People’s Cup hits the road as Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour kicks off in country New South Wales

21 July 2022 • Written by VRC

The 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour has officially kicked off, with the iconic trophy beginning its four-month journey this week, visiting a number of communities in regional New South Wales.

Tullibigeal was the first destination to formally host the milestone 20^th annual Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, with the iconic trophy attending a community event at the town hall where local students and community members were invited to get up close with the coveted trophy on Tuesday.

The Cup concluded its tour of Tullibigeal by stopping in at the local picnic racetrack for a photo opportunity at the winning post.

On Wednesday the People’s Cup ventured to Junee, where it visited the lucky residents at Cooinda Court Aged Care before attending an afternoon event with locals at the town hall. Former Racing Victoria and Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Chief Steward Des Gleeson joined the Cup on the road as a Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour Ambassador.

Cooinda Court Aged Care Activities Co-ordinator, Judy Dowding said they were thrilled to host the tour and share the magic of the People’s Cup with the community.

“We are so privileged to have the Melbourne Cup Tour visit Junee and Cooinda Court Aged Care,” she said.

“It was a day both staff and residents will cherish for many years to come, and I think we’ll all be watching Cup Day with a bit of extra interest this year.”

Following the visit to Junee, the Cup ventured up the road to Dirnaseer where locals gathered at the Memorial Hall for a special community event.

Dirnaseer Memorial Hall Committee Member, Melissa Miller said they were incredibly grateful to host the tour and share the magic of the People’s Cup with the community.

“We were so excited to have the Melbourne Cup Tour in Dirnaseer,” she said.

“It was such a great day for the community and I think we’re still pinching ourselves.”

The iconic trophy also paid a special visit to Twin Hills Stud on the way to Dirnaseer, with the stud having produced a number of Lexus Melbourne Cup runners under its different iterations over the years.

VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich said the club was extremely proud of its 20 year history supporting communities across Australia as part of the tour.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour is one of the most important initiatives undertaken by the club and we are delighted to see the magic of the Cup being shared with communities in country New South Wales this week,” Mr Rosich said.

“The Cup shines brightly in the hearts and minds of all Australians and the look on someone's face when they hold the 18 carat gold trophy is incredibly special and really emphasises just how much this Cup and this race mean to the people of Australia.

“The stories shared on the road by ambassadors, destination hosts and people of the community keep the spirit of the Cup alive and it's great to see this year's journey get underway.”

Tullibigeal, Junee and Dirnaseer are all Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep destinations, which will see 24 rural and regional tour towns across Australia allocated a barrier for the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

The town that draws the barrier of the Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to put towards a charity for a local community initiative. Barriers for the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep will be drawn in October.

Today the $275,000 trophy will conclude its New South Wales journey in Coolamon before travelling to Auckland and Cambridge in New Zealand next week.

Since the tour first began in 2003, the iconic three-handled trophy has travelled more than 760,000 kilometers and visited more than 560 destinations, providing communities with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of the Lexus Melbourne Cup and help raise funds for local initiatives.

This year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour will see the iconic trophy travel to 33 destinations across Australia as well as a number of destinations overseas, including Auckland and Cambridge in New Zealand, and Singapore.

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