Champion sprinter Black Caviar may have never come close to winning the race that stops a nation, but later this year the statue of one of Australia’s finest racehorses will rub shoulders with the Melbourne Cup.
Nagambie has been announced as one of the host destinations for the 2023 Melbourne Cup Tour and will welcome the famous piece of silverware in October.
The Victoria Racing Club revealed last week that Nagambie would host the $600,000 18-carat-gold trophy as part of its 21st annual tour.
This year’s tour will visit Nagambie on October 10-11, with Go Nagambie set to plan a range of activities to coincide with the cup’s appearance.
Nagambie will also be part of the Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep, which will have 24 rural and regional cup tour destinations across Australia be allocated a barrier for the race that stops a nation.
The town which draws the barrier of the Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to put towards a nominated charity for a local initiative.
Go Nagambie executive officer Sissy Hoskin said the community was looking forward to being part of this year’s tour.
“Nagambie have hosted the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour in the past and the iconic trophy has always been a very welcome addition. We look forward to welcoming the cup and celebrating as a community,” she said.
This year’s tour is set to be the biggest one yet, with a record-breaking 41 destinations announced.
The coveted trophy is set to visit a total of 41 destinations with the final route spanning seven countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Hong Kong and Japan.
This year's tour commenced its journey in Tokyo at the weekend.