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The Melbourne Cup is one of the most cherished races in all the world and it's history is littered with key moments and enchanting horse and trainer performances. 

Melbourne-Cup-Live delves into the race's history and idenitifies the key moments in it's past:

First race-meeting held at Flemington, with the winning post sited along the bank of the Maribyrnong River

The first running of the Melbourne Cup won by Archer trained by Etienne De Mestre. The Cup is initially run on a Thursday

VRC introduce a four day Spring Racing Carnival format

Melbourne Cup is postponed one week due to rain

Cup is first run on a Tuesday

The three-year-old filly Briseis created a record that is never likely to be equalled, winning the VRC Derby, Melbourne Cup and VRC Oaks in the space of six days. She was ridden by 13 year old Peter St Albans

The first Tuesday in November was declared a public holiday in Victoria

First Melbourne Cup to attract 100,000 attendance. Cup won by the unbeaten Grand Flaneur

First year bookmakers were licensed at Flemington

First Gold whip presented to the winning Cup jockey (Mick O'Brien)

Carbine won the Melbourne Cup in record time (3.28.25), carrying a record weight (65.5 kg) in the biggest field ever assembled (39)

Strand starts are introduced to Flemington

Mrs Widdis becomes the first female owner to win the Melbourne Cup when Patrobas wins

Rain postpones the Cup by 5 days

The VRC builds a new Members' grandstand

The ABC first provides transmission of the Melbourne Cup

Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup as the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race at 11/8 on. He had to be hidden away at Geelong before the race after an attempt was made to shoot him and only emerged an hour before the race time of the Cup

The first year the totalisator operated at the Melbourne Cup

Photo-finish System is first introduced to Flemington

Rising Fast wins not only the Melbourne Cup, but the Turnbull Stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes and the Fisher Plate on the final day of the Flemington Carnival

First Cup start from starting stalls

Introduction of the Totalisator Agency Board

Fashions on the Field first held at the Carnival

Light Fingers wins the Melbourne Cup to provide Bart Cummings with his first win in the race

Metric system is introduced and Cup is now run over 3200 metres, slightly shorter than the traditional two mile distance

Harry White equals Bobbie Lewis' record of four Cup victories for a jockey

First sponsored Melbourne Cup - first million dollar Cup

Maree Lynden is the first female to ride in the Cup on Argonaut Style

Kingston Rule runs the fastest time to win the Cup in 3 minutes 16.3 seconds

Rogan Josh wins the Melbourne Cup to give Bart Cummings his record eleventh winner

Sheila Laxon, with Ethereal, becomes the first woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner

First Melbourne Cup Tour conducted around Australia. Biggest crowd recorded at Flemington - 122,736

2004

Makybe Diva becomes the fifth horse to win dual Melbourne Cups. Archer (1861-62), Peter Pan (1932 & 1934), Rain Lover (1968 & 1969) and Think Big (1974 & 1975) being the other four

Makybe Diva becomes the first horse to win three Melbourne Cups (2003, 2004 & 2005). She breaks her own weight carrying record for a mare to victory by winning with 58kg. Glen Boss becomes the first jockey to win three Cups in a row.

Delta Blues becomes the first Japanese horse to win the Melbourne Cup (G1).

Efficient becomes the first horse since Phar Lap to win the Derby and Cup in successive years

Bart Cummings wins his 12th Cup, with Viewed winning by a nose over Bauer. Jockey Blake Shinn wins his first Cup.