Hands on an an Aussie icon

 Aussies have been accused of taking over Kiwi treasurers. If so, I can tell you it’s not a one-way street. Right now a great Australian icon is languishing in Kiwiland.

It is understandably a heavy item being 18-carat gold. It is worth $A200, 000.

 Having put on a white glove, I was privileged to hold it and have my photo taken.

The 2017 Melbourne Cup is touring three New Zealand locations. Christchurch was the first stop on Friday August 4.

Incredibly, a new Melbourne Cup is manufactured each year. Since 2003 the bright golden cup has toured 31 Australian and New Zealand destinations. Dubbed Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour, this year it started on July 1 in West Wyalong, rural NSW, where gold used by ABC Bullion was mined.

The Cup will return to Flemington in time for the race that stops a nation on the first Tuesday of November.

In Christchurch the Cup along with a small accompanying care group was transported from New Regent Street to Arborista in High Street Mall aboard heritage tramcar No. 152. The event added one more celebrity to the tramcar’s repertoire.

It has carried Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip; HRH Prince Harry, the Dutch royal family, and the 2017 Melbourne Cup.

Clutching the cup was racing’s legend jockey, Scott Seamer.(pictured) His first ride was in 1987. Since 2000 his prize money has exceeded A$ 42 million.

Tram driver Ken Henderson asked Seamer what it felt like to presented with such a cup.

``Very good,’’ he replied, ``especially when it is filled with money.’’

Scott Seamer won the 2001 Melbourne Cup aboard Ethereal trained by New Zealander Sheila Laxon, the first woman to coach a Melbourne Cup Winner.

A pleasing touch was the cup being taken to a rest home to visit 93-year-old John Osborne.

``Igot to drink beer from one of those 65 years ago,’’ he said. He had been itching to get his hands on one again. The customary white gloves was a new experience.

Osborne won the Melbourne Cup in 1952 aboard Dalray trained by Clarrie McCarthy.

``Dalray was seen as a winner when we arrived at Flemington. He charged from the back of the pack.   I was cheered by the Aussies as if I was one of their own.’’

I might sound like a racing devotee. Truth is I am not. I have a small interest owing to reading Banjo Paterson verse and a great book by Will Lawson, When Cobb & Co. was King.

Lawson writes about punters arriving on horse-drawn coaches for the trial event in 1860, then the first Melbourne Cup in 1861. It was won by Archer. The 1860s marked the beginning of the demise of horse-drawn transportation in Australia.

On the first Tuesday in November Kiwis will join their trans-Tasman neighbours in pausing for about three minutes 20 seconds for the call of the Melbourne Cup. In 1993 Kiwi punters spent $9.3 million on the race.

Suspect I will not be betting and may not even tune in to listen to the race.

But when I was asked on Friday if I would like to hold the Melbourne Cup and have my photo taken, I very much appreciated the opportunity.