AustraliaHorse.Racing - 2017 Melbourne Cup

" The 2017 Melbourne Cup is widely regarded as Australia’s major thoroughbred horse race. Held annually on the first Tuesday of November, the Melbourne Cup attracts some of the best horses in the world, all vying for a chance to claim some of the $6.2 million prize money that is offered each year. Known as ‘the race that stops a nation’, the Melbourne Cup is run over a distance of 3,200 metres and is the richest and most prestigious ‘two-mile’ handicap in the world. It is also one of the richest turf races worldwide and is the feature race of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Held at Melbourne’s famed Flemington Racecourse, which is under the operation of the Victorian Racing Club, the cup is a handicap race open to all horses aged three-years-old and above." - HorseRacing.com.au - Read Full Article

Source: Horseracing.com.au

"The 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival economic impact study has shown that the home grown event delivered record benefits to Victoria. The Carnival contributed an outstanding $427.1 million in gross economic benefit to the state last year; a 10.1% increase on 2015 and a 16.6% boost since 2012." - Flemington.com.au