The (horse) race that stops a nation!

Yes, that's right.  Today is Melbourne Cup Day - the spectacle that hail, rain or shine, stops a nation in its tracks!   It's a tradition and this year was the 150th birthday of the Melbourne Cup, so regardless of whether you're a punter or a person who ignores horse racing for the rest of the year, most people will admit to watching either the race on television or else watch the re-run during the newscasts.


And it was a wet and cold, if not freezing day.   Yet the women, mostly scantily glad, shivering and sodden with heavy drenching rain, beautiful outfits ruined in less than 2 minutes, waved and shouted and jumped up and down in excitement as the race progressed.   How many outfits costing up to thousands of dollars will now be relegated to the nearest Op Shop? (be there early tomorrow morning girls!);  hats and shoes costing almost as much, and ladies left with sniffles and sneezes to account for their "day out"?   Although I'm sure the majority of them would say it was worth it!

So here are a few snapshots of the event.   Please note these photos are covered by copyright.

The Cup itself was awarded to the owners of Americain (an American horse, trained in France, and written by a French jockey who usually races in Hong Kong, and owned by Australians!) by the Governor General of Australia, Quentin Bryce.