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Today is the the first Tuesday in November, the day of “the race that stops the nation” – or at least the race that slows down metropolitan Melbourne and parts of regional Victoria.
While the Melbourne Cup still holds a special place in Australian culture, interest has waned in recent years. Last year’s crowd was around 73,000, down from more than 100,000 in 2015, while the television audience has halved in the same period. Polling suggests more than 50% of Australians have little or no interest in the race.
So much for the crowds. What about the views of the key participants – the 24 thoroughbreds who actually put in the hard work of galloping around the track for three and a half minutes or so?
According to equine expert Cathrynne Henshall, it’s unlikely horses have any understanding that they are in a contest of speed, in which one of them will be deemed champion and the rest mere also-rans. As Henshall points out, the glossy quadrupeds have evolved to move in synchronised groups and would see no benefit (and perhaps even some risk) in getting ahead of their herd mates.
What jockeys are doing, Henshall suggests, is working hard to overcome a natural inclination to be uninterested in the whole idea of racing – a task that may feel familiar to the organisers of the event itself.
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Michael Lucy
Science Editor
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Cathrynne Henshall, Charles Sturt University
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