Melbourne Cup 2018 parade: Latest news ahead of the race that stops the nation
THOUSANDS of people are expected to line Swanston Street for the Melbourne Cup parade and watch as thoroughbreds, jockeys and trainers strut their stuff ahead of the 2018 race that stops the nation.
Kicking off at midday, crowds will have no end of entertainment with the event culminating in a live panel with jockeys and owners contesting this year’s race.
They will also have the chance to see the Melbourne Cup trophy before it is presented to the winner of the race.
Melbourne Cup Parade Date: Monday 5 November 2018
Melbourne Cup Parade Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Swanston St , Melbourne, VIC, 3000. The parade will start at Bourke St and end at Federation Square.
Tickets: This is a free public event – no bookings required.
I’LL STRIP TO MY G-STRING
Flamboyant British billionaire Marwan Koukash has promised to parade around in just his skimpy underwear if his horse Magic Circle wins the Melbourne Cup next week.
Koukash told Australia’s racenet.com.au that winning the Melbourne Cup would be like “having sex for the first time” — and that his unusual celebration was no stunt.
“I will have a thong on at least — my parts are not a pretty sight so I will keep them hidden away from the cameras,” said Koukash, the former owner of the Salford Red Devils rugby league team.
“My thong is built in such a way, it is especially built, to enhance the look of my private parts. To make them look bigger than what they really are.” Koukash also promised a show-all celebration before Magic Circle won the Chester Cup in May, but kept his clothes on after British racing authorities reportedly warned him of a lifetime ban.
“I am not doing it for publicity trust me, I want to mark winning the Melbourne Cup with something and taking my clothes off is the way I want to celebrate it,” Koukash said.
“I don’t care if they ban me afterwards, as long as I win the Melbourne Cup they can never take that away from me.” Seven-year-old gelding Magic Circle is among the favourites to win the coveted Flemington race on November 6.
“There are a lot of owners who are stiff upper lip, you look at the way they receive their trophies and they don’t even seem happy,” Koukash said.
“I’m not classified as your proper owner like the other owners, I’m just a fan and sometimes I’m crazy.”
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Source: HeraldSun
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH
BEN Hayes says a times comparison suggesting Moonee Valley Cup winner Ventura Storm would have run a competitive race in this year’s Cox Plate has given the Lindsay Park team extra confidence headed into Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.
The six-year-old broke the 2500m track record at the Valley last week, clocking 2min 34.37 sec and bettering The United States’ previous mark of 2min 34.43 sec.
“We are thrilled with him,” Hayes said. “They some time (comparisons) and if he had run in the Cox Plate (2040m), he would have run second to Winx. They are good times to be running.”
“He has come out of the race nice and sound and we did a nice piece of work with him on Friday morning, and Mark Zahra said he gave him a really good feel.”
Hayes, who is chasing his first Melbourne Cup, as part of his partnership with his father David and cousin Tom Dabernig, is confident the stable has been able to iron out some of the issues that saw the horse run 21st in last year’s Melbourne Cup, beaten more than 30 lengths.
“A lot has changed since this time last year, he’s had a wind operation, and he has been gelded,” he said. “We’ve also learnt that he needs some extra work put into him. We were a bit soft on him leading into the (2017) race.
“We’ve been pouring the work into him this year.”
Ventura Storm is one of three Cup runners for prominent Melbourne owner Rupert Legh, who also has Vengeur Masque and Sound Check in the race.
MARMELO READY FOR ANOTHER CRACK
Lessons learned a year ago have shaped the Melbourne Cup preparation of international visitor Marmelo for another crack at Australia’s most famous race.
Trained by Hughie Morrison in England, Marmelo ran an eye-catching sixth in the Caulfield Cup last year in his first Australian appearance but was unable to back that up when he finished ninth as equal favourite in the Melbourne Cup.
This year Morrison has made a conscious decision not to give Marmelo a lead-up race in Australia before the Melbourne Cup, with the horse going into Tuesday’s race at Flemington having not run since his second in the Prix Kergorlay in France in August.
“I think if you don’t learn lessons you shouldn’t come back,” Morrison said. “I think we learned that we want a fresh horse. He’s not a horse I think who is designed particularly for Australian surfaces.
“He runs very well on firm ground but he’s not the sort of horse you can keep running back-to-back like a lot of horses do over here.
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