Newtown Hotel to host first anti-Melbourne Cup day function
FRESH from protesting the promotion of the world’s richest turf race on the Opera House, “grumble bums” have turned their eye south, with a Newtown pub promoting an anti-Melbourne Cup function.
NSW
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FRESH from protesting the promotion of the world’s richest turf race on the Opera House, “grumble bums” have turned their eye south, with a Newtown pub promoting an anti-Melbourne Cup function
The iconic Newtown Hotel will hold its first-ever anti-Melbourne Cup day function on November 6 called “F... the Cup”, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
The latest statement against horse racing comes after more than 1000 protesters descended on the Opera House earlier this month in a failed attempt to disrupt the Everest horse race projection.
“We are becoming an island from all the other venues around us … that won’t be televising the Melbourne Cup or hosting some fancy lunch for suits to bet on some horse because it’s name is cute!” the event description reads.
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Proceeds from a “karma keg” — which allows patrons to pay what they want for a beer — will go towards the non-profit Horse Rescue Australia to rehabilitate ex-racing horses.
NSW Liberal MLC Peter Phelps called the event “rather petty” but said it would appeal to “woke animal liberationists who will love that sort of thing”.
“The vast majority of Australians are going to be watching the cup and enjoying the day — if people want to be grumble bums, they can be grumble bums,” he said.
“Let them hate on it … I don’t seek it taking off anywhere outside the latte belt.”
Newtown Precinct Business Association executive manager Simon Shaw said the event was a smart commercial decision because it tapped into community concern.
“It just so happens that in Newtown there is a large local constituency who don’t support the Melbourne Cup because of its impact on animal health and animal rights,” he said.
“There again is another commercial decision based on knowing the local community.”
But Newtown Hotel general manager Grace West insisted guests would not pay anything to attend as “we are not interested in making a profit from the event”.
She said the community response so far had been “overwhelmingly positive”.
“We (are) simply being ourselves and listening to what the community had to say about it last year — it’s just not Newtown. A lot of people don’t like this race,” Ms West said.
NSW Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi last year organised a similar “Nup to the Cup” function at state parliament.
The inner Sydney seat of Grayndler, which covers some Inner West suburbs including Newtown, Leichardt and Marrickville, is one of the country’s most left-leaning electorates and held by Labor MP Anthony Albanese.