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The Melbourne Cup comes to town

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Clockwise from top left: Students and Principal Keith Blaikie from St. Pats enjoy the Melbourne Cup visit with guests from the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Ray Dummett and jockey John Letts; Cr Marco Gliori presents a poem he wrote about the thrill of the Melbourne Cup; Local postie Shaz thrilled to see and hold the 2022 Melbourne Cup; An interested crowd listened to the riding experiences of jockey John Letts; Allora Sports Museum committee members Perry Cronin and Rod Kelly; St. Pats student Lachlan carefully holds the Cup with help from Ray from VRC. Photos courtesy Allora Advertiser.

The Melbourne Cup came waltzing

Marco Gliori, 2022

The Melbourne Cup came waltzing for us country folks to see,
what a glorious occasion, reflecting history,
as so many magic moments came sweeping down the straight,
with all those cherished thoroughbreds we brag about and rate.

I took a swig of bubbly as I paused before that Cup,
caught a brief glimpse of Flemington, the jockeys climbing up,
the tension in the mounting yard, the crowd’s wild elation,
the rumbling of the hoofbeats, the race that stops the nation.

Great rides emerged to haunt me, and comparisons abound,
how we all become an expert when Springtime comes around.
I can’t go past the thrill of all that cheering, coast to coast,
as Makybe Diva, three from three, galloped past the post.

Well, now her treasured trophy perched before me in the scrub,
I felt the urge to grab it and go waltzing down the pub,
to the clubhouse, the office, to every country Hall,
where they too stake a claim in all the Track Stars we recall.

Loading up the all-time barriers, Phar Lap gets a run,
then Archer with the first Cup back in 1861,
the weight of mighty Carbine beat a field of thirty-nine,
and Kingston Rule, whose record stands, is called up into line.

Then comes the ‘double up club’, joining Archer, Peter Pan, then
Rain Lover and Think Big were both welcomed to the clan,
that’s why I say Makybe Diva must be hard to hold,
while some declare that Bernborough or Tulloch broke the mold.

Just ask those fearless jockeys, they will gladly give their score,
the likes of Bobby Lewis, Harry White, they both rode four,
then Michelle Payne, our darling, took the battlers on a spree,
while Ollie won, God bless him, in his brother’s memory.

If headlines love a winner, their King had surely landed,
with Light Fingers, Galilee, next year a third, Red Handed!
Bart held that Cup a dozen times, now that earns worthy prose,
like The Irish with Vintage Crop, The Kiwis’ Empire Rose.

Old TJ and his daughter Gai, such stories I decree,
have cost this punter dearly, ask the bookies, they love me.
We wrestle in the betting ring, when my mates saddle up,
for a cold beer in October at Warwick’s famous Cup.

It’s older than the Melbourne Cup, although by just one year,
and nearly as iconic if you ask the folks ‘round here.
I won’t mention characters or horses right this minute,
but any book of scandals would feature locals in it.

Hey! Don’t get me distracted mate. The Melbourne Cup’s here now.
Australia’s favourite silverware, I feel obliged to bow,
I’m getting all excited for November, can’t you tell?
Perhaps we’ll meet at Flemington or down the RSL?

Where those who love The Sport of Kings feel appreciated,
and yarns we tell get better, the more we’re lubricated,
while champagne, silks, and omens, and wild dreams worth
embracing, stir up the ghosts of Legends past, and once again… they’re racing!

Allora Advertiser 21 September 2022

This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 21 September 2022.

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