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Twenty-four three year old thoroughbreds stand inside the starting gate. Suddenly, the bell rings and they are off and running! Viewers move to the edge of their seats in anticipation of their chosen horse winning the Melbourne Cup. Nothing is more exciting than watching Australia’s major thoroughbred race.

This particular race is known as a two mile handicap race. This simply means that the horses are given a specific weight to carry in an effort to make the race even for all of the entrants. The minimum weight that each horse can carry is 49 kilos. Weights are determined by the weight of the riding gear and the jockey, plus what each horse is assigned. Older horses must carry more weight than younger horses, and horses that have won other races are assigned extra weight according to their total number of wins.

The most prestigious and richest handicap and turf race worldwide is the Melbourne Cup in Australia. There are money prizes awarded to the ten horses that cross the finish line first. Each one wins a different amount according to their place in crossing the finish line. The winner receives just over three million dollars, and the last one receives a little over one hundred thousand. If a horse can win this race and the Irish St. Leger in the same year, the owner wins an extra five hundred thousand dollars.

Any owner who wants to enter his horse in this horse race, must be willing to put up a large sum of money. Because the initial entry fee is only $600, there are several hundred horses nominated each year. There are three more times that a fee must be paid costing the owners a total of $50,000. The horses are narrowed down to only twenty-four horses that will be lucky enough to reach the starting gate on the special day.

The first race was run in 1861. The fastest horse to ever run on this particular track was a Japanese horse by the name of Deep Impact. His winning time was 3:13.4. The winner in 2009 was an Australian bred horse by the name of Shocking. He ran the race in 3:23.87.

Every Australian waits impatiently for Cup Day. It is a legal holiday for all of Australia. Even if they don’t go to the race, they watch it on television or listen to it on the radio. It is normal for friends to wager among themselves as to who the winner will be.

People come from all over the world to watch this particular horse race. The ladies dress up and it becomes a fashion show that cannot be surpassed. The Melbourne Cup Tuesday is the most famous day of the year in Australia.

Nothing is more exciting than watching Australia’s major thoroughbred race, the Melbourne Cup. We have got the best inside info on horse racing tips more specifically Melbourne Cup tips .