Australia. Guide to Australia

Melbourne Cup - a celebration of racing horses, held annually in the suburbs Melbourne, Victoria, on the first Tuesday in November.

The first Melbourne Cup was held in November 1861 year, participated in the races 17 horses. prize fund of the Melbourne Cup was first 170 pounds and a gold watch. Today is Melbourne Cup - the most prestigious and most «expensive» Cup not only in Australia but in the world with prize money 5 Million. Australian dollars. Скачки проводятся под эгидой Victoria Racing Club (Club racing in Victoria) in Flemington, suburbs of Melbourne.

Melbourne Cup – important festival is not only for the people of Melbourne and Victoria, – this is a big and important holiday for the whole of Australia, and no matter what the Australians are employed in the 3.20 date of the first Tuesday in November, they all stop to listen to the signal to begin the races or watch them on TV.

Among the major record Melbourne Cup is worth noting:

- The most award-winning horse is Makaybi Diva. Victory in the Melbourne Cup 2003, 2004 and 2005 years.

- The greatest number of cups in the jockeys Harry White and Bobby Lewis.

- Fastest horse ran in Kingston Rule 1990 Year, EE record 3 minutes 16,3 seconds.

Royal Australian Mint in 2010 , the beautiful silver coin minted from silver 999-carat gold-plated par with fragmentary 50 cents, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup.

The obverse of the coin features the jockey's most famous horse Phar Lap, winning the cup in 1930 Year. Around the coin inscription: «FLEMINGTON 1861 – 2010″. The reverse has placed himself Melbourne Cup. On both sides of the coins minted label: «150TH RUNNING OF THE MELBOURNE CUP».