The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) today announced 1999 Melbourne Cup-winning owner Wendy Green will visit Hobart next month as part of the 16th annual Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour.
A former Darwin school teacher, Green is best known as the woman whose faith in her horse paid dividends when Rogan Josh won the 1999 Melbourne Cup. Referred to as ‘Wendy in Wonderland’, it took Green’s complete belief in her horse to convince trainer Bart Cummings that Rogan Josh’s career wasn’t over.
Following the iconic Melbourne Cup win, Green took the Cup on a road trip back to Darwin with her husband, stopping at outback pubs along the way to give Australians across the country a chance to drink out of the prized trophy.
While in Hobart, Green will take part in a series of exciting community events. This will include attending a special public event at Salamanca Square featuring an Off the Track thoroughbred horse parade.
VRC Chief Executive Officer Neil Wilson said he is delighted to have Green involved in this year’s Tour.
“Each year, the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour celebrates the heroes and stories intrinsically linked to the 158-year old Lexus Melbourne Cup race,” Mr Wilson said. “Wendy Green is an iconic figure in Australian racing and the community can look forward to her sharing her unique Melbourne Cup stories while on Tour.”
Selected for their passion for racing and community spirit, Hobart will host the $200,000 trophy on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd of October.
The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour commenced its journey in the United Kingdom and Ireland in July and will travel to a record 37 destinations across the globe, before returning to Flemington for ‘the race that stops a nation’™ on the first Tuesday in November.
Since its inaugural year in 2003, the Tour has travelled more than half a million kilometres and visited more than 400 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations, providing communities with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of the Lexus Melbourne Cup.