Well, another sports event which Melbourne is famous for is the annual Melbourne Cup horse race � one of the richest and biggest prized horse race in the world. The Melbourne Cup is always held on the first Tuesday in November, and brings the WHOLE of Australia (not just Melburnians but even Sydnesiders) to a standstill. It is even a public holiday in Melbourne and Victoria� all for a horse race, mate! At 3.20 pm on this traditional Tuesday, office workers produce transistor radios from their filing cabinets, pedestrians crowd around car radios and shop-window televisions. In Canberra, even politicians break from their acerbic debating. Almost everyone in Australia has a bet on The Cup � around $100 million is wagered on the race. Its fate is decided in three quick minutes as the horses strain round the two mile course at Flemington Racecourse. But then the Melbourne Cup is more than just a race: it is a key Australian social ritual�