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Melbourne Is A Sporting Mecca Where Visitors Flock To See Champions Defend Their Crowns
- By Harry Ermitz
- Published 02/18/2010
- Courses & Travel
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Harry Ermitz
Self proclaimed wine connoisseur, sports fan and freelance writer Harry Ermitz was invited to take a tour of Melbourne's grand sporting facilities courtesy of www.anyairportcarhire.com. The low cost car hire Australia provider can provide cheap packages on car hire.
View all articles by Harry Ermitz
Not only was Australian Rules Football invented in Melbourne but this grand southern Australian city hosts a grand prix, a grand slam tennis event, the Melbourne Cup horse racing as well as being home to Melbourne Cricket Ground (the MCG).
The Melbourne Cup is the premier race in Australia for thoroughbred horses and has been a long tradition in this city which first started in 1861. Horse racing fanatics will be hoping this year to see whether the 2008 winner Viewed can retain his Melbourne Cup Crown. Viewed is, according to punters and bookmakers, in even better form that he was last year and so has a very real chance of winning the race. Held at Flemington, the Melbourne Cup is known as the 'race which stops a nation' and is held over 3,200 metres with horses of three years or over taking part. Hosted by the Victoria Racing Club at 3 pm on the first Tuesday in November, the day is a public holiday in Melbourne and the entire surrounding state of Victoria. This massive handicap event has a huge purse of about 3.4 million US dollars with a half a million bonus for any riders who can win Melbourne as well as the Irish St Leger race in Curragh in the same year.
From animals to machines and a much faster and louder pace of racing there is the Australian grand prix. The F1 circuit at Melbourne is in Albert Park, having moved there in 1996 from Adelaide. As the first round of the championship
the Australian grand prix is pivotal and current leader Jenson Button started his dash for the title by winning at Melbourne in March. But anything could happen next year and local favourite Mark Webber recently won the 2009 German grand prix which is sure to boost his chances.
The Melbourne grand slam tennis event will welcome back a former champion, the petite yet spunky Belgian Justine Henin, after granting her a wild card. Henin was a Melbourne grand slam winner in 2004 but has recently taken an 18 month sabbatical which meant she could not qualify in the normal fashion. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: "I spoke to Justine's team over the weekend and was happy to grant her request for a wildcard. Justine is the ultimate competitor, the winner of seven Grand Slam titles, and we are looking forward to welcoming her back." The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park in January and has been around since 1905.
The England cricket team will also be visiting Melbourne in 2010 in a bid to see if they can retain the Ashes crown they won on home soil in 2009. Keen to forget the 5 nil drubbing the England team received in 2008 where Australia comprehensively out played the tourists to regain the Ashes that of late has seen the home team take advantage to take the crown. Melbourne hosts a traditional Boxing Day test starting on December 26, 2010, and it should make for compulsive viewing. Melbourne is also home to the heart of the Australian cricket board, now known as Cricket Australia.
The Melbourne Cup is the premier race in Australia for thoroughbred horses and has been a long tradition in this city which first started in 1861. Horse racing fanatics will be hoping this year to see whether the 2008 winner Viewed can retain his Melbourne Cup Crown. Viewed is, according to punters and bookmakers, in even better form that he was last year and so has a very real chance of winning the race. Held at Flemington, the Melbourne Cup is known as the 'race which stops a nation' and is held over 3,200 metres with horses of three years or over taking part. Hosted by the Victoria Racing Club at 3 pm on the first Tuesday in November, the day is a public holiday in Melbourne and the entire surrounding state of Victoria. This massive handicap event has a huge purse of about 3.4 million US dollars with a half a million bonus for any riders who can win Melbourne as well as the Irish St Leger race in Curragh in the same year.
From animals to machines and a much faster and louder pace of racing there is the Australian grand prix. The F1 circuit at Melbourne is in Albert Park, having moved there in 1996 from Adelaide. As the first round of the championship
The Melbourne grand slam tennis event will welcome back a former champion, the petite yet spunky Belgian Justine Henin, after granting her a wild card. Henin was a Melbourne grand slam winner in 2004 but has recently taken an 18 month sabbatical which meant she could not qualify in the normal fashion. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: "I spoke to Justine's team over the weekend and was happy to grant her request for a wildcard. Justine is the ultimate competitor, the winner of seven Grand Slam titles, and we are looking forward to welcoming her back." The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park in January and has been around since 1905.
The England cricket team will also be visiting Melbourne in 2010 in a bid to see if they can retain the Ashes crown they won on home soil in 2009. Keen to forget the 5 nil drubbing the England team received in 2008 where Australia comprehensively out played the tourists to regain the Ashes that of late has seen the home team take advantage to take the crown. Melbourne hosts a traditional Boxing Day test starting on December 26, 2010, and it should make for compulsive viewing. Melbourne is also home to the heart of the Australian cricket board, now known as Cricket Australia.