The Melbourne Cup has changed forever and that should be OK.
The quality of the fields are poorer but on the flip side, horses have stopped dying on the Flemington straight as the world watches on.
And reading through the endless coverage this morning of an inspiring Cup day, it seems everyone is back to concentrating on why Australian racing is a world class sport full of inspiring yarns and people.
It’s a notion that won’t please everyone – especially the racing traditionalists among us.
The international runners, once the drawcard of the Melbourne Cup, are down but perhaps slowly reigniting their interest?
Strict new veterinary protocols are to blame for the downturn – but the new rules should be thanked for essentially saving the race.
Let’s not forget that racing in Victoria faced extraordinary state government intervention when Anthony Van Dyck died in 2020. The vet changes were made to stop mostly international horses dying in Australia’s race.
The race quality may have dwindled but it is still the race that draws huge media attention, public interest, wagering and provides the story lines we love racing for.
It arguably doesn’t have the stars of the past – but does it really matter?
Yesterday’s Cup with Tony and Calvin McEvoy plus Jamie Melham was full of so many stories that it was hard to know where to start.
It is an Australian story to celebrate – father and son, based in country Victoria training an Australian bred horse, who then partner up with a female jockey they discovered as an apprentice, who goes on to become the first female in history to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double? It’s unreal stuff.
Robbie Dolan too was a great story in 2024 – from singing on The Voice to winning the Melbourne Cup.
One post-race story that wasn’t and has never been at the forefront was the horses that didn’t make the cut.
This year the unlucky runner was once race favourite Sir Delius – scratched by Racing Victoria because he didn’t pass the scans.
Will memories of this year’s Cup – and even the last few years – be remembered by those who didn’t pass their scans? Unlikely.
Sir Delius was a big racing story at the time, but outside of the industry, I’d confidently say the casual racing fan couldn’t care less.
It’s a hard argument to sell to many in racing, myself too, that in reality most outside the true believers don’t really care who is lining up to run the 3200m. They want a spectacle, to be entertained and ideally make a few bucks.
There are many who will disagree – a few spout winners of the past and bemoan some of the field don’t deserve to even make the field. I get it.
But the Cup, the people’s race, is about celebrating the sport – it’s our industry’s time to showcase why we deserve the spotlight.
Dead horses or catastrophic injuries on the day the country is watching is the quickest way to ensuring racing returns to its struggles of social acceptance. .
And I say return because there are clear signs the sport is in a resurgence as a social outing and entertainment option.
Crowds during the Caulfield and Moonee Valley carnivals were up – Flemington looks on track for impressive numbers too.
And there is The Everest which was sold out and now rightly sits as a top tier race on the world stage.
The VRC’s list of music acts this week has gotten traction outside the usual racing folk – led by international DJ sensation Fisher.
The club may have been late to the party with non-racing entertainment but now they are leading the way. Some are viewing racing as a party day, even if they don’t place a single bet.
Betsy has been told wagering was up on Tuesday too. Ladbrokes for one was up more than 14% across Cup day, including 5% on the race itself. Betsy is told other major bookies had similar results.
RV CEO Aaron Morrison rightly pointed out yesterday that his organisation’s tough Cup vet protocols “created plenty of discussion since their introduction in 2021”.
“What can’t be disputed is that they have played an important role in mitigating the risk of serious injury in the Cup,” he told Betsy.
Morrison could have gone further – the changes saved the race.
Many Australians love the Melbourne Cup, are embracing the sport and whatever we’ve lost in regards to the final field, when you look at the alternative, it’s surely worth it.
