Jockey Mark Zahra rides Gold Trip to win 2022 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: photosport
It used to be the race that stopped two nations - now there is divided opinion over whether it is the race that needs to be stopped for reasons of animal cruelty.
Tuesday marked the 164th running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
A report from the Coalition for the Protection of Race Horses puts the race day death toll at 151 horses in the past year across the industry. Causes of death included heart attacks, severe head trauma, fractured or shattered limbs,internal bleeding and severe lacerations to tendons.
In New Zealand CPR claims in the year to the end of July, 20 horses died from either fatal incidents or euthanasia following catastrophic injuries at the race track.
Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) campaign manager Emma Brodie told Checkpoint while many people look forward to the cup because of its glamour and the potential to win money at the bookies, animal activists want it - and all other horse racing - banned.
"Behind the spectacle, horses endure profound physical and mental stress, often with tragic outcomes. One hundred and fifty-one horses died in the last racing season in Australia, which is one death every 2.4 days.
"But actually these numbers are quite conservative because not all deaths are recorded, including those who die during track work, training and trials, those who die before they've even been given a racing name, those who are killed and discarded when they're no longer commercially viable.
"So we don't actually have a full picture of the scale of suffering in this industry."
She said whipping any other animal would be grounds for prosecution - except for horse racing.
"Ultimately, I do think this is an activity that should be consigned to our history books."
A report from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing earlier this year estimated the annual economic value of the industry at $1.3 billion.
"But it's also crucial to consider the costs and the wider implications of racing," Brodie said.
"You know, horses are the ones paying the ultimate price with their lives for a fleeting moment of entertainment. But it also contributes to gambling harm here in New Zealand and in Australia. In fact, family violence rates increase on Melbourne Cup day, and there are just countless other pathways for economic growth that don't have such significant costs to human and animal lives."
Brodie was not sure how long transitioning away from racing would take, and said public opinion was turning against the sport anyway.
"Public support for racing in general has steadily declined over the past few years. Just last year in Australia, a report indicated that 62 percent of Australians between ages 18 and 34 had low and no interest… ratings are dwindling as well as corporate sponsorships, and I think that reflects the fact that people's values and expectations are evolving. When it comes to animal welfare, people expect more."
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief operating officer Darin Balcomb said thoroughbred horse racing remained a popular pastime, with the industry supporting almost 9500 jobs last year.
He said the racing industry in New Zealand was globally recognised for its exceptional quality and outstanding safety standards.
Balcomb said they were committed to continuous improvement, and recent statistics confirmed that New Zealand was one of the safest countries in the world for horse welfare in thoroughbred racing.
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