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Flemington Racecourse, Home of the Melbourne Cup
Flemington is definitely Australias best known racecourse as it is home of the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation.
Flemington in central Melbourne is where races were held in 1840, on the river flats of the Maribyrnong River. At the time, Melbourne was a town barely five years old and just starting to boom, largely due to the gold strikes in nearby Bendigo and Ballarat. Flemington then developed along with Melbourne.
Flemington is Australias oldest race course, and in 2006 was placed on the National Heritage List. Located just 15 minutes from Melbournes CBD, Flemington is firmly on the tourist map, although many tourists come to see the famous rose gardens rather than the horses! Flemington is serviced to this day by special race trains on big race days, and Melbournes famous trams at other times. Flemington is a big centre for training, with many of Australias best known horse trainers maintaining stables at or near the Flemington course
The history of Flemington is synonymous with the history of the Melbourne Cup. The Cup was first held at the course in 1861, and has been held ever since on the first Tuesday of November. The Melbourne Cup is the best known race of Flemingtons Spring Carnival, which runs over eight days. Other feature races are the AJ McKinnon Stakes, the Victoria Derby and the Victoria Oaks.
The Flemington track has an unusual feature called the “straight six” where horses race down a straight 1200m (six furlongs) section of track which then joins the track proper.
The modern day Flemington track bears little resemblance to the original rough and ready track, which brought rich and poor together in the gold rush days. The early track had no barriers and few facilities. However, the long term success of the Melbourne Cup has seen the Victoria Racing Club invest heavily in the Flemington track. Today Flemington boasts a capacity of over 120,000 and three grandstands. The newest stand cost $45 million and opened in 2000. The Hill Stand was built in 1977. Notable art works displayed in the stands include a bronze statue of the famous horse Phar Lap, and a seven panel mural by Harold Freedman, which illustrates the history of racing.
As soon as the Melbourne Cup of 2006 was run and won, the entire track surface was ripped up and replaced for the first time in Flemingtons history. Racing did not resume at Flemington until September 2007.
Even in the early days, the Melbourne Cup became as well known for its social party atmosphere as for the racing and betting. Today, Flemington is as much home to fashion in the field events in Australia as Ascot is in England.
Flemington markets itself as a destination for much more than racing. The Flemington Event Centre is a premier spot to host a wedding in the rose gardens, a sophisticated cocktail party or a trendy product launch. However, at the end of the day, Flemington racecourse will always be the home of the Melbourne Cup.
5 Free Ways To Feel Happy
Here’s five little easy ways to start feeling happier on a daily basis.
Five Ways To Feel HappyLife isn’t always as fun as playing online bingo, but one should always try not to get dragged down by the little problems. We challenge you to put your glum goose in the closet, and put a smile your face! Trust me, you’ll notice a difference and so will others.
We’ve compiled a bingo-themed guide to feeling great, bingo-style! I defy any of you to read the following and not crack a smile.
1. Tell a joke.
Next time you find yourself feeling shy in a social situation, or between bingo games online or at the bingo hall, pass along a favourite joke and make a little laughter. It’s always a good idea to have a repertoire of a couple good jokes, to have on hand when hanging out with friends or to break the ice (or tension). Just make sure you don’t tell the same jokes over and over. People don’t enjoy that – trust me. Here’s a horrible knock-knock joke to get your started.
Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Bingo!
Bingo who?
Bingo’ing to come and see you for ages!
2. Get some air.
I know what it’s like to be so busy that you forget to get some fresh air. But don’t forget! On sunny days, take your tea and biscuits outdoors or just go for a stroll around the block. On rainy days, grab an umbrella and your galoshes soak in some natural moisture from the heavens. On freezing cold or stormy days… well, we suppose you can stay indoors on those days!
3. Play bingo chat games.
Bingo chat hosts are always online in all our bingo rooms, ready to initiate another fun chat game, 24 hours a day! Chat games are a fun and free way to meet new people and have a laugh. Speaking of laughing, that brings us to:
4. Laugh.
You know all the reasons already. Laughter is the best medicine, laughter makes the world go round… or is that love? In any case, laughter is critically important to successful social interactions, helps people feel at ease and even provides a vigorous workout to tighten your tummy and strengthen your heart. In fact, studies have shown that laughing may boose your immune system. Laughing and even just smiling can put you in a better mood. Go on, show some teeth, do it now!
5. Do something nice.
Try and perform three random acts of kindness every day, be it a compliment to a stranger or a friend, or holding the door open for someone at the grocery store. Usually we do these things anyway, but somehow conscientiously doing them makes you feel good! And people respond positively, you’ll be improving someone’s day and chances are they’ll take that positive energy to the next person they meet. I’m not saying it’s the solution to world happiness, but it’s darn close.