5 facts you didn’t know about the Melbourne Cup

Think you know everything there is to know about the Melbourne Cup? Think again. Below, we’ve taken a look at some of the lesser-known facts about the Race That Stops a Nation. 1. The youngest jockey ever to win was not yet 13 years old In 1876, Peter St. Albans rode Briseis to victory in the 16th Melbourne Cup, and almost 150 years later he remains the youngest jockey to ever win the event. Back then, jockeys were legally allowed to be as young as 13, but depending on who you believe, St. Albans may have been as young as 11. There’s a little conjecture over exactly how old he was, but according to most reports he had not yet reached his teenage years when he won. 2. More than $200 million was wagered on the 2020 Melbourne Cup Racing Victoria might have lost out significantly on gate sales last year, but some of that money was filtered back into the industry courtesy of the 17% increase in total money bet on the big race alone. Australians bet an enormous $221.6 million on the Melbourne Cup, up significantly on the year prior, while more than $600 million was bet throughout the entirety of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Given they keep around 15% of the average bet, it was a profitable day for the bookies. 3. Four and five-year-old horses have won 90 Melbourne Cups Four and five-year-old horses have been comfortably the most successful at the Melbourne Cup, winning well over half the time the… Read More