P Is For Parade

The Melbourne Cup Is The Ultimate Gallop Poll

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Melbourne loves a party. And Melbourne loves sport. So when the two combine, as they do each year for the Melbourne Cup, a 3200-metre handicap horse race, Melburnians party like no other city in the world.

These shots were taken at the Melbourne Cup Parade on Monday. It's a good thing I'm six foot three, so I was able to hold my camera aloft over hundreds of heads to take these photographs. There were literally thousands lining the streets, so it was no easy task to get a clear shot.

This photograph (below) shows Lord Mayor John So and the famous gold trophy that is the greatest prize in Australian racing - the three-handled Melbourne Cup itself.


There were real jockeys and real horses. And yes, there were some mock jockeys on steeds that would never make it down the straight at Flemington.


There were celebrities, too. I managed to get this shot of Carson Kressley (below) as he was driven past. He wasn't difficult to spot, especially in that fuchsia shirt.


These colours (below) have a special place in the history of the race. They are the silks worn by Glen Boss, the first jockey to win three Melbourne Cups. In 2003, he won on Makybe Diva, the champion mare whose unusual name came from the first two letters of the names of each of the women in owner Tony Santic’s office.


Boss and Makybe Diva won again in 2004 and 2005 and there is now a statue of the horse at Flemington Racecourse. This is Boss (below) closest to the camera, in denim jeans and a blue jacket.


In 2006, he told Liz Hayes on Channel Nine’s high-rating 60 Minutes programme: "I've watched that tape over and over again. I still cry it when I watch it and I still get the goose bumps and I'm sure that I'll still be getting those goose bumps when I'm an old man. That is simply what this race does to you. No other race does."

Then, when his interviewer asked him if it was a dream come true for a kid from Caboolture, he replied: "Oh, it's a dream for any kid, you know. When I went past the winning post here, I remember putting my hand over my face. I just couldn't believe it, I thought, you know, it shouldn't happen but here I am. It's reality, it's real, it's history."


Not surprisingly, there was a media scrum around Australian jockey Damien Oliver (above) in sunglasses, surrounded by media keeping pace with the slow-moving convertible. He first won on Doriemus in 1995, but his victory on Media Puzzle in 2002 was one of the greatest moments in Australian sport. His brother Jason, also a jockey, had just died in a racecourse training accident, just as their father Ray had lost his life in a race fall in 1975.

But Damien Oliver flew back to Melbourne immediately after the tragedy and wore his brother’s breeches in the Cup. He rode Media Puzzle on a stirring sprint in the last 400 metres, overhauling Mr Prudent to win by two lengths and saluting the heavens as the crowd roared its approval.

Unashamed by the tears that coursed down his face, he announced over the roar of the crowd: "The Melbourne Cup doesn't mean anything to me any more. I'd give it away right now to have my brother back."

Then, while the biggest names in international racing partied in Melbourne, he boarded a flight all the way back to Perth for his brother’s funeral.


Legendary trainer Bart Cummings (pictured above, in the blazer and red tie) who will be 81 this month, trained Viewed, the winner of yesterday's big race. The horse was ridden by Blake Shinn, winning by an eyelash to hold off Bauer in a photo-finish.

Cummings has been associated with the Cup for 50 years and has won no fewer than 12 Melbourne Cups. His first runner was Asian Court, who finished twelfth in 1958 and his first winner was Light Fingers, in 1965. It's been nine years since his last Cup winner, Rogan Josh, back in 1999.

My favourite story about him goes back several years, when an official visited his stables. At the end of the visit, he fronted Cummings and said there were too many flies on the property.

Cummings, a man of very few words, just looked him straight in the eye and shot back, deadpan: "How many flies am I allowed to have?"

Fair dinkum, there's no flies on Bart Cummings.

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Stable Upbringing

Melbourne Cup Fans Shout Themselves Horse

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

There is no bigger day in Melbourne than today. You see, the Melbourne Cup is held on the first Tuesday of November and believe me, they aren’t kidding when they say it’s the race that stops a nation. It is a 3200-metre race at Flemington Racecourse, and it is the focus of the whole country.

Whether you are at Flemington or not, whether you are in the corporate marquees or not, whether you are at the Birdcage or not, today is Melbourne’s biggest party.

In 1993, on a wet track, Michael Kinane rode Vintage Crop to victory, a historic moment for the Irish horse because it was the first time in history that the Cup had been won by a European horse.

Yesterday was a slow day, because most people take the day off to convert the Saturday-Sunday-Tuesday segment into a really long weekend, Schools are generally closed on the Monday before Cup Day, and it is the perfect opportunity to study the form guide.

Everyone has an opinion on the prospective winner of the Cup. Me? Er, I wouldn’t know the difference between a thoroughbred and a rocking horse.

So where did I take these photographs? At Flemington, during trackwork? Nope, I shot them on Friday evening, on Flinders Street. The horses in the first frame are just a close-up. Here, below, is the true view of the whole scene.

As you can see, it’s a huge hoarding at Federation Square in central Melbourne. The size of the two passers-by gives you an idea of just how all-encompassing the billboard really is.


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Vote Yea Or Neigh

Thereby Hangs A Tail

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Late on Friday I was walking to Flinders Street Station when I noticed this unusual display outside EQ, a Southbank restaurant. You can see the petunias, right? You can see the eye-catching orange umbrella, right? You can see the lights, right?

But you're wondering where the critter is? Yes?

Okay, so let me take you to a different view of the scene. With the Melbourne Cup just around the corner (yes, it really is the race that stops a nation) here's some great advice scribbled on the board beside the display.


Now look at the last shot (below) which is another view of the scene, taken from further east. You can see the umbrella, right? You can see the petunias, right? You can see the board, right? And now you can see the horse as well! But go back to the first picture and you'll see it was there all along.

Did you see it in the first shot? Did you really? Let me know how observant you are ......


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Energy Efficient

Do We Love A Melbourne Cup Wager? You Bet

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We call the Melbourne Cup the race that stop a nation - and it is a perfectly accurate description. The first Tuesday in November is also the day when everyone puts a bet on the Cup. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Overnight, just about every man and his dog becomes an expert. Everyone's got a hot tip for the Cup.

I ain't kidding about the betting. Just have a look at this photograph, taken at lunchtime today in perfect weather, a sunny 21 Celsius or about 70 Fahrenheit. The massive white TAB tent is only a temporary structure, specially constructed at Federation Square in the shade of the spires of St Paul's Cathedral. Just goes to prove that the Cup - and the Spring Racing Carnival as a whole - is almost a religion in sports-mad Melbourne.

These flags, proclaiming the importance of the Cup, were fluttering proudly as Michael Rodd rode Efficient to a dramatic victory, coming through the outside on the home straight to overhaul 2002-winning jockey Damien Oliver aboard Purple Moon.

Today is traditionally the busiest day of the year for the TAB betting agency, hence the temporary tent in the first picture. Last year, $52.9 million was bet with the New South Wales TAB just on the Melbourne Cup, with $36.5 million wagered in Victoria on the race. My US readers might not reckon those are high figures, but you have to take into account that we only have a national population of onl 20 million.

Last year, more than 29 million individual transactions (bets sold and paid, account balance requests) were processed by Tabcorp's wagering system on Melbourne Cup Day. No surprise, then, that the TAB at Fed Square did a roaring trade. I was going to say we're a resourceful national, but maybe I should say instead that we are a resourceful, er, race!

If you want to see what the $80,000 three-handled gold chalice-style Melbourne Cup itself looks like, this shot (below) will give you an idea. I was lucky enough to spot this bloke with a miniature Cup-style pin in the lapel of his jacket and he was quite happy for me to photograph it. You might also be interested to know that Flemington Racecourse, home of the $5 million Cup, is on our National Heritage List, alongside the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park.

Raindrops On Roses

They Compensate For Dry Hoses

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The weather forecaster got it right and we've had a wet start to the weekend - but no one's complaining. As I've mentioned before, we're in the grip of drought and we have severe water restrictions, so the rain has really been a big relief. This shot was taken in my garden and the rose in the photograph is called Chicago Peace. They are huge roses, very highly scented and last for days in vases.

For most Victorians, this is going to be a four-day weekend, with schools closed on Monday and the Melbourne Cup public holiday the next day. The Melbourne Cup, for those of you who are not familiar with horse racing, is a 3200m race that literally brings the entire country to a standstill. It is held on the first Tuesday of November and so far it looks like the weather will be fine on the big day.

The trophy is an 18-karat gold, three-handled cup that is one of the most coveted trophies in the world. The first time a foreign horse won the Cup was the Irish-owned Vintage Crop in 1993 and this achievement in turn brought a new dimension to the race. Last year, the Japanese-owned Delta Blues became the first Asian horse to take the trophy.

But for me, the most stirring moment in Melbourne Cup history came after the decision by jockey Damien Oliver to ride in the 2002 Cup, immediately after the sudden death of his brother Jason, also a jockey, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a race fall. But Damien Oliver saddled up bravely for the Cup, wearing his brother's breeches - and rode Media Puzzle to victory.

In a spine-tingling moment, he saluted the heavens in a heartfelt tribute to his brother. Then, with tears streaming down his face, he said, ``The Melbourne Cup doesn't mean anything to me any more. I'd give it away right now to have my brother back.'' As a sportswriter, I've seen many emotional moments on the international stage, but none to quite compare with that afternoon at Flemington Racecourse.

Krusty The Crown

Royally Plastered After A Night On The Tiles

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Wanna buy what every good king or queen needs, a decent Crown? Cost ya four bucks here. Okay, so I'm kiddin'. Let me explain, a Crownie is actually Aussie slang for a Crown lager.

This shot was taken at the Racecourse Hotel in Caulfield, just a stone's throw away from the racecourse that is home to the Caulfield Cup, which is the precursor to the world famous Melbourne Cup. We love adding the ``Y'' sound to our words here in Australia. Hence board shorts are ``boardies'', firefighter are ``fieries'' and sunglasses are ``sunnies''.

And the same rules apply to surnames. Thus, a Sutcliffe becomes ``Suttsy'' and a Payne becomes ``Payney''. Even Steve Bracks,who stunned the nation yesterday when he resigned as Premier of Victoria, is hailed as ``Bracksy''.

But just to confirm your suspicions that we're an oddball bunch Down Under, guess what we do with surnames that actually end with a ``Y''? We remove it! That's why Aussie Rules legend Kevin Sheedy, whose contract was not renewed this week by the Essendon Football Club after an incredible 27 years as coach of the Bombers, is not Sheedy, but ``Sheeds''.

Click here: Pentax K100D, Shutter speed 1/250, F9.5, ISO speed 200.