Sydneysiders will tomorrow get their chance to experience the allure of the $200,000 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy when it journeys around Sydney.
The day will begin with model, Myer Ambassador and Channel 7’s Rachael Finch dazzling alongside the Emirates Melbourne Cup as she and Flemington Ambassador Georgia Connolly enter Martin Place tomorrow on horseback.
Joining the glamourous duo as part of the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour activation in Martin Place will be dual Melbourne Cup-winning jockey John Letts, 2015 Emirates Melbourne Cup hero Prince of Penzance in his first public appearance since retirement, and runner-up in the 150th Emirates Melbourne Cup (2010) Maluckyday.
Prince of Penzance made sporting history at Flemington in 2015, when he famously carried Michelle Payne to victory as the first female jockey to win the Emirates Melbourne Cup.
Members of the public are welcome to have their photo taken with the 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup, Prince of Penzance and Maluckyday, as well as Rachel Finch, Georgia Connolly, John Letts and Emirates cabin crew between 7am and 9am in Martin Place.
Viewers can watch live from around the country on Channel 7’s Sunrise.
The excitement will continue when the Emirates Melbourne Cup is delivered at 11:30am to Cirrus along the vibrant Barangaroo waterfront.
Famous faces such as Rachael Finch, Georgia Connolly, John Letts, and VRC Chairman Amanda Elliott will make a special arrival with the Emirates Melbourne Cup, as guests gather to celebrate the upcoming Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup will cap off the afternoon with a sentimental visit to St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Clovelly, where dual Emirates Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy will attend his children’s school to talk to students about his success in Australia’s greatest race.
There will be vision opportunities with Kerrin, the 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup and his children interacting with students at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School at 2pm.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour will visit Sydney from 17 – 19 July as part of its four-month journey around Australasia, where the iconic trophy will visit 31 destinations.
Since its inception in 2003, the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour has travelled more than 494,000 kilometres and engaged with locals in more than 377 regional, rural and metropolitan towns, giving Australians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of the Emirates Melbourne Cup.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour will complete its journey on Tuesday 7 November, when it will return to Flemington for the running of ‘the race that stops a nation’™.
The $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) is the pinnacle of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival, which features eight Group 1 races and generates an annual gross economic benefit of more than $800 million to the Australian economy.
In 2016, more than 318,000 racegoers attended the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including almost 50,000 individuals from New South Wales.
The four-day spectacle of world-class racing, fashion, food and entertainment will kick off with AAMI Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 4 November, followed by Emirates Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 7 November, Kennedy Oaks Day on Thursday 9 November and Emirates Stakes Day on Saturday 11 November.
Racegoers are encouraged to take advantage of early bird general admission ticket prices.
