Black Caviar, Photo by Patrick 2810, Creative Commons Flickr
The “race that stops the nation” is one day of the year when the Victorian gambling institution is celebrated. The Melbourne Cup rounds up the masses to the field and any television screen or radio nearby to share a few minutes of betting bliss. From families gathering at barbeques to polished celebrities rubbing shoulders in The Birdcage, the public holiday is a day of human connectedness.
Animal rights organisations might wince as each Spring Racing Carnival season goes by and more horses are allegedly mistreated. But perhaps we should spare a thought for the other victims on Cup Day.
Tens of thousands of addicted gamblers are lured into an adult playground where the thought of winning is like being given the chance to make friends with the cool kids. Australians spent $7b between 2008-2009 on gambling other than poker machines, according to an Australian government website. Given so much money is being spent, and the chances of dreams coming true on Cup Day are so grim, it might be best not to place a bet at all.
There is a reason celebrities are paid to attend the event. Their attendance contributes to the façade of fun in every photo taken of them with glasses of French champagne dangling in their fingers. Behind all frivolity and superficiality, from the Fashions on the Field combined with a long day of drinking, the day can leave not only outfits in ruins should the Melbourne weather disappoint, but wallets emptied and families destroyed.
I’m no stranger to participating in the horse racing spectacle shared by many countries around the world. My aunt took me to the Punchestown Races in County Kildare, Ireland, a few years ago. She once won enough money to take her niece to Paris for 10 days But as the saying goes, a punter only tells you when she wins.
As the day at Punchestown Races unfolded, it unravelled for most of the people there. I saw punters produce wads of 100 euro at the bookies only to see them return later with more to try again. I felt the same wave of pity when as a wide-eyed teenager I bought a ticket to the Melbourne Cup thinking it was all about fashion. It isn’t.
No matter how much good press the Melbourne Cup gets, or how much revenue it generates, its sinister side is clear. Gambling is a problem in Victoria, and having a public holiday to condone it discounts the hard work being done to treat the addiction.
