There's no more iconic sporting event than the Melbourne Cup; now, for the first time, the trophy that goes with winning the country's most famous race has been produced entirely in Australia.
From the mining and rolling of the gold to the craftsmen involved in its construction, the Cup has been produced locally from start to finish over 250 painstaking hours, even down to the wood it sits on.
Valued at $175,000 but virtually priceless in its importance to Australian sport, the 3.4-kilogram trophy is made by ABC Bullion and some of its subsidiary businesses.
Winning the tender from the Victorian Racing Club in 2015 was an unforgettable moment, says Andrew Cochineas, chief executive of Pallion, the winning businesses' holding company. "People say skilled Australian manufacturing is dead. Well, this shows it isn't.
"The cup is just such an important item it even has its own seat on an aeroplane," he says with a grin.
The gold for the 18-carat trophy was mined by Evolution Mining at Cowal, NSW, and then passed through various Pallion group subsidiaries before being fashioned by ABC Bullion.
Winning the tender from the VRC meant ABC Bullion could hire an apprentice in gold spinning, as the cup is rolled, not cast.
"You can count on the fingers of one hand how many people in Australia have that knowledge," says Cochineas. The contract with the VRC ensures this specialist knowledge will be passed on.
Officials estimate 310,000 people will turn out at Flemington Racecourse over the course of the four-day carnival, particularly if the weather is fine.
Loved by racing purists in particular is Derby Day, which features some of the most hotly contested events on the racing calendar. But the heart of the carnival remains the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup – the world's richest handicap.
To cover the possibility that the race finishes with a dead heat, ABC Bullion has made two identical trophies, as is the tradition.
The Cup is awarded to the owners of the winning horse, but the winning jockey and trainer receive trophies too. These are two-thirds the size of the Cup and made in gold-plated sterling silver. The strapper and breeder also receive trophies, and miniatures are produced for the other runners.
Cochineas says ABC Bullion has already produced the 2017 Cup and hopes to keep doing so for subsequent years.
"The Cup was not designed by a computer, it was designed by people," he points out. "We hope to produce this iconic piece of Australian history for many years to come."
Need to know
The Cup Carnival comprises Derby Day on October 29, the Melbourne Cup on November 1, Oaks Day on November 3 and Stakes Day on November 5. Total prizemoney is $18 million.
