By Casey O’Connor
One of Australia’s best-known sporting trophies heads to Allora and Warwick next week ahead of the start of the Spring Racing Carnivals.
Local school students and racing fans will get a chance to see the 2022 Melbourne Cup Trophy as part of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour before it heads back to Melbourne for the race that stops a nation.
Allora sports Museum president Perry Cronin said the Museum would welcome the Cup to the ‘Best Little Town on the Downs” next Wednesday (14 September).
“We are all very excited,” he said.
“This is a one-off opportunity for our little town, and it should not be missed.
“This is not just for people interested in racing but for the whole community.”
The Cup will be accompanied by retired champion South Australian jockey, John Letts who rode two Melbourne Cup winners during his career. The first, on the George Hanlon trained Piping Lane in 1972 and Beldale Ball trained by Colin Hayes in 1980.
Joining Letts and the 2022 trophy is Racing Engagements and Cup Tour Manager and VRC Ambassador Joe McGrath.
The public is invited to a photo shoot at the Allora Regional Sports Museum 9.45 am with an audio-visual presentation at 10am at the Sports Museum outlining the production of the Cup.
There will then be further opportunities for questions and photos with the Cup and John Letts and Mr McGrath.
There is a $5 entry fee for this presentation.
The session will be followed by a lunch at the Allora Railway Hotel.
Cronin said numbers for the lunch were restricted to sixty and ticket $40.
“Our bookings are filling fast so to avoid disappointment best to call and book your ticket,” he said.
“Phone either 46 663698 or 0407034320 as soon as possible.”
Before the Cup leaves the district the students of both the Allora State School (1pm) and St Patrick’s School (2pm) will get a first-hand look at the Cup.
If you cannot make it to Allora, the Cup will also be stopping in at Warwick on Tuesday 13 September.
The St Mary’s School students will welcome the Cup at 10am while the Warwick public is invited to attend the Kings Theatre at the Warwick RSL between noon and 2pm for a chance to get up close and personal with the famous trophy.
There is also an event at the Warwick Turf Club on Tuesday evening.
Bookings can be made online at www.trybooking.com/CBTWJ. For further details visit the club’s Facebook page.
The 2022 Melbourne Cup began its journey in country NSW at Tullibigeal in July.
Since then, it has travelled to New Zealand, Singapore, remote and regional towns Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and NSW and as far north as Charters Towers and Cloncurry in Queensland.
Next stop when the Cup leaves Allora will be the Gold Coast and Brisbane and on to country NSW.
There will be a quick trip back to Kadanga in Queensland in October before the Cup makes winds its way through country Victoria and onto Flemington on the first Tuesday in November where a group of winning connections get to take it home.
