and the iconic Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy.
Melbourne Cup winner, Michelle Payne with school students keen to see a pieec of racing history. Photo: Victoria Racing Club.
“Since the Tour began in 2003, we have delighted in bringing communities together in the shared history and magic of the Melbourne Cup,” said Mrs Elliott.
“This year is especially significant, with 2019 marking the 100th anniversary of the three-handled Melbourne Cup trophy design,” she said.
“To unite the original 1919 Melbourne Cup with the 2019 Lexus Melbourne Cup today was incredibly special. I thank the Myer family for sharing their 1919 trophy with us all,” she said.
“We are also delighted to introduce the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep,” she said.
“This exciting initiative will add to the Cup Tour experience for communities across Australia,” Amanda Elliott said.
The VRC also announced the prizemoney for the Lexus Melbourne Cup will be $8million, a record in the 158 year history.
Since the tour began the Cup has travelled more than 600,000 kilometres and visited more than 450 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations.