Melbourne Cup pays Hawke's Bay a visit

Melbourne Cup race caller Bryan Martin, with the Melbourne Cup, will be visiting Hawke's Bay on Saturday in this year's pilgrimage.

The $183,000, 18-carat gold Emirates Melbourne Cup will visit Hawke's Bay on Saturday July 23 as part of its fourteenth annual Tour of New Zealand and Australia.

While in Hawke's Bay the Cup will visit the Mary Doyle Retirement Village in Havelock North before heading to Sasanof Homestead, named in honour of Sasanof, the Hawke's Bay owned and trained winning horse of the 1916 Melbourne Cup. There the 1916 and 2016 Melbourne Cups will be united to commemorate 100 years of racing history.

People are invited to visit Clubs Hastings between 3.30-4.30pm or Turks Bar and TAB Havelock North between 5-6pm for the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Andrew Castles from Hawke's Bay Racing says the community is excited to host the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour and is looking forward to celebrating the history and culture of the "race that stops a nation".

"We have a full day planned visiting different parts of Hawke's Bay, with the highlight, of course, being the union of the 1916 and 2016 Melbourne Cups.

"We hope that everyone comes down to Clubs Hastings or Turks Bar to farewell the Cup after such a wonderful day," Mr Castles said.

Joining the tour is racing personality and Melbourne Cup race caller, Bryan Martin, who will share firsthand his unique Melbourne Cup experiences.

The Melbourne Cup.

VRC Chief Executive, Simon Love, said they are looking forward to sharing the iconic trophy with the people of Hawke's Bay.

"The Emirates Melbourne Cup is a cultural icon, so it's only fitting that we take the Cup and its rich history, on a journey to meet the people," Mr Love said.

The Tour will travel to 34 towns and cities across Australia and New Zealand, providing communities with the opportunity to experience the "People's Cup" before it returns to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.