1. 1917
   1861
2. 1794
   1896

The very first running of the Melbourne Cup took place way back in 1861, which mean it's existed as an event for over 150 years. It's one of the older major races out there and is more than a decade older than the Kentucky Derby.

1. The Track at Melbourne City
   The Australian Horse Track
2. Flemington Racecourse
   Melbourne Racetrack

The Melbourne Cup is held every year at the Flemington Racecourse. It opened back in 1840 and holds many of the other most popular horse races in the area, as well. It has a crowd capacity that sits over 120,000.

1. $7,300,000
   $2,100,000
2. $3,500,000
   $4,700,000

As of 2018, the prize money for the Melbourne Cup is a cool $7.3 million. Of that, the winner takes $4 million, second gets $1 million and the rest of the top 12 is paid out smaller amounts of the pool.

1. 1 year old
   2 years old
2. 1-3 years old
   3 years old and up

The Melbourne Cup is held for horses that are 3 years old or older. Despite this, there have been few 3-year-olds that have won the race recently. In fact, the 2017 winner was the first time since 1941 that a 3-year-old won the race.

1. 1890
   1934
2. 1915
   1972

The race was originally longer than the two miles it is now by about 19 meters. In 1972, the race was shortened down to exactly two miles, as Australia adopted the metric system. Race record times were adjusted to reflect this change.

1. $60
   $600
2. $6000
   $6

While some other acceptance fees will need to be paid, the initial entry fee for a horse in the Melbourne Cup is only $600. There are hundreds of horses nominated every single year, but a far fewer number will actually line up on race day.

1. 1861
   1865
2. 1899
   1882

Despite the race beginning in 1861, the first trophy wasn't awarded until 1865. Prizes were still given, but not an official trophy. For example, a gold watch was the award for the winner of the first race back in 1861.

1. Third Monday in July
   First Tuesday in November
2. Second Wednesday in August
   Third Thursday in April

Most horse races happen on the same day every year, and the Melbourne Cup is no different. The Cup takes place on the first Tuesday of November and has since way back in 1875. There have been a few that have been postponed or moved, however.

1. Archer
   Seabiscuit
2. Carbine
   Newhaven

A horse named Archer won the very first Melbourne Cup. Not only would he win the first, but he would also go on to win the second. He won them both easily and is one of only a few horses to win multiple Melbourne Cups.

1. Peter St. Albans
   Stewart Smith
2. Peter Pettigrew
   Joseph Jacobs

Peter St. Albans is the youngest jockey ever to win the Melbourne Cup. While he was officially 13, according to race officials, he was actually 11 on the day he won the race. This record will never be broken, as 13 is the minimum age for a jockey.

1. He was very sick.
   He was afraid of large crowds.
2. He would try to fight other horses.
   There was an attempt to shoot him.

Heading into the 1930 race, Phar Lap was a huge favorite, and many expected the horse to win. However, there was a major scare ahead of the race, as it was discovered someone had attempted to shoot the horse.

1. 9
   17
2. 60
   27

While the amount of horses racing has varied from year to year, the very first race had only 17 racers. However, three of them fell during the race, and one of the horses ran way before the start.

1. Makybe Diva
   Vintage
2. Americain
   Viewed

Only one horse has ever won three Melbourne Cups, and it was a mare named Makybe Diva. Not only did she win three, but she won three in a row from 2003-2005. This is a huge accomplishment and one that may never be matched.

1. 1990
   2007
2. 1984
   1936

Many amazing and legendary horses have run this race and put up amazing times. However, no horse has run it as fast as Kingston Rule. In 1990, the horse set the record of 3:16.3, which still stands almost 30 years later.

1. Two lengths
   Four lengths
2. Six lengths
   Eight lengths

Many horse races are decided by well under a length, but that wasn't the case in 1862 and 1968. In these races, the winners won by a huge margin of eight lengths. This margin of victory is around 68 feet or so.

1. 1877
   1861
2. 1982
   1914

While many industries and companies who take days off or half-days for the race, the Melbourne Cup was officially named a public holiday in the state of Victoria until 1877.

1. Gala Supreme
   Delta Blues
2. Comedy King
   Pop Rock

The very first foreign-bred horse to win the Melbourne Cup was Comedy King, way back in 1910. The horse was bred in England and bought and shipped to Australia, where it was trained and eventually won the Melbourne Cup.

1. Two
   Three
2. Five
   Seven

While the race has typically nearly quadruple this amount, only seven horses ran in the 1863 Melbourne Cup. This was because many owners boycotted the race, which left only seven to run. They boycotted because the previous two-time winner was scratched due to a technicality.

1. Fiorente
   Just a Dash
2. Think Big
   Cross Counter

The 2018 running of the Melbourne Cup took place on November 6th, 2018, and was won by Cross Counter. He was the first British-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. He's only just turned 4 but has won numerous races in his short career so far.

1. 122,736
   674,935
2. 91,763
   309,000

The Melbourne Cup has seen some large crowds, but none bigger than the crowd at the 2003 event, which was 122,736 people. 2003 was also the first year of the Melbourne Cup Tour, which likely helped garner a larger audience.

1. A bee infestation
   Half of the field had troubles getting to the track
2. Track conditions were incredibly bad
   Track workers were on a strike

While the Melbourne Cup is a huge deal and many people plan for it well in advance, the weather doesn't always agree. In 1870, the race had to be postponed for an entire week as the track was so waterlogged that it was deemed too dangerous.

1. 1896
   1913
2. 1870
   1934

The very first Melbourne Cup that was ever filmed was way back in 1896. Despite this, the Cup wasn't broadcast on the radio until 1925 and wasn't first shown on TV in Australia until 1960.

1. Because of the war
   The track was occupied on Tuesdays
2. Renovations were happening
   Horses couldn't get there in time

During the years of WWII, the Melbourne Cup was run on Saturdays instead of Tuesdays. While many athletic and sporting events were canceled during these years, the Melbourne Cup just decided to shift dates.

1. 24
   12
2. 40
   18

In the modern-day, there is a 24-horse limit at the Melbourne Cup. This limit is for the safety of the horses themselves and their jockeys. With any additional riders, there's a higher risk of accidents or crashes.

1. 4
   8
2. 12
   16

A horse trainer is one of the most important people when it comes to the success of a run. No trainer has been more prolific in the history of the Melbourne Cup than Bart Cummings. He won 12 Cups as a trainer, more than twice the amount of the next closest.

1. Italy
   Ireland
2. Japan
   USA

While you might not have expected it, the 2012 Melbourne Cup was dominated by the Irish. The winner and the next six horses to cross the finish line were all Irish. There were a few other Irish-trained horses that had solid finishes, as well.

1. Lloyd Williams
   John Tait
2. Etienne de Mestre
   Dato Tan Chin Nam

There have been many successful horse owners who have had their horses run the Melbourne Cup, but only Lloyd Williams sits at the top of the ladder with six wins. That is two more than his next closest competition.

1. 23%
   70%
2. 5%
   60%

While you would expect favorites to have a pretty good record at the Melbourne Cup, that's not the case. Favorites have only won 23% of the time at the Melbourne Cup, which equates to only 34 wins.

1. 4
   6
2. 8
   10

While horse racing is generally for younger horses, there are a few older horses who have defied the odds. Throughout the history of the Melbourne Cup, two horses (Toryboy and Catalogue) won the race as 8-year-olds.

1. Banker
   Dunaden
2. Happy Gilmore
   Shadow King

No horse has run in the Melbourne Cup more times than Shadow King. He ran in the race six times in seven years. Unfortunately, he was never able to win but came very close on a number of different occasions.

1. 1985
   2011
2. 2003
   2007

While prizes today are millions of dollars for the race, that wasn't always the case. The first Melbourne Cup to have a total prize of a million dollars was 1985. The winner took home $650,000 of that $1 million.

1. An outdoor fashion event
   When people look at how the horses are designed
2. When the course is designed in a specific way
   Another name for the Melbourne Cup

Fashion at the racetrack has become almost as big as the race itself, and this is no different in Melbourne. The "Fashions on the Field" is an outdoor fashion event where there's a substantial prize for the best-dressed woman and man at the race.

1. Multiple horses were put down.
   An outbreak prevented the race from happening.
2. The event was rigged.
   A jockey passed away due to injuries sustained in the race.

During the 1881 running of the race, a dog ran onto the track and startled many of the horses. John Dodd's horse was forced into the rails, and Dodd suffered multiple injuries. He passed away two weeks later due to his injuries.

1. 25
   39
2. 65
   17

While the race can no longer have this many horses racing, there was not a limit back in 1890, when a record 39 horses ran in the Melbourne Cup. The winner was Carbine, one of the most famous horses of their time.

1. Ana Williams
   Jodie Smithers
2. Michelle Payne
   Rhonda Johnson

In 2015, Melbourne Cup history was made when Michelle Payne became the first female jockey ever to win the race. The horse she rode was also one of the biggest underdog winners, at 100-1 odds.