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Melbourne Cup Comes Early To Bass Coast

Bass Coast will have a head start in the Melbourne Cup, when the Emirates Melbourne Cup visits the Shire on Sunday 28 October.

By Bass Coast Shire Council - 22nd October 2007 - Back to News

The iconic Cup will spend the afternoon in Bass Coast and will be available for public viewing at Woolamai Racecourse and on Phillip Island. This is the final leg of a tour which has seen the Cup visit 33 destinations across Australia.

Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Cr Neville Goodwin, will be welcoming the Melbourne Cup to the Shire.

"I think it’s wonderful that people have a chance to see the Cup up close," said Cr Goodwin.

"The Melbourne Cup is the race which stops a nation. It’s the richest handicap in the world; it’s an international event and its part of our history."

Over the past four years, the Melbourne Cup has travelled more than 100,000 kilometres and visited more than 100 regional and metropolitan destinations across Australia. The Cup will be accompanied on its trip to Bass Coast by Greg Hall, 1992 Melbourne Cup winning jockey (Subzero) and John Russell, caller of 20 Melbourne Cups.

"The Cup will arrive at Woolamai Racecourse at 3pm on Sunday," advised Cr Goodwin.

"It will be stopping for about 45 minutes, so people who want to view part of our sporting history should come along to the race track.

From Woolamai, the Cup will travel to the Cowes Cultural Centre, where it will be officially welcomed by the Mayor at 4.15pm.

"It will stop in Cowes for just over an hour, so this is another opportunity for people to come and see the Cup up close," said Cr Goodwin.

The Melbourne Cup will then travel out to The Nobbies Centre, where it is expected to stay for an hour, before making its way to the evening Penguin Parade.

Itinerary - Emirates Melbourne Cup (all times are approximate)

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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