Tomorrow is a waste of space. It's the day when "a horse race stops the nation". Well it won't be stopping me from doing anything, as I couldn't be less interested. I might have to go to the beach for a swim around then.
I don't object to a bit of horse racing or gambling - I've been to the Cup once myself and quite enjoyed it. What I can't bear is all the hype that goes with it, and the perceived need by people that wouldn't know a horse from a cow to stop work, put $2 on a sweepstake and then act like an idiot in front of everyone else in the office for 10 minutes. Everyone becomes an instant expert in bloodlines, trainers, jockeys, weather conditions, betting spreads and hats. It shits me to tears. And then you have some annoying secretary walking around all morning selling sweepstake tickets, and implying all sorts of awful things about you if you decline to buy a ticket. It's like being a militant vegetarian at the World's Biggest BBQ.
Myself, I prefer Derby Day, which is on the weekend before the Cup. It's a much nicer affair. All the hoi polloi turn out for the Cup, but Derby Day (and the rest of the racing calendar for that matter) attracts a much better class of people.
Besides, Derby Day is held on Saturday, which means you can get utterly maggoted and then have all Sunday to get over the hangover. It's a bit rough having to go to work the day after Melbourne Cup if you got too stuck into the turps.
If you ask me, the best thing that could be done would be to ban all TV coverage of the Cup. If people want to watch it, they can go to Melbourne and pay to get in. If they can't get in - tough shit. The promotion of an event such as this to the masses has done nothing but drag it into the mud.
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