Racing In Australia (1960s)

[Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] Turf racing has been described as the sport of kings. In Australia, it's the sport of the people. Racing is king. Australians are great gamblers, great lovers of horses, too. Race meetings in Australia have a unique atmosphere which fascinates and delights the visitor. It's a day in Australia you'll never [Music] [Applause] [Music] forget. This is the biggest day of the racing calendar. The first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup Day. One of the world's turf classics, this two-mile race attracts thousands of visitors. For the 2 million citizens of Melbourne Town, it's a holiday, a sunny spring day that turns the beautiful Flemington Racecourse into a social and fashion center of Australia. It's a traditional day built up since the first cup back in 1861. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] The opportunity to join the fun is also available at hundreds of tracks around the country. Midweek, they're racing at picturesque locations within easy reach of the big cities. Because of Australia's long summers and mild winters, racing is a year round attraction. Between runners there is Regina Bray there by Darkwood. Another emperor the fair way back to Carly Queen and Perfect Jim. A Zealand boy is well clear where they swung around the corner. He's right out in front of who's out after him now with a brilliant one. But it's Zealand boy written hard. and who is faster and who will get up and bail in front of you. No weekend passes without a race meeting being held in each of Australia's major cities. This is the new Sandown Park track, a modern complex which caters for the punter's every comfort. And Carnaby is going to lead along towards the first fence. Carnaby on the inside landed just in front of Gold Throw and about a length and a half further back then as Royal Retreat as they go to the next one. That's the second of the three in the lane. You'll have no trouble finding a meeting to attend. Over 500 race clubs hold more than 3,000 meetings a year across the country. To guess again, one and a half play about matter of fact about the only thing not guaranteed is the winner. Hit it down and up again. In Sydney, Randwick Racecourse is the cradle of Australia's racing [Music] history. On Australian courses, you shop around for the best price on your fancy. Totalizators operate at most meetings, but the odds are you'll want to do business with an Australian bookie. I want win time. Bord time. Which one? Bord out. Yes. Give it a name. One fell. They appear to be all set and ready. Racing in the Metropolitan. Roman concert lost a length of barrier. The excitement is colored by a vivid breathless call of the race. Clear and planet boy who got out well as they turned the corner. Vic, the leader. Further out is Tails finishing beautifully. And brighter out is Vita Fain. But Trails in front in the Metropolitan Handicap. He's got a chuck of it. The son of Delray. Although flashing home along the fence. I think it's for all the speed and drama. These commentators are renowned for their accuracy. Australia's love of horse racing is embedded deeply in the makeup of the Australian character. Australians respect horses. It was the horse who helped overcome the challenges of the bush in the early days. This is one of many outback racing carnivals. The handful of tourists who make the trip find the friendliest welcome they'll receive anywhere. For the few hundred people who live in this part of Australia's outback. It's a two-day event that's well bigger than Christmas. It's held at Brunette D's property, a 5,000 square mile cattle run. This is not the largest station, but it's the heart and almost the whole of the social calendar for these Australians. The accommodation is under canvas. Perhaps not everyone's taste, but no one could ever complain about the breakfast. Big fresh steaks. [Music] The neighbors, they only live 50 or a few hundred miles away, arrive for the big event. The horses that race are stock horses who earn their keep rounding up cattle all year. The jockeys earn their living in the saddle. But for today, they swap their work clothes for racing silks. Bachelor 108 number 101. Thank you, sir. Every community in Australia, no matter what size, prides itself on at least an annual race day with visitors just as welcome as they are here. They're off. [Applause] First number 16 Thompson. Second was number 21. What brunette DS lacks in facilities, it more than makes up for in character and characters. The running of the Melbourne Cup brings a whole nation to a standstill. At race time, every Australian stops work. Light flashing track is cleared. They're all set and they're off and running in the Melbourne Cup. And a great even start to saw down near the inside. Aloft the first to move out from Pure Rain Lover got away with a great burst of speed and so too did Sir Kinsman who showing an electrifying burst of speed in the first 70 or 80 yards to go to the front and further out on the track moving up quickly into a more prominent position is Ben Lman from New Zealand as they start to link up with the course profit moving up as Devil Boy in the center going past the sharper four out from the fence is Ben Lman over on the inside as Rain Lover trying to get up on the inside there of Fur big money coming up down the side four and a half to go to packing field in the cup and the leader Sir Kinsman about three parts of a length in front of rain lover and fur they've both grabbed this leader three across the track two lengths to whisk moving up general command on the fence right out and going very wide as Serrano tails and right off the track right around the outside of the camel stop followed by terminal srano benlman lock rain lover in front moving up on the outside the challenge and they're followed closely then by swift general fur in behind Tails now pulled out and he's coming home reasonably well only at the furong and a quarter now. Ulop and rain lover. Rain lover and old they're going head and head. Rain lover on the inside. Rainover's got his back in front and won by a neck second. Third Ben Lman fourth lock caught fifth general. They're followed by safe trail. You can believe it. No visit to Australia would be complete without a few hours amongst the color and excitement that is racing in Australia.