Great Australian Horse Races

Australia is one of the world's greatest sporting nations

. It truly loves sport and comes to a standstill for a number of different events. This is especially the case when it comes to horse racing. Australia hosts a number of fantastic different races.

The most famous of which would be the Melbourne Cup. Literally the country comes to a halt for the race. It happens on the first Tuesday in November as it has been since 1861. It is two miles but has since been shortened to 3,200m. It is a race for horses aged three years over and is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world.

The who's who of racing has won the race or tried to win it. Names such as Archer, Phar Lap, Makybe Diva, Peter Pan, Rain Lover and Think Big are all past Melbourne Cup champions. In horse racing circles there is no bigger accolade than this. You etch your place in racing history when you win this race.

Another big Australian horse race is the WS Cox Plate. This race is also held for three year olds and over but instead of being handicapped is a weight for age race. What this means is that you have a 2,040metre shootout and this in turn has contributed to some of Australian horse racing's most famous moments. This includes Tulloch winning in record time and Bonecrusher just getting by Our Waverley Star by a neck in 1986. In 1995, Octagonal edged out Mahogany in another fantastic race.

The Caulfield Cup has also contributed its fair share of magical moments. Tulloch won this race in 1957 as did horse racing legends such as Galilee, Let's Elope, Doriemus and Ethereal. This race is the week before the Melbourne Cup. It is 2,400 metres and is open to three year olds or older.

The Australia Cup is a Weight For Age race that is 2000 metres. It happens at Flemington and normally takes place in March. Past winners include Northerly, Makybe Diva, Vo Rogue, Better Loosen Up and Hyperno. It was first run in 1861 when it was 3,600m. The first winner of the race was Barwon and the record race time is held by Makybe Diva.

Rosehill is home to some of Australia's biggest races, one of which is the BMW. It is a Weight for Age race which is run on the same day as the Golden Slipper. Previous winners include Makybe Diva, Ethereal, Tie the Knot and Kingston Town. It was first run in 1970 where it was won by Bright Shadow.

Australia has a rich horse racing tradition and some pretty big races. Some of these races have been happening for nearly 150 years. Given their important to the Australian culture, you can be assured they will be going for at least 150 more.

by: Laura Saunders

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