By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
AMONG racing royalty, fashion trotted down the red carpet with Melbourne’s most sought-after trophy taking pride of place at Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre on Thursday 24 September.
Visiting Cranbourne as part of its international tour before the first Tuesday in November, the $175,000 Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy was passed around by locals.
Posing for photos with a white glove, the 18-carat gold cup kept its sheen under the watchful eye of Racing Victoria representatives.
A Melbourne institution since 1861, the Cup was discussed in front of a buzzing crowd by three legends of the sport.
Horse trainer and former jockey, Pat Hyland, race caller, John Russell and jockey Bob Skelton amused crowds with their Cup victories and race day insights.
Winner of the 1976 Melbourne Cup atop ‘Van Der Hum’, Mr Skelton said it was a race every jockey aspired to win, something Mr Russell only aspired to commentate.
Having called 20 horses to Melbourne Cup victory Mr Russell said the most exciting and memorable was his first.
“Bart Cummings won that race and I can remember the butterflies I felt leading up to calling it – but it’s always a big thrill – it’s an experience, I encourage everyone to go to the Melbourne Cup at least once,” Mr Russell said.
Riding ‘What A Nuisance’ to Cup glory in 1985, Pat Hyland, showed off his slightly smaller Melbourne Cup trophy to the crowd.
“It’s not very often it comes out of the house,” Mr Hyland laughed.
Amid the memories came the clothes, with black and white saturating the runway.
Ladies showed off flesh in strappy black stilettos and modest off the shoulder and boatneck dresses, with wide-brimmed hats the pick of the bunch.
