The first tuesday in november

The melbourne cup is run the first tuesday in november each year. Today is the first tuesday of november. Today me and Frida have been attending the melbourne cup activities in the tea room. A nice man in a funny hat had organised BBQ (sausages, ketchup, mustard and onion) and set up a projector showing the race on one of the walls. There was also a small PA-system yielding a surprisingly well audio experience. We could hear the crowd cheering, commentary on the horses while they were in the mounting yard and interviews with the winning jockey.



I bet on horse number 8 and 13. Or I didn't really bet on them. I paid 2 dollars and got to drag two notes out of a bucket and these two notes happened to say 8 and 13 :) Anyway, I heard that number 8 actually was a favourite so I was quite happy, until the race was over. None of my horses came in the top five. Number 13 actually was among the top 5 for a while in the beginning of the race but number 8 was never seen. There was an explanation though. They said on the commentaries before the race that number 8 was sweating a lot, which probably was a symptom of nervosity, and a nervous horse cant make an outstanding performance.

I would love to go to Melbourne to see the race live one day it seems like a place to have a good time. Even though I really cant say that I want to support the gambling and extreme breeding and training of the horses. Dilemma!

By the way, for you that havent been to Australia I just want you to know that the Melbourne cup is huge here. In Victoria the first tuesday in November is a public holiday and here in the west people who usually take 15 minutes lunch take a whole hour. Me and Frida has been wondering why posters about Melbourne Cup events never has dates on them. Now we know. It is because everybody already know the day. As if it is the most natural thing in the world.