THE tragic death of two horses at the Melbourne Cup hit everyone who watched the race and has started a conversation that we as a nation need to have.
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Like many Australian myths, legends and icons, the Melbourne Cup is long overdue for some soul-searching.
High on the agenda should be the stress the beautiful thoroughbreds are put through, not just on the track but off it as well. No one is suggesting these animals are not well cared for – their monetary value guarantees excellent veterinary care because their owners want to protect their “investments”.
However, the owners and trainers cannot control the trackside behaviour of the many thousands of people who pour into Flemington on Cup Day, many of whom seem intent on getting as drunk as possible. One has to ask why a racegoer felt compelled to wave an Australian flag in the face of Araldo, which spooked, shattering its leg in the process.
One also has to ask why an event fashion retailers tell us is all about glamour leaves behind piles of rubbish, discarded heels and fascinators and a large measure of human dignity. The aftermath of the race is the polar opposite of glamour – an alcoholic binge of epic proportions.
It does not need to be like this. At our own Melbourne Cup event, the crowd behaviour is so much better than at Flemington. Style and glamour are not drowned in alcoholic excess. The track is not left strewn with rubbish and the city does not wake the next day with a massive hangover.
The Melbourne Cup needs calming down – for the horses’ sake and for our own image as a civilised country. It should not be allowed to degenerate into yet another excuse to get totally – as the bogans put it – maggot.
