Melbourne's 150th Running of 'The Cup' Goes International

Melbourne - Horse racing in Melbourne is a world event. This year represented by seven countries. Trained in France, bred in America, then ridden by a jockey from Hong Kong for Australian owners, the winner illustrates international presence looming large.

A hundred thousand local fans stood still for four minutes and several more seconds at the Flemmington Track. Most other Australians -- coast to coast -- stop to watch and to listen. It's Melbourne Cup Day – Tuesday, November 2. It's 3 pm. Tens of thousands of kilometers/miles from other Group One venues – such as the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot – on a wet track, today's 150th running demonstrates the modern-day international flair of horse competition. As introduced, trained in France, bred in the United States, ridden by a Hong Kong-based Jockey for Australian owners, a six-year-old, black stallion, Americain, took top honors finishing nearly three lengths ahead of two New Zealand favorites, Maluckyday and So You Think. Wearing silk, in the red-white and blue of France, with American stars, Gerald Mosse reigned supreme in the winners' circle. None of five Australian horses among the twenty-two finishers from seven countries was in the money. That didn't keep the mostly Australians from pouring out an estimated 10,000 bottles of champagne.