Cup to be hottest ticket in town

VICTORIANS hoping to return to the Melbourne Cup face an unprecedented rush for the hottest tickets in town, with only 500 seats to be available to the public.

With crowds to be capped at 10,000 for the race that stops a nation, Victoria Oaks and Stakes Day, a seat squeeze looms as the Cup Carnival returns from a year without spectators.

Just 500 general admission tickets will go on sale for each of those three race days, with the lion’s share of seats to be given to Victoria Racing Club members.

VRC members will receive 7000 tickets, 70 per cent of the allocation, as crowds are split into three strict areas to ensure the event is Covid-safe.

Owners of competing horses, corporate partners, sponsors and the public will share the rest.

It means general admission punters will have to try their luck via Ticketek, with no ballot system in place when tickets go on sale this month.

VRC chairman Neil Wilson was “honoured and thrilled’’ to again host crowds and hoped the carnival would “help kickstart the economy in Victoria and hopefully starts the reopening of major events’’.

“The VRC is incredibly proud that this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival is playing a role to revive major events in Victoria,” he said.

“Over 4000 jobs have been generated at Flemington alone by the staging of this year’s event, supporting the events, hospitality and retail industries that have been so greatly impacted over the past 18 months.’’

Only fully vaccinated fans wearing masks and following health rules will be allowed at Flemington for the Cup Carnival.

All spectators will have a reserved seat, with tickets for the general public, including access to the famous Flemington front lawn, to be sold for $129.

Ticket-holders will be confined to certain areas instead of being able to roam the racecourse as before.

Up to 100,000 people usually attend the Cup.