The Melbourne Cup is our most famous race and run over 3200 metres (2 miles) at the picturesque Flemington racecourse on the first Tuesday in November each year. The Melbourne Cup is the major drawcard of the Melbourne Spring racing carnival and is known as the race that stops a nation because the whole of Australia literally stops to watch or listen to the running of the Melbourne Cup.

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The Melbourne Cup
Race Name:	The Melbourne Cup
When it is run:	First Tuesday in November each year. November 4th, 2008
Where it is run:	Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Distance of race:	3200m
Type of race:	Handicap with no allowances for apprentices
Status of race:	Group One
Maximum Weight:	No maximum weight
Minimum Weight:	3yo - 49.0 and 4yo - 50.0
Prizemoney:	$5,500,000 & $150,000 trophies
2008 Result:	1. Viewed 2. Bauer 3. C'est La Guerre
Thw winner of the below races are exempt from any ballot for the Melbourne Cup.
- 2008 VRC Saab Quality - 2008 AAMI Victoria Derby - 2008 L’OREAL Paris Mackinnon Stakes - 2008 MVRC Cox Plate - 2008 MRC Caulfi eld Cup - 2008 Doncaster Cup (UK) - 2008 Irish St Leger (IRE) - 2008 Tenno Sho (Spring) (JPN) - 2008 Sankei Sho All Comers (JPN) - 2008 Arlington Million (USA) - 2008 San Juan Capistrano (USA) - 2008 ARB Australian Stayers Challenge

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The Melbourne Cup is held on the second day of the Flemington racing carnival which is a Tuesday and is worth $5,500,000 plus $150,000 worth of trophies and this makes it one of the richest races in the world especially for a handicap event. The first ever winner of the Melbourne Cup was Archer in 1861 and he duly saluted the following year as well. The great mare Makybe Diva is the only horse to win the race three times when she won three in a row in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and that's a feat unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. The Bart Cumming's trained Viewed won the race in 2008 in front of a 107,250 strong crowd..