‘Greatly diminished’: Bruce McAvaney’s sad Melbourne Cup confession

The Melbourne Cup has long been known by a famous six-word slogan, but Bruce McAvaney has a brutal reality check for that claim.

Legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney fondly recalls a time when the Melbourne Cup was “by far the biggest sporting event in the nation”.

The pinnacle of Victoria’s annual Spring Racing Carnival, the Melbourne Cup has forever been linked with the immortal words, “the race that stops the nation”.

Watch every ball of Australia v Pakistan ODI Series LIVE & exclusive to FOX CRICKET, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

For McAvaney, however, that is no longer the case.

In fact, the 71-year-old believes that for a variety of reasons, the $8 million Cup is now “greatly diminished”.

“The Melbourne Cup will always be the greatest prize (in horse racing), but it no longer stops the nation,” McAvaney told racing website The Straight.

“It was a huge thing … it was about suburbs and neighbourhoods and it was for one race.

“It was by far the biggest sporting event in the nation. It had a big margin on the (then) VFL (now AFL) grand final.

Bruce McAvaney, seen here with Cup-winning trainer John Letts, had a reality check for the great race. Picture: Supplied

“My gut feeling is that within the racing community, the Melbourne Cup has diminished a little.

“But for those who are not racegoers, or are once-a-year-racegoers, it has diminished greatly.”

There is no doubt the Cup is still a massive event beloved by many, with Victorians relishing a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November and millions around the country enjoying long boozy lunches or trying their luck with a punt or an office sweep.

But it is no longer the “drop what you’re doing, don’t miss it” moment of years gone by, while crowds at Flemington have also decreased.

A record 122,736 people crammed in to watch Makybe Diva win the first of her three Cups back in 2003,

The numbers have steadily fallen since, with 73,816 attending Cup Day in 2022, although that number did increase to 84,492 last year.

Horse injuries and deaths are a sad element of racing carnivals.

Protesters are now common at the Cup. Picture: PETA

Yet people have tired of the annual sight of drunken racegoers making a mess of Flemington and themselves.

Many Australians also now opt to protest or turn their backs on the Cup, largely over the view horse racing is cruel to the animals involved.

The “Nup to the Cup” protest group has gained significant ground and support in recent years and is sure to be out in force again this year.

Scratchings due to health issues have already rocked this year’s race, with Irish raider and former second favourite Jan Brueghel ruled out on Tuesday due to veterinary advice.

A compulsory CT scan of the Coolmore-owned horse, trained by Aidan O’Brien, indicated it was “currently at heightened risk of injury”.

That ruling prompted a furious response from O’Brien.

Locally-trained gallopers Brayden Star and Muramasa have also been ruled out of the $8m event after the latest round of scans.

2023 Melbourne Cup winner Mark Zahra and Without A Fight. Picture: David Caird

Drunken antics have plagued the race for years. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair)

The Ciaron Maher-trained Interpretation also faces another vet inspection on Friday after he was not passed fit to race on Thursday.

McAvaney, a veteran host of racing events on Channel 7, conceded the groundswell of support against the Melbourne Cup is growing.

“Years ago, people may not have been caught up in the magic of the Cup, but they weren’t aggressively opposed to racing,” he said.

“Today, more people turn their back on the race.”

McAvaney also said the emergence of events such as Sydney’s The Everest, the richest turf race in the world, had impacted the popularity of the Melbourne Cup.

Originally published as ‘Greatly diminished’: Bruce McAvaney’s sad Melbourne Cup confession