Cup carnival draws biggest crowd since 2017

The Melbourne Cup Carnival recorded a massive total attendance of 307,889 patrons across its four days at Flemington Racecourse, delivering the largest overall crowd for the spring racing fixture since 2017. Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers announced the official attendance figures after the conclusion of TAB Champions Stakes Day, highlighting the strong public interest in the week of racing, fashion, and entertainment.

The final day of the carnival brought 70,414 spectators onto the course, setting a new benchmark as the largest Stakes Day crowd recorded at Flemington since 2012. Organisers noted that all four individual race meetings held throughout the week ranked as the highest-attended racing gatherings in the country for the year, reinforcing the event's standing as a major international sporting attraction.

On the track, racegoers witnessed a thrilling 90 minutes of elite thoroughbred competition during the final fixture. Mark Zahra delivered a tactical masterclass in the saddle to guide the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained galloper Point Barrow to victory in the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint over the famous Flemington straight.

That feature race followed a fierce battle down the straight, where Point Barrow narrowly defeated Plaintiff, ridden by jockey Jordan Childs. Other major highlights on the card included Autumn Glow claiming victory in the VRC Champions Mile and Birdman taking out the TAB Champions Stakes in front of the grandstands.

Victoria Racing Club representatives confirmed that the successful conclusion of the carnival marked the official end of the premier racing program at Flemington for the season, with facility pack-down and track maintenance scheduled to begin on Monday morning.