Melbourne Cup Interesting Facts - Mark Twain said nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation, the Cup astonishes me : Aussie Punter

Interesting Facts about the Melbourne Cup

Horse racing has its moments - - well-known ones that go straight into the pages of history, and lesser known ones that cause amusement or nervous breakdowns in the few who experience them or bear witness to them. While the famous events are talked about and repeated ad nauseum especially when the Spring Carnival draws near, the lesser known ones are more or less forgotten, or remain half-remembered anecdotes in smaller circles.

The Barb, winner of the Cup in 1866 was stolen from his paddock in Bathurst by bush rangers. These folks were well-known for their tendency in this direction and specialised in easy money making ventures that won them a lot of profit. But surprisingly the horse was found in Caloola quite unharmed though a bit disoriented. Those in the know later attributed his escape to his foul temper that the bush rangers probably found too much to handle.

Minor misunderstandings may have caused a few bets to be lost when in 1866 two horses named Falcon ran the race. This happened again in 1867 which saw two Tim Whifflers. This time round they were more prepared and named them Sydney Tim and Melbourne Tim, and the race was won by the former. Sydney Tim's mother has been immortalised by a painting called Whiffler's Mother, and this adorns a wall in the Victoria Racing Club committee room.

1876 saw the winning horse Briseis jockeyed by a thirteen year old aboriginal boy Peter from St.Albans, who is to date the youngest jockey to have won the Melbourne Cup. In all likelihood this is one record that shall remain unbroken.

In 1881 the tension was reported to be fever pitch and a dog that couldn't stand it any longer ran onto the track and upset proceedings considerably. But the winner, a lame pony named Zulu, had a single track mind and wasn't unduly upset by the canine's over enthusiasm. The fate of the hound is not known.

In 1895, Mark Twain while on a lecture tour Down Under, was fascinated by all the fuss taken over a horse race. In his "Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World" he records his amazement noting, "Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me."

It is an interesting fact that the first ever film newsreel shot in Australia is that of the Melbourne Cup Day in 1896. This was also the first ever Cup Day to be captured on film. This would make Newhaven the winning horse, the first media horse celebrity.

In 1925, the Melbourne radio station 3LO broadcast a live commentary of the Cup for the very first time. Race-caller, Eric Welch gave a dramatic version of proceedings right up to the point where Windbag won the event.

In 1948, for the very first time photofinishing was used to decide the winner, and Rimfire won over Dark Marne by a nose length. He was the great-great grandson of the hall of famer Carbine.

1983 saw an unprecedented upset when Kiwi who was placed last went on to win the Cup. His training mainly consisted of herding sheep, and that was all the experience he had. But against all odds, he just did what came naturally to him and ran for all he was worth. All that fresh country air must have helped, and Kiwi won his Cup.