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Gallery | Melbourne Cup glitters in Gunbower

Gunbower Racing Club hosted this year’s Melbourne Cup trophy as part of a regional tour. Pictured are Di Allman, Molly the Horse and Danielle Garden. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW

An 18-carat, 3.8kg, $850,000 cup, handcrafted from 44 individual gold pieces this year, made its way to Gunbower Racing Club recently.

The club was part of the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, welcoming the iconic trophy and Victoria Racing Club representatives to the grounds.

Gunbower Racing Club president Vicky McGillivray. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Echuca Regional Health public relations officer Sarah Crossman. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Gunbower student Willow Leaver-Rankin. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Legendary track rider Joe Agresta. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Melbourne Cup Carnival security manager Simon Ogden. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW

To celebrate the occasion, the club hosted a day of activities for the community, with over 100 attendees joining alongside students from Gunbower Primary School.

Gunbower students showed off their creativity in a millinery parade, donning their handmade hats to be judged for a competition.

Gunbower Prep and Year 1 and 2 students Ayva Simmonds, Willow Newton, Sam Cheap, Sid Munzel and Theo Havey. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Gunbower Primary Year 3/4 students in the millinery competition. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Gunbower Primary Year 5/6 students. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW

The Gunbower Lions Club was on hand to serve up a barbecue, and the world-famous Molly the Horse made a glamorous appearance with her fascinator on and hoofs painted.

Seven people, dressed in jockey gear, raced each other track-side, with Jed Brereton crossing the line first by a tiny margin in front of Tom Brereton.

Jockey running race participants Terri Hare, Jo White, Travis Cartwright, Mya Warde, Jed Brereton, Tom Brereton and Brad O’Brian. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Jed edged out Tom for the win. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW

Community members and students were given the chance to hold and be photographed with the hefty cup before a running race was held.

Jodie Blachford and Belinda Richardson. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Gabbey Beveridge, Mya Warde, and Kiriana ‘Kitty’ Wereta. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Denise Caulfield, Heather Easton and Sandra McGillivray. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Craig Taylor, Tim Kingma and Peter McGillivray. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Gunbower Primary students creating their own Melbourne Cups with wood craft supplies. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Will, Tom and James Brereton. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Danielle Garden and Molly the Horse. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW
Willow Leaver-Rankin and Simon Ogden. Photo by JORDAN TOWNROW