Cup visitors surprise and delight

Our Yarriambiack Lodge and Hopetoun residents enjoyed a very special and unique experience on Saturday, when the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour made a stop at the Lodge!
Bringing along the coveted Melbourne Cup, our residents were allowed to hold it, an honour that often Melbourne people don’t even get.
Sharing a little of the cup history, renowned “Keeper of the Cup” Joe McGrath, who was born into a racing family and has seen many sides to racing from bookmaking to horse ownership, thoroughbred breeding to media and administration, told how the 18-karat cup takes 250 hours to make.
Handing the floor over to Bart Cummings’ stables track rider Joe Agresta, who has been with the Cummings stables for 34 years, Joe shared how he came to work for Bart and that he believes the cup is an Australian icon, and one he enjoys bringing out to communities.
Later heading into the barn area, our residents were thrilled to meet two Cup winning horses – 2015 winner Prince of Penzance, who many will remember was ridden by Australia’s first female Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne, and 2020 winner Twilight Payment.