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Premier commemorates 150 years of the Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup celebrates its 150 year anniversary this year with a huge calendar of events

The Melbourne Cup celebrates its 150 year anniversary this year with a huge calendar of events and new initiatives to mark the occasion including a new book The Story of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's Greatest Race.

Launching the book at Melbourne Museum with Racing Minister Rob Hulls, former Melbourne Cup winners and racing identities, Premier John Brumby said the Melbourne Cup was a cornerstone of Melbourne's event calendar and played a big role in the city's sporting culture.

"The Melbourne Cup is an integral part of Victoria's sporting heritage and we are confident the activities planned for the 150th anniversary will help to further increase visitation to our great state," Mr Brumby said.

An important component of the celebrations to commemorate the milestone is this new book The Story of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's Greatest Race.

"The book features essays, illustrations and images and contributions from 35 of Australia's premier racing and sporting writers, journalists and commentators," Mr Brumby said.

"The book tells the story not only of the Melbourne Cup, but of the last 150 years of racing and sporting history of Melbourne and Victoria."

Mr Brumby said Victorians love turning out for world-class events and last year almost 400,000 people flocked to Flemington over the 4 days of Derby Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day.

"Every year tens of thousands of interstate and international visitors travel to Melbourne to attend the Cup, which benefits Victoria's economy - particularly our retail and tourism sectors," he said.

"That is why the Victorian Government is throwing our full support behind the 150 year anniversary of the Melbourne Cup with a raft of new events and activities to mark the milestone."

Mr Hulls said the Government had committed $300,000 for an international and interstate marketing campaign to raise awareness of the Cup, which will have record prize money of $6 million to help lure the best horses from across the globe.

"The skeleton of the legendary thoroughbred Phar Lap will be reunited with the hide at Melbourne Museum for the anniversary," Mr Hulls said.

"A new trophy has also been designed for the event featuring an 18 carat gold three-handled cup - the same design as that won by Phar Lap in 1930.

"These events, and the new book being launched today will mark the special occasion of the 150 year anniversary and also highlight the importance of the Melbourne Cup to our state."