Has Melbourne Cup had its day?

It’s known as ‘the race that stops the nation’.

But following the death of the fifth Melbourne Cup race horse in the past six years, it seems the most anticipated event of the year has has caused the country to come to a halt for a very different reason.

Cliffsofmoher, who had been flown into Australia from Ireland, was euthanised after breaking down during the race, believed to be caused by a fractured right shoulder.

As a result, fans and animal rights activists have called for the race to be boycotted, slamming it as ‘cruel’ and ‘unfair’.

Especially as they pointed out that it appeared the horse was distressed before the race began, with a TV commentator noticing the stallion was sweating before he went out — a sign something wasn’t right.

The calls to turn our backs on the sport also follows the news that the jockey who placed second, Hugh Bowman, has been suspended for careless riding, excessive whip use and weighing in overweight — all things that compromise the health and wellbeing of the horse he was riding, Marmelo.

Even before Cliffsofmoher had been euthanised, there was a distinct lack of buzz surrounding the day.

Gone are the international superstars who once flew in especially just ‘to be seen’.

In its heyday, the Melbourne Cup pulled in some epic names, such as Sarah Jessica Parker in 2011, Naomi Campbell in 2013 and Eva Longoria way back in 2005.

Princess Diana even attend back in the 80s, but can you imagine Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle ever dolling up to follow in her footsteps today?

While British singer Sam Smith performed this year, he may well be regretting that decision as fans swamped his social media with messages of ‘disappointment’.

Aussie TV star Natalie Kelley also faced a similar backlash after posting images of herself enjoying the G.H Mumm marquee at the event yesterday.

On social media, fans criticised the Dynasty star, accusing her of supporting a sport that causes ‘pain’.

“I was so disappointed to see you were backing this,” one user wrote on Instagram.

In fact, some A-listers have been turning their back on ‘the Cup’ for years.

In 2014, Supermodel Gigi Hadid — who was the ambassador of the race that year — spoke out publicly after horse Admire Rakti, died post-event.

Tweeting her heartbreak over the loss of such a stunning stallion to the game, she deliberately distanced herself from the sport.

“Absolutely heartbroken to hear of the passing of this beautiful horse,” she wrote. “I grew up with horses and had to leave the race as soon as I heard of the loss of AR.”

Of course, not everyone has shunned the racing carnival.

Lara Worthington, Shane Warne and Megan Gale all attended the Cup this year, and the legendary Elle McPherson was at Derby Day on Saturday as a guest of Lexus. But as a homegrown Aussies, can these really be classed as a win?

The stars stood along among a sea of reality TV stars and the ‘Insta-famous’, in a scene that once drew huge local stars, like Chris Hemsworth and Nicole Kidman, who went to Derby Day six years ago.

Regular race day goers have been calling out animal cruelty in the game for years.

In Sydney, there were even pubs who hosted specific ‘F**K the Cup’ events, that donated the proceeds to horse charities who offer injured animals rehabilitation — instead of having them put down.

This year, Emirates pulled out as the main sponsor of the Melbourne Cup — bringing to end a relationship that spanned decades.

With it came the demise of their glitzy marquee in the world-famous Flemington Racecourse Birdcage precinct.

While the official word stated they terminated their $4m contract over a disagreement with organisers over the location of their tent, it’s certainly suspicious.

Especially when you look at how the star-studded highlight of the calendar has noticeably turned into a fancy excused to get drunk.

So with the 2018 Melbourne Cup now over, it seems it could very well be the end of ‘the race that stops the nation’ as we know it.

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