State of Victoria and Victoria Racing Club introduce the Melbourne Cup to Mumbai

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State of Victoria and Victoria Racing Club introduce the Melbourne Cup to Mumbai

Posted on - 25 Feb 2012

State of Victoria and Victoria Racing Club introduce the Melbourne Cup to Mumbai

As part of a world wide tour, the State of Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) are leaving no stone unturned to showcase the forthcoming Melbourne Cup 2012. A grand function was held Friday night at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, where a select audience was introduced to the spectacle of one of the world’s biggest thoroughbred races.

The audience was shown vignettes of “Destination Melbourne”, and the running of the Melbourne Cup 2011. On display was the actual 18kt gold trophy valued at over Rs 9 million that will be presented later this year. The care that was taken to preserve the trophy was such, that gloves had to be worn to hold the trophy for pictures!

The Hon’ble Loiuse Asher, Minister, State of Victoria, and Amanda Elliott, VRC Vice-Chairman, spoke at the function, before the host engaged the delightful Christopher Lemaire, who won the 2011 Cup by the shortest of short heads, in an entertaining repartee. Lemaire, who rode in Mumbai in 2002, as an apprentice, acknowledged that his season of riding in India was the springboard for his meteoric rise as one of the world’s top jockeys.

A fashion presentation, a joint handiwork of an Australian and Indian designer, highlighted the dominance and importance of creative hats and headgear and which is part of the pageantry of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Mrs Elliott invited the gathering to wing their way to Melbourne, as almost no race in the world, stops the nation, as the Melbourne Cup does.