GRANTS Betting Ltd is anticipating a huge turnout of punters in their various outlets next Tuesday for the 2016 Melbourne Cup in Australia.
Mainly referred to by horse racing pundits as “The Big One”, the $A6 million ($F9.43m) race is set to be held at the Flemington Racecourse where jockeys ride an estimated 3200 metres on November 1.
Grants Betting general manager Vijendra Sundar said the Melbourne Cup could be considered as the most competitive race in Australian which is referred to as the “race that stops a nation.”
“When I say competitive race, I mean horses from all around the world will come to compete for this cup.
“It’s a prestige cup and everyone will want to fight for that cup.” Sundar said.
He said the final field of 24 would be released on Saturday (today) about 9pm Fiji time and the actual race would begin at 4pm Fiji time on Tuesday, November 1.
“At the moment there are about 30 or 32 horses in the field, but after tomorrow’s (today) qualifying race about six or eight horses will be dropped off from there and that is when the final will be determined.”
He said the local response hadbeen huge and further boosted by technology with people having access to the internet via smart-phones, laptop and computers.
“That is why we have various outlets around the major urban areas of Fiji in order to avoid overcrowding during the Melbourne Cup,” he said.
