Cup fever descends on Deloraine to help raise much needed funds

In celebration of Meander Valley’s rich racing history, Deloraine Racecourse and the Deloraine and Districts Folk Museum are playing host to the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup while raising much needed funds for research to cure MND.

The prestigious trophy is making its way around the country, visiting townships that have been specially selected to host the cup ahead of the big race in November.

Deloraine and Districts Pony Club representative Lisa Buckby nominated the Deloraine Racecourse due to its significant racing past, including the historic day Piping Lane ran an impressive second in the 1972 Deloraine Cup as part of his successful preparation ahead of winning the Melbourne Cup that same year.

“Tasmanian racing history was made in Deloraine and some of our country’s greatest stayers have been bred nearby, including Malua. Up until only a few years ago, horses were still trained on this track so hosting the Cup is a fitting way to farewell the racecourse and show our respect for the trainers, jockeys and horses who gave their all on race day,” Lisa said.

Destined to be redeveloped into a community recreational precinct, Deloraine Racecourse’s history will not be forgotten, with plans to incorporate a permanent tribute to racing at the precinct.

“This is a very important site for many in our community and we will be making sure we honour that past by telling the stories of those who made history here,” Mayor Wayne Johnston said.

For everyone who has ever dreamed of holding a Melbourne Cup, this is an opportunity not to be missed, with this year’s 18 carat gold trophy worth $250,000.

If you can’t make it to the Deloraine Racecourse, the Cup is also stopping in at the Deloraine and Districts Folk Museum where the main exhibition room has Deloraine’s racing history on full display.

“The Past the Post exhibition is a must see. There are some incredible artefacts there, many of which have never been on public display before. The local racing community have contributed so much to this exhibit and it is a true reflection of how significant racing was for Deloraine,” Mayor Johnston said.

The 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup will be in Deloraine on 29 August, making special stops to visit residents at Grenoch and Kanangra before heading to the Deloraine and Districts Folk Museum at 2pm and the Deloraine Racecourse at 3.45pm where there will be refreshments, entertainment and demonstrations.

2007 Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd who rode Efficient, will also be there as this year’s ambassador and all donations from the event will go towards helping to fund a cure for MND.

In addition, Lexus and the Victorian Racing Club are sponsoring a special barrier draw, donating $50,000 to Fight MND if the winner of this year’s Melbourne Cup jumps from the barrier drawn for the Deloraine and District Pony Club.

“This will be a once in a lifetime event for many of us and also an opportunity to make a donation to support a cause that is close to the hearts of many in the local racing community, so I encourage everyone to come along and join in the celebrations and I hope to see you there,” Mayor Johnston said.