subject: Check Out Melbourne Accommodation For Watching The Melbourne Cup [print this page] One of the biggest events on the calendar in Melbourne for horse racing fans is the Melbourne Cup. Its such a big event that the strapline is the race that stops a nation, and invariably it does. The Melbourne cup is a huge race, perhaps even bigger than the Grand National or The Derby in England.
If youre intending to visit the Melbourne area to spectate at the Melbourne Cup and its support races, then youll need to book into some Melbourne Accommodation well in advance. All Melbourne Hotels at this time of the year are usually quite full, and youll also find Melbourne cup day will be extremely busy as its usually a public holiday for everyone living and working in the Melbourne area. Its worth booking ahead.
Hotels in Melbourne do a roaring trade around the time of the race, which is usually held in November. Even so, if you look around you should manage to find a room that is competitively priced. In fact, some Melbourne hotels will discount their rooms as the day of the race, so you could get lucky and pick up some bargain Melbourne accommodation.
The Melbourne Cup was first held in 1861, making this the oldest horse race in Australia. The prize for winning this prestigious event however was fairly low to begin with at only 710 gold sovereigns, which in todays money is only about $1200. These days, the winning horses share a prize purse in excess of $6 million, making it a race that every owner, trainer and jockey wants to win. Like horse races of this magnitude, the field is limited to 24 horses for safety reasons, but is open to any horse over three years old. Such is the popularity its not uncommon to see 400 horses nominated for the race, and then its up to the organisers to narrow this down to the 24 starters. The Melbourne cup, like many top profile races around the world, is a two-mile handicap, which significantly tests both horse and jockey.
Of course, one of the reasons that Melbourne hotels do so well during the horse racing season is due to racing enthusiasts and gamblers looking to win on the big races. Like many races of this magnitude, horses with relatively long odds have been known to win, or at least earn a place in the top four or five runners. The long odds mean theyre very attractive to betters, as a lot of money can be won with little risk. Many bet on the Internet these days, but there are always those who want to be at the track themselves, lapping up the enormous amount of atmosphere. All these people and their guests need hotels in Melbourne, as the races tend to last for many days. Those interested in the Melbourne cup usually spend many days enjoying the hospitality of the races and various events that happen over the course of the Melbourne cup week.
