9 Interesting Facts About The Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's premier horse race, established since 1861 and held every year on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it has become a national tradition in Australia.

9 Interesting Facts The About Melbourne Cup 

Peter St. Albans

1. The youngest jockey to win Melbourne Cup was Peter St. Albans on Briseis in 1876 - who was only 12 years old!





2. In 1915, the first woman owner to win was Mrs E.A. Widdis with Patrobas. First female jockey to ride in the cup was Maree Lyndon on Argonaut Style in 1987.

3. During WWII between 1942 and 1944, the race day was changed to Saturdays.

Jean Shrimpton 1965

4. Fashion on the Field begun in 1962 to attract more women attendees to the cup. British supermodel Jean Shrimpton made headlines in Australia and around the world when she rocked up to Melbourne Cup in 1965 in a sleeveless dress with a hemline four inches above the knee and a man's watch - which shocked race goers and caused a fashion furore worldwide.



5. In 1861, the winner of Melbourne Cup - a horse named Archer - walked all the way to Melbourne from his stables in Nowra, NSW!

6. Criminals tried to shoot Phar Lap on the morning of Saturday 1 November 1930 after he had finished track work. Luckily for Phar Lap, they missed.

7. Forensic investigation conducted by Dr. Ivan Kempson and Dermot Henry, found that Phar Lap had ingested a massive dose of arsenic 30-40 hours before his death, adding to the speculation that the champion horse was poisoned to death by gangsters.

Phar Lap

8. When trainer Harry Telford and owner David J. Davis saw Phar Lap for the first time, the horse was gangly, face covered with warts, and had an awkward gait. Davis was furious when he saw the colt, and refused to pay to train the horse. Telford at the time had not been a successful trainer, and Davis was one of his few remaining owners. As a compromise for the poor form of the colt, Telford agreed to train the horse for free, in exchange for a two-thirds share of any winnings.


9. The only horse to have won three Melbourne Cups - consecutively in a row - is Makybe Diva.


To celebrate this year's Melbourne Cup race day, Metro Apartments on Bank Place Melbourne is having this special for travelers coming to stay for the race!

Melbourne Cup Accommodation Packages - Choose either a...

Studio Room for $250.00 per room, per night (including free Wi-Fi)
OR
One Bedroom Apartments at:

• Friday - Saturday* - $300.00 per room, per night  (including free Wi-Fi)
• Sunday - $280.00 per room, per night                   (including free Wi-Fi)
• Monday - Tuesday*  $300.00 per room, per night (including free Wi-Fi)

For details and to book online: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/special/320
Or call: +61 3 9604 4321
Location: 18 Bank Place, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia - only 14 minutes by car or taxi to the Flemington Racecourse!

A Melbourne Apartment for the Cost of a Hotel Room

 

It's the little things that count - like staff who care and go that extra mile. 

I stupidly left my iPhone charger in the bathroom of my apartment at Metro Apartments on Bank Place in Melbourne earlier this week.

I expected a hassle and a runaround when I rang to ask if it had been found, but no, the gentlemen who answered the phone asked me to hold on, went up to the apartment I had recently vacated and found the charger and told me he would keep it at reception for me.

Good service is not always associated with serviced apartments, but this was a welcome exception to that rule - as was the package price tag of just $175 per night for a fully equipped apartment in one of Melbourne's trendy laneways - centrally situated with two pubs and several restaurants on the doorstep but extremely peaceful. 

Sleep well, then head straight into a labyrinth of hidden laneways lined with boutique shops and European style cafes (the apartments are  located between Collins and Little Collins streets), and Melbourne's excellent choice of art galleries, museums, cultural and sporting events, and restaurants.

Until August 31, the Metro Apartments on Bank's special Winter Warmer package includes acommodation for two people in a one-bedroom apartment, a bottle of wine on arrival, a breakfast pack for two people, an 11am checkout and, my favourite, free wireless internet for the duration of your stay. 

Tucked away down a cobbled lane just 10 minutes from Southern Cross Railway Station and Federation Square, Bank Place is a great intro to Melbourne's laneway lifestyle - although beware that the Irish Press pub around the corner will charge you $14.50 for 400mls of Asahi Super Dry - I've had Champagne for less. 

There's a tram stop virtually at the doorway to take you to the MCG or the National Gallery of Victoria, or maybe for some shopping in grungy hip St Kilda or chic Chapel Street. 

Metro Apartments on Bank Place has 46 studio and one-bedroom apartments, as well as a spa room and a split-level, two-bedroom penthouse. The suites include a fully equipped kitchen with fridge, crockery and cutlery and laundry - as well as TVs with satellite channels. 

Don't expect ultra flashy; instead think convenient and comfortable. Guests enjoy complimentary daily newspapers, fluffy bathrobes, hairdryers and in-house movies - just like in an expensive hotel, but without the matching price tag. There are also some very good online deals for those with the time to peruse the internet. 

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