Tomorrow... the nation stops.
That’s an interesting thought.
Tomorrow, The Melbourne Cup will be awarded
to the fastest horse on the track.
It’s a big day.
Melbourne celebrates for a week of races...
Gardens are planted and prepared in advance
so the course will be a mass of natural colour.
Girls will be in their finest, decked out
with enormous hats and splendid fascinators.
Guys will dress in their best suits.
Fashions will be analysed and spoken of for days.
Bets will be made... money lost and money won.
Champagne will be guzzled and beer will be sculled.
And the nation will stop at three in the afternoon for the running of the race.
Such a big event should be understood and so... I googled it.
This year sees the 150th Melbourne Cup race – though the first prize awarded, back in 1861 was not a cup. The winner saw 170 pounds and a gold watch.
Last year, the prize totalled $5.65 million.
This year, in celebration of 150 years, they’ve bumped it up a little.
A lot.
$10 million.
Last year, punters racked up $95.6 million. Mathematicians could tell us that that averages out at $8.50 a person.
While punters celebrate their win or drown their sorrows on Tuesday, up to 25% of the workforce will nurse headaches the next morning and not go to work. That costs the economy about $30 million in lost productivity.
It seems, The Melbourne Cup really does stop the nation.
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