Melbourne Cup a hit during Boort tour

Published on 19 October 2023

The Boort community has turned out to see the Melbourne Cup as it toured the town this past weekend.

The Cup made a special stop at the 135th Boort Show, thanks to the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, which teamed up with Loddon Shire Council and Boort A & P Society.

Exactly a year on from the October 2022 floods, the appearance of the Melbourne Cup in Boort was accompanied by a range of activities, sponsored by flood recovery funding made possible from the Victorian and Australian governments.

Visitors to the Boort Show took the opportunity to get their photo taken with the $600,000 gold cup, to be presented to the winning owner of the Melbourne Cup race on Tuesday 7 November.

“Having the Melbourne Cup at the Boort Show certainly helped create an unforgettable experience,” Council’s Director Community Wellbeing Wendy Gladman said.

“Throughout a day of activities, the Cup trophy and the VRC touring party weaved their way from the horse events and the ‘Fashions on the Field’ parade.

“A free photo booth, set up for community members to get a photo with the Cup, saw more than 600 photos printed on the day.”

Other activities included a ‘paint-your-own’ cup trophy for the kids, which also proved a hit, with dozens of the cup replicas hand-cut by the Boort Men’s Shed.

“These cups were beautifully decorated with paint, glitter and pompoms, adding a little extra sparkle to an already magical day of family fun,” Mrs Gladman added.

“Council would like to congratulate and thank Madeleine Scott, Marj Potter and the tireless work of the Boort Ag Show Committee for all their help with the tour and activities.”

The VRC’s Lexus Melbourne Cup tour party also brought smiles to aged care residents and their families when it visited Boort Hospital that morning.

VRC’s Joe McGrath and Melbourne Cup winning jockey Greg Hall shared stories about the history of the Cup and Greg’s 1992 winning ride on Subzero.

“Of course, the overwhelming favourite of the morning was the cup itself,” Mrs Gladman said.

A special celebration of the arrival of the Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy was also held on the Friday night in Boort to thank volunteers from more than 40 clubs and organisations who help make Boort such a strong community.

Greg Hall once again took the room on a vivid journey, sharing stories of his remarkable career. Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub and Council CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald presided over the night’s formal proceedings.

“Council would like to thank all those who attended the range of activities surrounding the visit by the Melbourne Cup, making this such a special event for Boort,” Mrs Gladman said.

“We also thank the Victoria Racing Club, particularly the team travelling with the Cup, Joe, Greg, Simon and Jay, for bringing this incredible opportunity into Loddon Shire.

“The year that the Melbourne Cup Trophy came to Boort is sure to be a bright memory for many years to come.”