2012 Melbourne Cup countdown continues

The Melbourne Cup is the most important sporting and cultural festival in Australia and on the first Tuesday of November every year the nation grinds to a halt for a spellbinding renewal of ‘the race that stops a nation.’

The 2012 Melbourne Cup will take place at Flemington on Tuesday November 6th and you can get your free bet on the race with Sportsbet.com.au.

If onlookers from overseas are wondering where the two mile showpiece gets its nickname from then they should be made aware that the Melbourne Cup is the most watched five minutes of television Down Under, year in and year out without fail.

Also famously known as the ‘Loving Cup,’ the Melbourne showpiece is the highlight of an exhilarating Festival that lasts for fifty days and attracts more spectactors than any other meeting in the world – the Victoria Spring Racing Carnival.

A combination of the world’s finest thoroughbreds, mixed with some of the globe’s leading fashion and entertainment ideas make the Carnival the most enchanting social event of the year and the unrivalled party atmosphere means you do not need to be part of the racing fraternity to become engulfed in the action.

In 2011, the whole of Australia stood still to watch an exciting renewal of the Melbourne Cup, with Dunaden narrowly beating Red Cadeaux to deny a first ever British victory in this race.

Dunaden went off as the second favourite after being heavily backed in the lead-up to the race, with many preferring his chances over 2010 winner Americain.

Americain ran a bold race to finish fourth, but it was another French raider who claimed the honours, leaving Ed Dunlop to wonder what might have been with Red Cadeaux in second. They will all be back in 2012 looking to land the incredible race.

For all the latest news ahead of the 2012 Melbourne Cup, head to www.SpringCarnivalPro.com and get all the expert opinions, winning tips, or join the Melbourne cup live stream Facebook page.