Audio on demand

Hear a racing administrator, the author of The Horse in Australia, a bookie and a sports publisher discuss the public fascination with the Cup as not only a day of fashion, socialising, networking and fun but also a time to chance their luck with a bet.

Rod Fitzroy, Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, outlines events taking place during 2010 to mark the 150th Melbourne Cup race, including the launch of a commemorative coin set struck by the Royal Australian Mint and three legacy projects.

Former Australian political leader and statesman, Andrew Peacock talks about ‘chasing a dream’ of winning a Melbourne Cup and from his experience describes how, unlike the Melbourne Cup, other great horses race around the world don’t stop any nation.

Having researched written three volumes covering the social and political history of Australian racing, Andrew Lemon has been working as a consultant historian with the Victoria Racing Club and talks about why the Melbourne Cup.

Dr Chris McConville combines his great interest in horse racing with his expertise on the history of gambling in Australia to talk the Melbourne Cup from a gambling point of view.

Rod Fitzroy discusses how it’s a little bit of good luck and a lot of good management that has delivered for a century and a half an annual event that so commands the attention of the whole nation as does the Melbourne Cup.

MC for the day Bryan Martin provides a brief background to the Melbourne Cup and Andrew Sayers, the new Director of the National Museum, outlines why the Museum recently declined to lend Phar Lap’s heart to Melbourne for the horse’s re-assembly.

Hear what the Melbourne Cup means to the owner of a cup winner, the first female trainer to win both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, the grandson of the inaugural Melbourne Cup winning trainer, and a former jockey who has won the Melbourne Cup twice.

Journalist, acclaimed cricket historian and devoted club cricketer Gideon Haigh and sportswriter John Harms explore the changing value of the baggy green and its significance as a symbol of Australia.

Curator Anne-Marie Conde shares her work developing an exhibit on Bendigo as part of the gold module for the Landmarks: People and Places across Australia gallery, covering in particular the development of the Chinese community from the 1850s.