Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Melbourne Cup hype refuses to die down

This year's renewal of the Melbourne Cup is one of the most hotly-anticipated races in history, with a record number of racegoers expected to attend Morphettville Racecourse to observe the racing action. Demand for tickets has been so high that organisers have been forced to add an extra marquee to cater for the high number of racing fans expected to turn up on the day, with another marquee on stand-by just in case.

The South Australian Jockey Club saw history in the making last week, when all pre-sale marquee tickets and corporate packages sold out. Selling out two weeks before race day was unprecedented and points to the current hype surrounding this year's big race.

Perhaps one of the reasons lying behind the huge interest in the Melbourne Cup this year is the fact that there is so much instability at the pinnacle of the betting markets. Widely perceived to be the hot favourite until the last few days, So You Think has been since been replaced as the favourite to win by Shocking, who won the Melbourne Cup last year. So You Think's ability to run past 2000 metres has been questioned by racing experts and pundits alike, whilst Shocking's decent performance in the Caulfield Cup has also seen a boost in support for the new favourite.

No comments:

Post a Comment