Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour kicks off as iconic trophy races towards Tullibigeal, Dirnaseer, Junee and Coolamon

Tullibigeal, Dirnaseer, Junee and Coolamon in New South Wales will join racing history when they each play host to the 18-carat gold Lexus Melbourne Cup next week and kick off the milestone 20th annual Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour.

The $275,000 trophy will visit Tullibigeal on Tuesday 19 July, Dirnaseer and Junee on Wednesday 20 July and Coolamon on Thursday 21 July. Former Racing Victoria and Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Chief Steward, Des Gleeson will join the Cup as a guest speaker on its journey.

Tullibigeal will be the first destination on this year’s tour, with the iconic trophy visiting Tullibigeal Town Hall on Tuesday for a school and community event in the morning and then the Tullibigeal racetrack for a photo opportunity in the afternoon with the Tullibigeal Race Committee.

On Wednesday the iconic trophy will stop at Junee where the Cup will visit Cooinda Court Aged Care for a morning event. The Lexus Melbourne Cup will then continue its journey to Dirnaseer, where it will attend a community event at the Town Hall for the afternoon. Locals are invited to get a photo with the Cup and will also hear from Cup Tour Ambassador Des Gleeson who will be sharing his Melbourne Cup memories.

On Thursday the Cup and Gleeson will travel to Coolamon, where the magic of the People’s Cup will be shared with four local schools at the Ardlethan & Beyond Museum for a morning event.

The coveted trophy will then attend a community event at Ganmain Sports Club in the afternoon and conclude the trip with a cocktail event in the evening at the heritage listed UpTo-Date store with Mayor Dave McCann in attendance.

All four towns are eligible Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep destinations, which will see 24 rural and regional tor destinations across Australia be allocated a barrier for the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

The town that draws the barrier of the Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to put towards a charity for a local community initiative. Barriers for the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep will be drawn in October.

VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said this year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour will celebrate 20 years on the road.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour gives us an opportunity to share the magic of the Cup with people across the nation and the world,” Mr Wilson said.

“The tour has only continued to grow in popularity, with a record-breaking number of applications from towns and communities for its milestone 20th edition.

“We are pleased to be taking the iconic trophy back on the road and sharing it with the nation again after restricted travel over the past two years.”

Since the tour first began in 2003, the iconic three-handled trophy has travelled more than 760,000 kilometers and visited more than 560 destinations, providing communities with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of the Lexus Melbourne Cup and help raise funds for local initiatives.

This year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour will see the iconic trophy travel to 33 destinations across Australia as well as a number of destinations overseas, including Auckland and Cambridge in New Zealand, and Singapore.

For further information about the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour please visit MelbourneCupTour.com.au