Editing Melbourne Cup (section)

=== Trophies ===
[[Image:76MelbCup.jpg|thumb|120px|right|The 1976 cup won by [[Van der Hum]]]]

The winner of the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 received a gold watch. The first Melbourne Cup trophy was awarded in 1865 and was an elaborate silver bowl on a stand that had been manufactured in England.<ref name="nma">{{cite web |url=http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/1867_melbourne_cup_and_queens_plate_trophies |title=1867 Melbourne Cup and Queen's Plate trophies: National Museum of Australia |publisher=Nma.gov.au |date=2013-12-09 |access-date=2014-02-01 |archive-date=21 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221104741/http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/1867_melbourne_cup_and_queens_plate_trophies |url-status=live }}</ref> This is currently owned by Australian wine personality [[Wolf Blass]] and is on display at the Wolf Blass Gallery & Museum/Adelaide Hills Wine Bar in Hahndorf, South Australia. The first existing and un-altered Melbourne Cup is from 1866, presented to the owners of [[The Barb]]; as of 2013, it is in the [[National Museum of Australia]].<ref name="nma1866">[http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/1866_melbourne_cup 1866 Melbourne Cup: Earliest Melbourne Cup trophy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109132411/http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/1866_melbourne_cup |date=9 November 2013 }}, [[National Museum of Australia]], accessed 9 November 2013</ref> The silver trophy presented in 1867, now also in the National Museum of Australia,<ref name="nma1866" /> was also made in England, but jewellers in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] complained to the Victorian Racing Club that the trophy should have been made locally. They believed the work of a Melburnian, William Edwards, to be superior in both design and workmanship to the English-made trophy. No trophy was awarded to the Melbourne Cup winner for the next eight years.<ref name="nma" />

In 1876, [[Edward Fischer]], an immigrant from Austria, produced the first Australian-made trophy. It was an Etruscan shape with two handles. One side depicted a horse race with the grandstand and hill of Flemington in the background. The opposite side had the words "Melbourne Cup, 1876" and the name of the winning horse.<ref name="loving cup">{{cite web |url=http://www.melbournecup.com/racing/history-of-the-cup/the-loving-cup-trophy/ |title=History of the Cup: The loving cup trophy |publisher=Melbournecup.com |access-date=2014-02-01 |archive-date=1 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301214629/http://www.melbournecup.com/racing/history-of-the-cup/the-loving-cup-trophy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A silver-plated base sporting three silver horses was added in 1888, but in 1891 the prize changed to being a {{cvt|15|inch|mm|adj=mid|-high}}, {{cvt|24|in|mm|adj=mid|-long}} trophy showing a Victory figure offering an olive wreath to a jockey.<ref name="loving cup" /> From 1899, the trophy was in the form of silver galloping horse embossed on a {{cvt|3|ft|m|1|adj=mid|-long}} plaque, although it was said to look like a [[greyhound]] by some people.

The last Melbourne Cup trophy manufactured in England was made for the 1914 event. It was a chalice centred on a long base which had a horse at each end. The trophy awarded in 1916,<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/the-choux-choux-express-20111015-1lqkh.html The Age. The Choux Choux Express] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022062810/http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/the-choux-choux-express-20111015-1lqkh.html |date=22 October 2011 }}. Published 16 October 2011, Retrieved 17 October 2011</ref> the first gold trophy, was a three-legged, three-armed rose bowl. The three-handled [[loving cup]] design was first awarded in 1919. In that year, the Victorian Racing Club had commissioned James Steeth to design a trophy that would be in keeping with the prestige of the race, little realising that it would become the iconic Melbourne Cup still presented today.<ref>[http://www.vrc.net.au/150_Melbourne_Cup/loving-cup.asp The Loving Cup, Victoria Racing Club] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418135951/http://www.vrc.net.au/150_Melbourne_Cup/loving-cup.asp |date=18 April 2012 }}</ref> In the Second World War years (1942, 1943 and 1944), the winning owner received [[war bond]]s valued at 200 pounds.

A new trophy is struck each year and becomes the property of the winning owner. In the event of a dead heat, a second cup is on hand. The present trophy is hand spun from 1.65&nbsp;kg of 18-carat gold.<ref>{{cite web |title=ABC Bullion wins production rights for the prestigious Emirates Melbourne Cup Trophy |url=https://www.palloys.com.au/abc-bullion-melbourne-cup/ |access-date=4 September 2017 |archive-date=4 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904112010/https://www.palloys.com.au/abc-bullion-melbourne-cup/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The winning trainer and jockey also receive a miniature replica of the cup (since 1973) and the [[strapper]] is awarded the [[Tommy Woodcock]] Trophy, named after the strapper of [[Phar Lap]].

==== Melbourne Cup Tour ====
In 2003, an annual tour of the Melbourne Cup trophy was initiated to provide communities across Australia and New Zealand with an opportunity to view the Cup trophy and highlight the contribution the Melbourne Cup has made to Australia's social, sporting and racing culture. Each year, communities in Australia and New Zealand apply for the cup to tour their community and the tour also takes in cities around the world as part of the Victoria Racing Club's strategy to promote the Melbourne Cup and the Melbourne Cup Carnival internationally.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.melbournecupeducation.com.au/melbourne_cup_tour.html |title=Melbourne Cup Tour |website=melbournecupeducation.com.au |access-date=20 March 2018 |archive-date=3 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703002355/http://www.melbournecupeducation.com.au/melbourne_cup_tour.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Tour has visited schools and aged-care and hospital facilities, and participated in community events and celebrations including race days across Australia and New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.melbournecup.com/racing/melbourne-cup-tour/ |title=Melbourne Cup Tour: Melbourne Cup Carnival |publisher=Melbournecup.com |date=2013-11-05 |access-date=2014-02-01 |archive-date=15 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215074145/http://www.melbournecup.com/racing/melbourne-cup-tour/ |url-status=live }}</ref>