5 of the craziest Melbourne Cup moments ever

With an event as big as the Melbourne Cup it's little wonder that things can sometimes get out of hand but it doesn't make the event any less fun. Here we look at five of the craziest things that have happened over the recent history of the Melbourne Cup.

Michelle Payne winning the cup

Michelle Payne, 30, was the first – and only so far – female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in its 162-year history.

Riding Prince of Penzance to victory, coincidently in the colours of the suffragette movement - purple, green and white, she was a $100-1 outsider at Flemington Racecourse that day.

After the race, she described the horse racing industry as a "male-dominated sport", before delivering an empowering message about women in sport.

"It’s such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed [who] think women aren’t good enough," she said in her post-race interview.

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"I’m so glad to win the Melbourne Cup and hopefully, it will help female jockeys from now on to get more of a go. Because I believe that we sort of don’t get enough of a go and hopefully this will help."

It was also seen as a step forward for those with disabilities after Michelle's strapper was her brother Stevie who was born with Down Syndrome.

Michelle's positive drug test

Just two years after her historic win, Michelle tested positive for the drug Phentermine, a banned appetite suppressant, which was a huge blow for women in horse racing.

After pleading guilty, she was stood down from the sport for four weeks.

"The onus is 100 per cent with me … I regret not seeking more guidance, I wasn't thorough, and that is completely my fault. My sincere apologies to everyone," she said in a statement.

Jockey thrown off spooked horse

In 2001, winning jockey Scott Seamer was thrown off Melbourne Cup first place horse Ethereal after the horse was spooked by streamers thrown by the crowd as they paraded toward the Birdcage at Flemington Racecourse.

While jockey Scott hobbled off after his unexpected dismount, he recovered well.

Bad crowd behaviour

It seems that crowds at Flemington race track get a little over-excited about the Melbourne Cup and a day off in the middle of the week because boozing and bad behaviour are often evident in photos from the day.

One such example was punter Sarah Finn who pushed Acting Superintendent Steven Cooper into a juniper bush at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and was arrested immediately. Ironically, the police officer was preparing a statement lauding the crowd for their excellent behaviour that day for the waiting press.

While Magistrate Megan Aumair accepted that Ms Finn's behaviour was reckless and stupid, she ultimately fined her $800, plus costs of $117, and $150 to repair the broken glasses of Superintendent Cooper. "Otherwise you're free to go," The Age reported that she was told.

The rise of the celebrity

Gone are the days that the celebs mingled with mere mortals on the grounds of Flemington racetrack. It took noughties mega stars – socialites Paris and Nicky Hilton – for organisers to realise that without rules there is chaos.

"The year that the Hilton sisters came out, it (the Birdcage) took a leap forward," Victoria Racing Club general manager of sponsorship, Brendan Ford, told the SMH. "The year after that we introduced media accreditation into the Birdcage, such was the impact that the Hilton sisters had."

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