document_title: List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises

question_text: which states have more than one nfl team

text: Major professional sports leagues[edit]

text: The major professional sports leagues, or simply major leagues, in the United States and Canada are the highest professional competitions of team sports in the two countries. Although individual sports such as golf, tennis, and auto racing are also very popular, the term is usually limited to team sports.

text: The term "major league" was first used in 1921 in reference to Major League Baseball (MLB), the top level of professional American baseball. Today, the major northern North America professional team sports leagues are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).[1]

text: These four leagues are also commonly referred to as the Big Four. Each of these is the richest professional club competition in its sport worldwide. The best players can become cultural icons in both countries and elsewhere in the world, because the leagues enjoy a significant place in popular culture in the U.S. and Canada. The NFL has 32 teams, and the others have 30 each, although the NHL will expand in its 2017–18 season with the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas, Nevada, a market the Big Four had historically avoided because of the city's notorious reputation of being a hub for illegal gambling. The vast majority of major league teams are concentrated in the most populous metropolitan areas of the United States.

text: Baseball, football, and hockey have had professional leagues for over 100 years; early leagues such as the National Association, Ohio League, and National Hockey Association formed the basis of the modern MLB, NFL and NHL respectively. Basketball is a relatively new development; the NBA evolved from the National Basketball League and its splinter group the Basketball Association of America, taking on its current form in 1949.

text: Other notable leagues include Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Canadian Football League (CFL), both of which compare to the other four leagues in certain metrics but not in others. Every major league, including the CFL and MLS, draws 15,000 or more fans in attendance per game on average as of 2015. Therefore, this list includes a ranking by teams in the Big Four (B4), and a separate ranking also including teams in the CFL and MLS, called the Big Six (B6).

text: Metropolitan area[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Though teams are listed here by metropolitan area, the distribution and support of teams within an area can reveal regional fractures below that level, whether by neighborhood, rival cities within a media market or separate markets entirely. Baseball teams provide illustrations for several of these models. In New York City, the Yankees are popularly dubbed the "Bronx Bombers" for their home borough and generally command the loyalties of fans from the Bronx, parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, Long Island, parts of North Jersey and Westchester County, New York, while the Mets play in Queens and draw support from Queens, Brooklyn and parts of Long Island, revealing a split by neighborhood. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics represent rival cities within the Bay Area, a single media market. Though the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles share a metro area, their cities anchor separate media markets and hold distinctly separate cultural identities. In Los Angeles, the Lakers and Clippers share an arena (Staples Center), and media coverage is split amongst different broadcasters in the metro area.

text: With the Vegas Golden Knights, based in the Las Vegas Valley, the 23rd largest market in North America, having joined the National Hockey League in 2017, the largest urban areas without a team in one of the big four leagues are the 32nd-ranked Austin region and the 37th-ranked Virginia Beach-Norfolk region. The smallest metropolitan area to have a Big Four team is Green Bay (Green Bay Packers), which is the 146th largest metropolitan area, though much of its fan base is drawn from Milwaukee, which is 120 miles away and the 38th largest market. The smallest stand-alone metropolitan area to have a Big Four team is the 78th-largest market, Winnipeg (Winnipeg Jets), while the 54th-largest market, New Orleans, is the smallest metropolitan area to have more than one Big Four team (New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints). Foxboro, Massachusetts, population 16,685 as of the 2010 Census, is a small town which hosts two major-league teams (the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution.) Foxboro is considered part of the Boston metropolitan area, even though it is actually slightly closer to Providence, Rhode Island.

text: List of teams by urban area[edit]

text: The following list contains all urban areas in the United States and Canada containing at least one team in any of the six major leagues. The table contains the population rank based on their urban population as compiled by Demographia,[2] the number of teams in the big four leagues (B4) and the big six leagues (B6), and the city's teams in the National Football League (NFL),[3] Major League Baseball (MLB),[4] the National Basketball Association (NBA),[5] the National Hockey League (NHL),[6] Major League Soccer (MLS),[7] and the Canadian Football League (CFL).[8]

text:
Urban area
Country
Pop.
rank
Population
(2016 est.)[2]
B4
B6
NFL
MLB
NBA
NHL
MLS
CFL

New York City
United States
1
20,685,000
9
11
2 !Giants
Jets[note 1]
2 !Yankees
Mets[note 2]
2 !Knicks
Nets
3 !Rangers
Islanders
Devils[note 3]
2 !Red Bulls
New York City FC
0 !—

Los Angeles
United States
2
15,135,000
8
10
2 !Rams
Chargers[note 4]
2 !Dodgers
Angels
2 !Lakers
Clippers
2 !Kings
Ducks
2 !Galaxy
Los Angeles FC[note 5]
0 !—

San Francisco Bay Area
United States
7
5,955,000
6
7
2 !49ers
Raiders[note 6]
2 !Giants
Athletics
1 !Warriors
1 !Sharks[note 7]
1 !Earthquakes
0 !—

Chicago
United States
3
9,185,000
5
6
1 !Bears[note 8]
2 !Cubs
White Sox
1 !Bulls[note 9]
1 !Blackhawks
1 !Fire
0 !—

Dallas–Fort Worth
United States
5
6,280,000
4
5
1 !Cowboys
1 !Rangers
1 !Mavericks
1 !Stars
1 !FC Dallas
0 !—

Philadelphia
United States
9
5,595,000
4
5
1 !Eagles
1 !Phillies[note 10]
1 !76ers
1 !Flyers[note 11]
1 !Union
0 !—

Washington, D.C.
United States
11
4,950,000
4
5
1 !Redskins
1 !Nationals[note 12]
1 !Wizards[note 13]
1 !Capitals
1 !D.C. United
0 !—

Boston
United States
12
4,490,000
4
5
1 !Patriots[note 14]
1 !Red Sox[note 15]
1 !Celtics
1 !Bruins
1 !Revolution
0 !—

Minneapolis–Saint Paul
United States
18
2,795,000
4
5
1 !Vikings
1 !Twins
1 !Timberwolves
1 !Wild[note 16]
1 !United FC
0 !—

Denver
United States
20
2,600,000
4
5
1 !Broncos
1 !Rockies
1 !Nuggets[note 17]
1 !Avalanche[note 18]
1 !Rapids
0 !—

Miami
United States
8
5,820,000
4
4
1 !Dolphins
1 !Marlins
1 !Heat
1 !Panthers
0 ![note 19]
0 !—

Phoenix
United States
13
4,295,000
4
4
1 !Cardinals
1 !Diamondbacks
1 !Suns
1 !Coyotes
0 !—
0 !—

Detroit
United States
14
3,660,000
4
4
1 !Lions
1 !Tigers[note 20]
1 !Pistons[note 21]
1 !Red Wings
0 !—
0 !—

Toronto–Hamilton
Canada
4
6,550,000
3
6
0 ![note 22]
1 !Blue Jays
1 !Raptors[note 23]
1 !Maple Leafs[note 24]
1 !Toronto FC
2 !Argonauts
Tiger-Cats

Houston
United States
6
6,005,000
3
4
1 !Texans[note 25]
1 !Astros
1 !Rockets
0 !—
1 !Dynamo
0 !—

Atlanta
United States
10
5,120,000
3
4
1 !Falcons
1 !Braves
1 !Hawks
0 ![note 26]
1 !United FC
0 !—

Tampa Bay Area
United States
19
2,660,000
3
3
1 !Buccaneers
1 !Rays
0 !—
1 !Lightning
0 ![note 27]
0 !—

Cleveland
United States
29
1,785,000
3
3
1 !Browns[note 28]
1 !Indians[note 29]
1 !Cavaliers[note 30]
0 ![note 31]
0 !—
0 !—

Pittsburgh
United States
30
1,730,000
3
3
1 !Steelers
1 !Pirates
0 ![note 32]
1 !Penguins[note 33]
0 !—
0 !—

Seattle
United States
16
3,475,000
2
3
1 !Seahawks
1 !Mariners
0 ![note 34]
0 !—
1 !Sounders FC
0 !—

Kansas City
United States
34
1,610,000
2
3
1 !Chiefs
1 !Royals[note 35]
0 ![note 36]
0 ![note 37]
1 !Sporting Kansas City
0 !—

Baltimore
United States
22
2,275,000
2
2
1 !Ravens[note 38]
1 !Orioles[note 39]
0 ![note 40]
0 !—
0 !—
0 ![note 41]

St. Louis
United States
24
2,195,000
2
2
0 ![note 42]
1 !Cardinals[note 43]
0 ![note 44]
1 !Blues[note 45]
0 !—
0 !—

Cincinnati
United States
31
1,695,000
2
2
1 !Bengals
1 !Reds[note 46]
0 ![note 47]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Indianapolis
United States
33
1,645,000
2
2
1 !Colts
0 ![note 48]
1 !Pacers[note 49]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Milwaukee
United States
38
1,415,000
2
2
0 ![note 50]
1 !Brewers[note 51]
1 !Bucks
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Charlotte
United States
35
1,600,000
2
2
1 !Panthers
0 !—
1 !Hornets[note 52]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Nashville
United States
44
1,105,000
2
2
1 !Titans
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Predators
0 ![note 53]
0 !—

Buffalo
United States
53
920,000
2
2
1 !Bills[note 54]
0 ![note 55]
0 ![note 56]
1 !Sabres
0 !—
0 !—

New Orleans
United States
52
925,000
2
2
1 !Saints
0 !—
1 !Pelicans[note 57]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Montreal
Canada
15
3,570,000
1
3
0 !—
0 ![note 58]
0 !—
1 !Canadiens
1 !Impact
1 !Alouettes

Vancouver
Canada
21
2,310,000
1
3
0 !—
0 !—
0 ![note 59]
1 !Canucks
1 !Whitecaps FC
1 !Lions

Orlando
United States
25
2,125,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Magic
0 !—
1 ! Orlando City SC
0 !—

Portland
United States
27
2,000,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Trail Blazers
0 !—
1 !Timbers
0 !—

Columbus
United States
36
1,505,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Blue Jackets
1 !Crew SC
0 !—

Calgary
Canada
39
1,215,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Flames
0 !—
1 !Stampeders

Salt Lake City
United States
45
1,100,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Jazz
0 !—
1 !Real Salt Lake
0 !—

Edmonton
Canada
46
1,060,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Oilers
0 !—
1 !Eskimos

Ottawa
Canada
49
1,010,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Senators
0 !—
1 !Redblacks

Winnipeg
Canada
67
705,000
1
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Jets[note 60]
0 !—
1 !Blue Bombers

San Diego
United States
17
3,110,000
1
1
0 ![note 61]
1 !Padres
0 ![note 62]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Las Vegas
United States
23
2,255,000
1
1
0 ![note 6]
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Golden Knights
0 !—
0 ![note 63]

San Antonio
United States
26
2,025,000
1
1
0 ![note 64]
0 !—
1 !Spurs
0 !—
0 !—
0 ![note 65]

Sacramento
United States
28
1,920,000
1
1
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Kings
0 !—
0 !—
0 ![note 66]

Jacksonville
United States
41
1,170,000
1
1
1 !Jaguars
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Memphis
United States
43
1,110,000
1
1
0 ![note 67]
0 !—
1 !Grizzlies
0 !—
0 !—
0 ![note 68]

Raleigh
United States
42
1,130,000
1
1
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Hurricanes
0 !—
0 !—

Oklahoma City
United States
51
930,000
1
1
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Thunder[note 69]
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Green Bay
United States
999 !—
205,000
1
1
1 !Packers
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—

Regina
Canada
9999 !—
195,000
0
1
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Roughriders

Totals
0 !—
0 !—
0 !–
123
155
32
30
30
31
23[note 70]
9

text:
Jump up ^ Seven NFL teams have previously played in the New York City area: the New York Giants (1921; no relation to the current Giants), the Brooklyn Lions (1926), the New York Yankees (1927-1929), the Orange/Newark Tornadoes (1929-1930), the Staten Island Stapletons (1929-1932), the Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers/Yanks (1930-1945), and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks (1949-1951).
Jump up ^ The New York Mutuals played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, but were expelled at the end of that season. The next year, the Hartford Dark Blues moved to nearby Brooklyn (then an independent city) and played the 1877 season as the Hartfords before it dissolved. The Gothams/Giants played in Manhattan from 1883, and the Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/Bridegrooms/Superbas/Trolley Dodgers/Superbas/Robins/Dodgers played in Brooklyn (which became part of New York City in 1898) from 1890 (when it joined the NL from the AA); both teams respectively moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1958.
Jump up ^ The New York/Brooklyn Americans played in the NHL from 1925 until suspending operations in 1942, and were disbanded in 1946.
Jump up ^ In addition to the Rams and Chargers, two other NFL teams have called Los Angeles home. The Buccaneers played in the 1926 season; despite representing Los Angeles, the team operated out of Chicago because of the difficulty of transcontinental travel in the era before modern air travel. The Oakland Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994, before they moved back to Oakland.
Jump up ^ Club Deportivo Chivas USA was a Major League Soccer club that existed between 2005 and 2014 before folding.[9]
^ Jump up to: a b The Oakland Raiders have been approved to relocate to Las Vegas by the 2020 NFL season.[15]
Jump up ^ The California Golden Seals were an NHL expansion team which played in Oakland from 1967–76, when they moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons.
Jump up ^ The Chicago Cardinals were a charter franchise of the NFL, before moving to St. Louis in 1960.
Jump up ^ Chicago has had two prior NBA teams: the Stags existed from 1946 to 1950 before folding, and the Packers/Zephyrs played from 1961 to 1963, before moving to Baltimore.
Jump up ^ The Athletics played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, before being expelled from the league. Another Athletics team was established in the American League in 1901 and played until 1954, when the team moved to Kansas City.
Jump up ^ The Quakers played in the NHL for the 1930–31 NHL season
Jump up ^ Before the then-Montreal Expos moved to Washington in 2005, four MLB teams (two per league) had played in Washington. In the National League, the original Nationals played from 1886 to 1889. Three teams also played under the name of the Washington Senators: The NL's Senators, who played from 1892 until it was contracted in 1899, and two American League Senators teams (the Senators/Nationals/Senators, who moved to Minneapolis in 1960, and a new Senators team which moved to Dallas in 1971).
Jump up ^ The Washington Capitols were a charter member of what became the NBA; the team dissolved midway through the 1950-1951 season.
Jump up ^ Before the Patriots joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, three other NFL teams had played in Boston: the Bulldogs (1929, disbanded), the Braves/Redskins (1932-1936, moved to Washington), and the Yanks (1944-1948, moved to New York and became the Bulldogs).
Jump up ^ The Red Caps/Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers/Braves/Bees/Braves played in the National League from the league's 1876 inception until it moved to Milwaukee in 1953.
Jump up ^ The Minnesota North Stars were an NHL expansion team that played in Bloomington from 1967 to 1993, when the team moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars.
Jump up ^ The Denver Nuggets joined the NBA in 1949 as a result of the BAA's merger with the NBL, but dissolved following their first NBA season; the current Denver Nuggets are not related to the original Nuggets.
Jump up ^ The Kansas City Scouts relocated to become the Colorado Rockies in 1976, but subsequently moved again and were renamed the New Jersey Devils in 1982.
Jump up ^ Miami Fusion F.C. was a MLS club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that played from 1998 to 2001 when they folded.[10] A new Miami expansion team was announced in 2014, with their launch pending a stadium agreement.
Jump up ^ The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League from 1881 until the team disbanded in 1888.
Jump up ^ The Detroit Falcons played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, but disbanded following that season.
Jump up ^ While Toronto has not had a NFL franchise, the Buffalo Bills did host one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at the Rogers Centre from 2008 to 13 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
Jump up ^ The Toronto Huskies played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, before dissolving.
Jump up ^ The Hamilton Tigers played in the NHL from 1920 to 1925 before relocating to New York City to become the New York Americans; that team folded in 1946.
Jump up ^ Houston hosted the Houston Oilers from 1960 (where they played in the AFL until its merger with the NFL in 1970) through 1996 when the team moved to Nashville -- initially being called the Tennessee Oilers in its first 2 seasons there until ultimately being renamed the Tennessee Titans in 1999.
Jump up ^ The NHL expanded to Atlanta in 1972 with the Atlanta Flames, but the team departed for Calgary, Alberta in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames. In 1999 another expansion franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers, was established, but this team moved to Winnipeg and became the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
Jump up ^ The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of MLS in 1996. However, the franchise folded in 2001.[10]
Jump up ^ Five other NFL teams have played in the Cleveland area: the Tigers (1920-1922; the team suspended operations and could not pay an annual guarantee), the Indians/Bulldogs (1923-1927, when the team moved to Detroit and became the Wolverines), the Indians (1931), the Rams (1937-1946; moved to Los Angeles), and the original Browns (1950-1995). The original Browns' owner Art Modell had planned to move the Browns to Baltimore but was threatened by legal action from both Cleveland and Browns fans; the dispute was resolved when Modell was given an expansion franchise in Baltimore using existing Browns personnel, while the city of Cleveland was allowed to retain the team's intellectual property for a new Browns franchise.
Jump up ^ Two previous baseball teams have played in the National League: The Blues (1879-1884, when the teams was folded into the Brooklyn Grays), and the Spiders (1889-1899, when the team was contracted from the league).
Jump up ^ The Cleveland Rebels played in the inaugural season of the NBA's predecessor, the BAA, before dissolving.
Jump up ^ The California Golden Seals of the NHL relocated to Cleveland for the 1976–77 season and were renamed the Barons. However, the team was merged into the Minnesota North Stars following the 1977–78 season.
Jump up ^ Pittsburgh had one of the founding members of what became the NBA: the Pittsburgh Ironmen. However, they only played a single season (1946–47) before folding.
Jump up ^ The Pirates played in the NHL from 1925 until the team moved to Philadelphia in 1930 due to the effects of the Great Depression.
Jump up ^ Seattle SuperSonics began play in 1967, but in 2008 was moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jump up ^ The Kansas City Athletics played in the city from 1955 until it moved to Oakland in 1968.
Jump up ^ Kansas City had an NBA team from 1972 to 1985, having moved from Cincinnati, Ohio where they were known as the Cincinnati Royals. The team was known as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings from 1972 to 1975 because it played home games in both Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. Starting with the 1975–76 season, the team played exclusively in Kansas City, and was known as the Kansas City Kings. The Kings moved to Sacramento, California in 1985.
Jump up ^ In 1974 the Kansas City Scouts were granted a NHL expansion franchise. However, the franchise became the Colorado Rockies in 1976.
Jump up ^ Baltimore was home to two NFL teams, both named the Colts. The original Colts played in the 1950 NFL season before folding, while the second Colts team played from 1953 until it relocated to Indianapolis following the 1983 season.
Jump up ^ The original Orioles joined the National League in 1892 from the defunct American Association and played there until they were contracted from the NL in 1899. Another Orioles team played in the American League for two years, before dissolving after the 1902 season.
Jump up ^ Baltimore was home to two NBA teams, both named the Bullets. The original Bullets played in the American Basketball League and NBA from 1944 to 1954. The second team was founded in 1963, following the relocation of the Chicago Zephyrs to Maryland. For the next 11 seasons, the Bullets played in Baltimore before moving to Landover, Maryland, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in 1973.
Jump up ^ Baltimore was granted a CFL expansion franchise in 1994, the Baltimore Stallions, which relocated to Montreal after the 1995 season to become the current Montreal Alouettes.
Jump up ^ St. Louis has hosted two NFL teams. The St. Louis Cardinals played from 1960 to 1988 before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, while the St. Louis Rams played from 1995 to 2015, before moving back to Los Angeles.
Jump up ^ Before the Cardinals joined the National League from the defunct American Association in 1892, St. Louis had been home to two NL teams: the St. Louis Brown Stockings, which dissolved in 1877, and the Maroons, which joined the NL in 1885 from the defunct Union Association and moved to Indianapolis in 1887. In addition, the Browns played in the American League from 1901 until it moved to Baltimore in 1954.
Jump up ^ St. Louis has been home to two NBA teams: the St. Louis Hawks, who moved to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks in 1968, and the St. Louis Bombers, who folded in 1950. St. Louis was also home to the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s Spirits of St. Louis before the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.
Jump up ^ The Eagles, a relocation of the Ottawa Senators, played in the NHL for the 1934-1935 season; after a request to suspend operations for the following season was rejected by the NHL, the team was disbanded and its players dispersed among the league's remaining teams.
Jump up ^ The Red Stockings, informally known as the "Reds", played in the National League from 1876 until it was expelled in 1880 for violating league rules. The current Reds joined the NL in 1890 from the AA.
Jump up ^ The Cincinnati Royals were an NBA team founded as the Rochester Royals in 1948, before moving to Cincinnati in 1957. Upon moving to Kansas City, Missouri in 1972, the team was renamed as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
Jump up ^ The Indianapolis Blues played in the National League for the 1878 season, while the St. Louis Maroons moved to Indianapolis and played as the Hoosiers from 1887 until the team dissolved in 1889.
Jump up ^ Before the Pacers joined the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA-NBA merger, two NBA teams had played in Indianapolis: the Indianapolis Jets of the NBL joined the BAA (the NBA's immediate predecessor) in 1948, but dissolved the following year when the NBL merged with the BAA, in favor of the NBL's Indianapolis Olympians. The Olympians would disband in 1953.
Jump up ^ Milwaukee has not had a NFL franchise, but the Green Bay Packers played a portion of their home schedule in Milwaukee on a regular basis from 1933 until 1994.
Jump up ^ Prior to the Brewers, three MLB teams have played in Milwaukee. In the National League, the Grays played in the 1878 NL season, while the Braves played in the city from 1953 until it moved to Atlanta in 1965. The original Brewers played in the American League's inaugural season in 1901, before it moved to St. Louis and became the Browns.
Jump up ^ The original Hornets franchise played in the NBA from 1988 to 2002, before moving to New Orleans. The current Hornets were established in 2004 as the Charlotte Bobcats, but re-assumed the Hornets name in 2014, after the New Orleans Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans and transferred their records and statistics from their time as the original Hornets to the current Charlotte franchise.
Jump up ^ A Nashville MLS team was announced in 2017, which is scheduled to begin play in 2019 or 2020.[11]
Jump up ^ Before the Bills joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, two other NFL teams played in the Buffalo area. The All-Americans/Bisons/Rangers/Bisons played in the city under several different owners until 1929 (not playing the 1928 season), while the Tonawanda Kardex Lumbermen played in Tonawanda in the 1921 season, but disbanded after a lopsided loss in their sole NFL game. From the 2008 to 2013 seasons, the Bills hosted one of their regular season games and a number of preseason games at Toronto's Rogers Centre as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
Jump up ^ The Bisons played in the National League from 1879 until it left the league in 1885; the Bisons have played in the minor leagues in one form or another since.
Jump up ^ The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that moved to San Diego, California in 1978 to become the San Diego Clippers.
Jump up ^ The New Orleans Jazz played in the NBA in 1974 before moving to Salt Lake City in 1979. The Pelicans themselves (not related to the Jazz) were formerly a relocation of the Charlotte Hornets, but in 2013 the renamed Pelicans transferred its records and statistics from their time in Charlotte to the Charlotte Bobcats, who were about to re-assume the Hornets name. The Pelicans are now considered an expansion team starting play in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, then renaming themselves as the Pelicans in 2013.
Jump up ^ Montreal was home to a Major League Baseball team, the Montreal Expos, beginning in 1969. However, the team moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005, where it was renamed as the Washington Nationals.[12][13][14]
Jump up ^ The expansion Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA began play in 1995. However, in 2001 the team moved to Memphis, Tennessee and was renamed as the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jump up ^ The original Winnipeg Jets relocated to become the Phoenix Coyotes (known as the Arizona Coyotes since 2014) in 1996. The current Winnipeg Jets were established by the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.
Jump up ^ San Diego hosted the San Diego Chargers from 1961 (where they initially played in the AFL until its merger with the NFL 1970) through 2016, at which point the team moved back to its original city of Los Angeles for the 2017 season.
Jump up ^ San Diego has had two NBA franchises: the San Diego Rockets and the San Diego Clippers. The Rockets represented San Diego from 1967 until 1971 when they moved to Houston, Texas to become the Houston Rockets. Seven years later, the Buffalo Braves moved to town and were renamed the San Diego Clippers, where they played until 1984, when the team relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jump up ^ The Las Vegas Posse were a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1994 season.
Jump up ^ San Antonio served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints during the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Jump up ^ The San Antonio Texans were a CFL team that played in 1995 CFL season, having relocated from Sacramento, California, where the team had been called the Sacramento Gold Miners, but folded after a single season.
Jump up ^ The Sacramento Gold Miners were a CFL expansion team based in Sacramento, California for two years before relocating to become the San Antonio Texans.
Jump up ^ The NFL's Houston Oilers relocated to Memphis for one season (as the Tennessee Oilers) in 1997 before moving to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans.
Jump up ^ The Memphis Mad Dogs were a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1995 season.
Jump up ^ Oklahoma City served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Jump up ^ Miami MLS team was announced in 2014, with their launch pending a stadium agreement. A Nashville MLS team was announced in 2017, which is scheduled to begin play in 2019 or 2020.[11]

text: Teams by state/province/territory[edit]

text: The number of Big Six teams based on their home state is shown in the map below:

text: The number of Big Six teams based on their home state/province/territory is shown in the map below:

text:
State
Province
Districts
Pop. rank (2014)
(U.S.[16] + Canada[17])
Big four
teams
NFL[3]
MLB[4]
NBA[5]
NHL[6]
Big six
teams
MLS[7]
CFL[8]

 California
1
16
4 !Chargers
Rams
Raiders
49ers
5 !Angels
Dodgers
Athletics
Padres
Giants
4 !Warriors
Clippers
Lakers
Kings
3 !Ducks
Kings
Sharks
19
2 !LA Galaxy
San Jose Earthquakes
Los Angeles FC
0 !—

 Florida
3
9
3 !Jaguars
Dolphins
Buccaneers
2 !Marlins
Rays
2 !Heat
Magic
2 !Panthers
Lightning
10
2 !Orlando City SC
0 !—

 Texas
2
8
2 !Cowboys
Texans
2 !Astros
Rangers
3 !Mavericks
Rockets
Spurs
1 !Stars
10
2 !Dynamo
FC Dallas
0 !—

 New York
4
8
1 !Bills[note 1] [note 2]
2 !Mets
Yankees
2 !Nets
Knicks
3 !Sabres
Islanders
Rangers
9
1 !New York City FC[note 3]
0 !—

 Pennsylvania
7
7
2 !Eagles
Steelers
2 !Phillies
Pirates
1 !76ers
2 !Flyers
Penguins
8
1 !Union
0 !—

 Ohio
8
6
2 !Bengals
Browns
2 !Reds
Indians
1 !Cavaliers
1 !Blue Jackets
7
1 !Crew SC
0 !—

 Illinois
6
5
1 !Bears
2 !Cubs
White Sox
1 !Bulls
1 !Blackhawks
6
1 !Fire
0 !—

 Ontario
5
4
0 !—[note 1]
1 !Blue Jays
1 !Raptors
2 !Senators
Maple Leafs
8
1 !Toronto FC
3 !Tiger-Cats
Redblacks
Argonauts

 Massachusetts
16
4
1 !Patriots
1 !Red Sox
1 !Celtics
1 !Bruins
5
1 !Revolution
0 !—

 Colorado
24
4
1 !Broncos
1 !Rockies
1 !Nuggets
1 !Avalanche
5
1 !Rapids
0 !—

 Minnesota
23
4
1 !Vikings
1 !Twins
1 !Timberwolves
1 !Wild
5
1 !United FC
0 !—

 Missouri
20
4
1 !Chiefs
2 !Royals
Cardinals
0 !—
1 !Blues
4
0 !—[note 4]
0 !—

 Arizona
17
4
1 !Cardinals
1 !Diamondbacks
1 !Suns
1 !Coyotes
4
0 !—
0 !—

 Michigan
11
4
1 !Lions
1 !Tigers
1 !Pistons
1 !Red Wings
4
0 !—
0 !—

 New Jersey
12
3
2 !Giants[note 2]
Jets[note 2]
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Devils
4
1 !Red Bulls[note 3]
0 !—

 Washington, D.C.
57 !—[note 5]
3
0 !—[note 6]
1 !Nationals
1 !Wizards
1 !Capitals
4
1 !D.C. United
0 !—

 Georgia
9
3
1 !Falcons
1 !Braves
1 !Hawks
0 !—
4
1 !United FC
0 !—

 Maryland
21
3
2 !Ravens
Redskins[note 6]
1 !Orioles
0 !—
0 !—
3
0 !—
0 !—

 North Carolina
10
3
1 !Panthers
0 !—
1 !Hornets
1 !Hurricanes
3
0 !—
0 !—

 Tennessee
19
3
1 !Titans
0 !—
1 !Grizzlies
1 !Predators
3
0 !—
0 !—

 Wisconsin
22
3
1 !Packers
1 !Brewers
1 !Bucks
0 !—
3
0 !—
0 !—

 Alberta
30
2
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
2 !Flames
Oilers
4
0 !—
2 !Stampeders
Eskimos

 Washington
15
2
1 !Seahawks
1 !Mariners
0 !—
0 !—
3
1 !Sounders FC
0 !—

 Indiana
18
2
1 !Colts
0 !—
1 !Pacers
0 !—
2
0 !—
0 !—

 Louisiana
27
2
1 !Saints
0 !—
1 !Pelicans
0 !—
2
0 !—
0 !—

 Quebec
14
1
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Canadiens
3
1 !Impact
1 !Alouettes

 British Columbia
28
1
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Canucks
3
1 !Whitecaps FC
1 !Lions

 Oregon
31
1
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Trail Blazers
0 !—
2
1 !Timbers
0 !—

 Utah
37
1
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Jazz
0 !—
2
1 !Real Salt Lake
0 !—

 Manitoba
47
1
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1 ! Jets
2
0 !—
1 !Blue Bombers

 Oklahoma
32
1
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Thunder
0 !—
1
0 !—
0 !—

 Nevada
35
1
1 ![note 7]
0 !—
0 !—
1 !Golden Knights
1
0 !—
0 !—

 Kansas
38
0
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1
1 !Sporting Kansas City[note 4]
0 !—

 Saskatchewan
48
0
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
0 !—
1
0 !—
1 !Roughriders

34 states/provinces/districts

123
32
30
30
31
155
23
9

text:
^ Jump up to: a b The NFL's Buffalo Bills held one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at Toronto's Rogers Centre from 2008 to 2013 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
^ Jump up to: a b c The New York Giants and Jets both play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
^ Jump up to: a b The New York Red Bulls play their home games in Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
^ Jump up to: a b Sporting Kansas City play their home games at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Jump up ^ Washington, D.C. would have the 57th largest population if it were a state.
^ Jump up to: a b The Washington Redskins play their home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
Jump up ^ The Oakland Raiders have been approved to relocate to Las Vegas in 2019 or 2020


document_title: The Young Offenders (TV series)

question_text: the young offenders series 1 how many episodes

root

text: The Young Offenders (TV series)

text: Plot[edit]

text: The series follows the adventurous life of Cork teenagers Conor MacSweeney (Alex Murphy) and Jock O'Keeffe (Chris Walley). Their criminal activities often brings themselves into trouble with the police, and their positions at their school is repeatedly put in jeopardy. Their continuous feud with their principal, Barry Walsh (P.J. Gallagher), is well-depicted throughout the series' narrative, and their feelings for Principal Walsh's daughters Siobhan and Linda is also shown through the show.

tag: p

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Alex Murphy as Conor MacSweeney
Chris Walley as Jock O'Keeffe
Hilary Rose as Mairead MacSweeney
Dominic MacHale as Sergeant Healy
P. J. Gallagher as Principal Barry Walsh
Jennifer Barry as Siobhan Walsh
Demi Isaac Oviawe as Linda Walsh
Shane Casey as Billy Murphy
Chris Kent as Conor's Dad
Orla Fitzgerald as Orla Walsh
Cora Fenton as Jock's Mum
Michael Sands as Jock's Dad

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: The film, The Young Offenders, was released in 2016, which was generally well-reviewed, and won an Irish Film & Television Award. With the popularity of the film, on 9 May 2017, it was confirmed that a six-episode television programme, based on the film with the same name, had been ordered by RTÉ, to be broadcast in 2018.[2] Creator, Peter Foott commented, "It's incredibly exciting to be able to work with the BBC and with RTÉ to bring these characters back to the screen, they have been so supportive of the project and will be a wonderful home for it. The public response to the film, and specifically the characters themselves, was just so overwhelming that we really felt there were a lot more stories to tell".[2]

text: The first series began broadcasting on 1 February 2018, broadcast by RTÉ Two in Ireland and airing through the online television service BBC Three.[3] With a popular and high reception, the series was recommissioned for a second series, the projected release date was not disclosed.[4]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Overnight
viewership

1
"Episode 1"[5]
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
1 February 2018
277,000[6]

Conor MacSweeney and Jock O'Keeffe are two young students with a passion for criminal activity, including robbery, under-age smoking, threat and other acts. The duo go to the roof of a building and steal lead to sell on. The landlord reports them to the police, and they are chased on bikes. Wearing masks to hide their identity, they ditch their bikes and their school uniform. The police retrieve Conor's jumper, and it is revealed that it belongs to him, due to his name being labelled in it. As they are about to be arrested for robbery, two other school students, wearing the masks that Conor and Jock had worn during the robbery, vandalise the school roof, which clears their names. It is then revealed that Conor and Jock had persuaded the two boys to do so.

2
"Episode 2"[7]
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
8 February 2018
N/A

Conor and Jock are back to their criminal ways, but Conor's true feelings are exposed when he falls for Principal Walsh's daughter Linda. Linda invites the duo over for their barbecue dinner, much to the dismay of Principal Walsh. When Conor tells Linda about his feelings, her father immediately jumps in, and tells Linda to help her mother in the kitchen – who did not need any help at all, Linda tells Connor to wait. A wrestling match pursuits between Conor and Principal Walsh, and the Principal insults him, leading to Conor to retaliate and give his principal a black eye. This leads to an argument between Linda and Conor. Meanwhile, Jock tries to cope with the grief of rejection for the first time, when Linda's sister Siobhan does so.

3
"Episode 3"[8]
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
15 February 2018
N/A

Conor convinces Linda and Siobhan to play truant off school so that he and Jock can convince them to give them a second chance. Conor and Jock steal four bikes for the quartet to ride to a river bridge on, and Conor and Jock strip to their underwear to jump from the bridge into the water, which the two girls are unsatisfied with, and refuse to wear the inappropriate swimsuits that their supposed lovers attempt to give them. Conor packs a picnic, which the girls refuse to eat. Jock confronts Siobhan for her ungratefulness towards his love attempts, and Conor reveals to her that it is the anniversary of Jock's mother's death. Siobhan tells Jock to take them to the graveyard, which he does. Upon their arrival, they see Jock's alcohol-addicted grieving father over his late wife's grave. When he leaves, the four sing a song by her grave, which makes the girls give their lovers another chance. Conor and Jock get the tattoos that they wanted; Conor's mother pre-despises her son's ideas, but her opinions are changed afterwards, when Conor shows her his new tattoo which says "I love me mam", which breaks mother and son into tears. Principal Walsh approves of his daughters' relationships, whilst Jock decides to show gratitude towards his grieving father, having seriously disliked him previously due to his alcoholism.

4
"Episode 4"
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
22 February 2018
N/A

The ancient refrigerator of the MacSweeney household officially dies, and Conor and his mother prepare for a lovely family road trip to collect a new fridge from a farmer for a cheap price. Much to Mairead's dismay, Jock arrives, and asks to go with them. After previously saying no, she is persuaded to do so by Conor and Jock's short upset about this. Jock causes dismay in the car journey, and writes a song, which results in the trio singing it and Mairead crashing the car, causing the front left tyre to pop. Conor has an idea to put a block of wood below the car to remove the rock and the tyre, after none of them can find the jack. Jock then finds it in the front where he was looking shortly afterwards, which causes more frustration to Mairead's head. When they arrive, Mairead purchases the new fridge, and the farmer wants to kill a duck who is causing dismay to his farm animals. Conor and Jock volunteer to do so, and record a video, much to the farmer's joy. However, on the way home, it is revealed that they saved the duck from murder, having faked it's death with the help of Conor and Jock. Jock volunteers to take the duck to his home for hospitality. Mairead drops Jock off home, and tells him to stay away from Conor, and Jock tells Mairead that she is not perfect and that he does not criticise her. Jock leaves the duck in back car seat. As he enters his house, Mairead realises that Jock's drunken father is abusing his son, and storms into the house to save Jock from further abuse. She tells Jock to pack his bags, and takes Jock to live with her and Conor, much to the best friends' delights. The trio, plus the duck, truly bond, and they soon become a happy "family".

5
"Episode 5"
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
1 March 2018
N/A

Money becomes tight in the MacSweeney household when Jock moves in, and the new family trio need to work out a way to keep food last and bring in extra cash. Conor and Jock decide to take their work experience at the fish market where Mairead works, and Jock informs Conor that if they steal a rare blue fin tuna fish for a dodgy businessman, they will receive thousands of pounds, which they would intend to give to Mairead to pay the bills and get the money for her. Conor agrees, and the troublesome duo steal the fish from their place of work at night. After a long attempt to get the tuna into the trolley, they set off to deliver the fish to the businessman. After trying to protect their fish from their rival gang, which results in the tuna falling from the trolley, Jock comes up with a new idea to deliver the fish. He takes a life boat ring and ties the end of the rope to the tuna and puts it in the water to make it easier. When meeting up with Siobhan and Linda, Conor discovers that Jock had toileted in the hand-drier at school which resulted in Conor's hands being covered in faeces. A small argument between the best friends results in Conor dropping the ring into the water, for a swimming-in-training Jock going to retrieve it. Jock agrees to show Siobhan the fish, but when they surface it, it is revealed that the other half of the tuna has been eaten and that it is the wrong fish. The quartet ditch, and Conor and Jock go home to find Sergeant Healy sitting in the kitchen. He shows them a video, which sees Conor and Jock's numerous attempts to get the fish into the trolley. When Mairead arrives home, she shows the official commence of her new relationship with the guard by kissing him, much to the displeasure of Conor and Jock, and she surprisingly insults her son and his best friend, as they could not even steal the correct fish. Meanwhile, Siobhan discovers that she is pregnant with Jock's child.

6
"Episode 6"
Peter Foott
Peter Foott
8 March 2018
N/A

Siobhan prepares to tell Jock about her pregnancy. She tells her mother, as she believes that her mother will be supportive, but the complete opposite happens as her mother is angry with shock. Jock and Conor decide to take Siobhan and Linda to the cinema, in an attempt to get Conor and Linda to "shift". Jock puts on his "fake Billy" mask and steals alcohol from a local shop. The security guards sees this and chases him, but Jock hides and loses the guard. The guard asks Billy if he has seen "fake Billy", which he has not, though sees Jock, wearing his grey tracksuit and hooded to protect seeing his face, and decides to follow him. Jock and Conor wait on the second tier of a double-decker bus for Siobhan and Linda, and Jock drops his mask prior to going up the stairs to the second tier, and Billy gets on bus to search for "fake Billy". Billy realises that Jock is wearing a grey tracksuit, but Jock convinces Billy that it was not him. Siobhan and Linda get on the bus and Billy keeps them hostage after Sergeant Healy sees him in possession of a knife. He orders the bus driver to keep on driving until they lose Healy, but Healy keeps on following them, with the car being driven by Mairead. Healy calls Conor, and Billy answers, and Jock convinces Billy to order Healy to get refreshments, which would tempt Billy to give himself up. Billy feeds the entire bus passengers individual food, whilst Jock serves them with alcohol. Siobhan informs Jock that she is pregnant and shocks him, and he does not speak for a while. The passengers sing a song to pass the time, led by Billy. The bus is blocked off front and back by police and they threaten to kill Billy if he does not give himself up. Conor, feeling sorry for Billy, comes up with a plan. All bus passengers wear the "fake Billy" mask, and they all say "I am Billy" as they come off the bus, Billy escapes by wandering into the woods as the guards question Healy if he was sure he saw Billy get on the bus. Jock informs Mairead that he is becoming a dad, much to her anger, and Siobhan informs her father of her pregnancy. Linda and Conor finally kiss, though inaccurately, before Linda kisses Conor properly before she leaves.

tag: table

text: Reception[edit]

text: Following the broadcasting of the pilot episode, Aoife Kelly of the Irish Independent released a positive review of the programme, commenting, "It takes the best of the movie and builds on it".[9] Bruce Dessau stated that the programme was a brilliant show to watch, and that he believed that it was a "male version" of Channel 4 series Derry Girls, with other journalists believing that a potential crossover could be produced in the future.[10]


document_title: Land reform in South Africa

question_text: reasons for implementing a land reform programme in south africa

text: Land reform in South Africa

text: The reform[edit]

text: The Land Reform Process focused on three areas: restitution, land tenure reform and land redistribution.[1][7] Restitution, where the government compensates (monetary) individuals who had been forcefully removed, has been very unsuccessful and the policy has now shifted to redistribution with secure land tenure. Land tenure reform is a system of recognising people's right to own land and therefore control of the land.

text: Redistribution is the most important component of land reform in South Africa.[8] Initially, land was bought from its owners (willing seller) by the government (willing buyer) and redistributed, in order to maintain public confidence in the land market.[1]

text: Although this system has worked in various countries in the world, in South Africa it has proved to be very difficult to implement. This is because many owners do not actually see the land they are purchasing and are not involved in the important decisions made at the beginning of the purchase and negotiation.

text: In 2000 the South African Government decided to review and change the redistribution and tenure process to a more decentralised and area based planning process. The idea is to have local integrated development plans in 47 districts. This will hopefully mean more community participation and more redistribution taking place, but there are also various concerns and challenges with this system too.[9]

text: These include the use of third parties, agents accredited by the state, and who are held accountable to the government. The result has been local land holding elites dominating the system in many of these areas. The government still hopes that with "improved identification and selection of beneficiaries, better planning of land and ultimately greater productivity of the land acquired..."[8] the land reform process will begin moving faster.[9]

text: As of early 2006, the ANC government announced that it will start expropriating the land, although according to the country's chief land-claims commissioner, Tozi Gwanya, unlike Zimbabwe there will be compensation to those whose land is expropriated, "but it must be a just amount, not inflated sums."[10]

text: Despite these moves towards decentralisation, these improved practices and government promises are not very evident. South Africa still remains hugely unequal, with black South Africans still dispossessed of land and many still homeless. The challenge for the incumbent politicians is to improve the various bureaucratic processes, and find solutions to giving more South Africans secure land tenure.

text: In South Africa, the main model of Land Reforms that was implemented was based on the Market-led Agrarian Reform (MLAR) approach. Within the MLAR, the strategic partnership (SP) model was implemented in seven claimant communities in Levubu in the Limpopo province. The SP model was implemented between 2005-2008 that ended up in a fiasco leading to creation of conflict between several interested parties.[11]

text: Future challenges[edit]

text: Various researchers have identified various challenges facing land and agrarian reform in South Africa. The following are amongst the challenges as identified by (Hall 2004) and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (2008):

text:
Willing seller-willing buyer principle: it takes a long time to negotiate land price with the current land owners;
Claim disputes: it is a long process to mediate and resolve claim disputes (e.g. unresolved disputes between Makgoba Traditional Council and the Trust in the Limpopo Province, South Africa);
Capacity: there is lack of institutional capacity for community legal entities (e.g. Trust);
Beneficiary selection: it is a lengthy process and time consuming process to select the rightful beneficiaries for land redistribution;
Resettlement support: it requires enough resources and time to effectively facilitate post-resettlement support to new land owners;
Monitoring and evaluation: there is lack of reliable monitoring system and evaluation thereof;
Policy: there are gaps in the current policies which compromise effective implementation of land reform programme.
Different political views: there is lack of common consensus among political parties on land reform debate.

text: Unresolved land claims, which are largely rural claims, are mostly affected by a number of challenges such as:

text:
disputes with land owners on the validity of claims, land prices, settlement models and conditions;
family or community dispute;
conflict among traditional leaders, community, trust and beneficiaries
boundaries disputes among traditional leaders;
reluctance of other government departments and institutions to release state land;
high land prices and disputes on land valuation;
land price negotiations with current owners;
lack of technical and financial support;
mismanagement of resources;
untraceable claimants; and
land claim disputes resolution and mediation.

text: The Financial and Fiscal Commission's 2016 report[edit]

text: As of 2016 the South African government has pumped more than R60bn into land reform projects since 1994. Despite this investment, the land reform programme has not stimulated development in the targeted rural areas. A report by the South African Government's Financial and Fiscal Commission shows that land reform as a mechanism for agricultural development and job creation has failed. A survey by the commission in Limpopo province, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape found that most land reform farms show little or no agricultural activity; the land reform beneficiaries earn little to no income, and the majority of these beneficiaries seek work on surrounding commercial farms instead of actively farming their own land. Where farming is taking place on land reform farms, these farms operate below their full agricultural potential and are mainly used for subsistence agriculture. On average, crop production had decreased by 79% since conversion to land reform. In the three provinces surveyed, job losses averaged 84%, with KwaZulu-Natal suffering a 94% job haemorrhage.[12]


document_title: Melbourne Cup

question_text: what does jockey get paid for winning melbourne cup

question_tokens: what does jockey get paid for winning melbourne cup

text: Melbourne Cup

text: Qualifying and race conditions[edit]

text: The race is a quality handicap for horses 3 years old and over, run over a distance of 3,200 metres, on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Racecourse. The minimum handicap weight is 50 kg. There is no maximum weight, but the top allocated weight must not be less than 57 kg. The weight allocated to each horse is declared by the VRC Handicapper in early September.

text: The Melbourne Cup race is a handicap contest in which the weight of the jockey and riding gear is adjusted with ballast to a nominated figure. Older horses carry more weight than younger ones, and weights are adjusted further according to the horse's previous results.

text: Weights were theoretically calculated to give each horse an equal winning chance in the past, but in recent years the rules were adjusted to a "quality handicap" formula where superior horses are given less severe weight penalties than under pure handicap rules.

text: Weight penalties[edit]

text: After the declaration of weights for the Melbourne Cup, the winner of any handicap flat race of the advertised value of A$55,000 or over to the winner, or an internationally recognised Listed, Group, or Graded handicap flat race, shall carry such additional weight (if any), for each win, as the VRC Handicapper shall determine.

text: Fees[edit]

text: Entries for the Melbourne Cup usually close during the first week of August. The initial entry fee is $600 per horse. Around 300 to 400 horses are nominated each year, but the final field is limited to 24 starters. Following the allocation of weights, the owner of each horse must on four occasions before the race in November, declare the horse as an acceptor and pay a fee. First acceptance is $960, second acceptance is $1,450 and third acceptance is $2,420. The final acceptance fee, on the Saturday prior to the race, is $45,375. Should a horse be balloted out of the final field, the final declaration fee is refunded.

text: Balloting conditions[edit]

text: The race directors retain the absolute discretion to exclude any horse from the race, or exempt any horse from the ballot on the race, but in order to reduce the field to the safety limit of 24, horses are balloted out based on a number of factors which include:

text:
prize money earned in the previous two years,
wins or placings in certain lead-up races
allocated handicap weight

text: The winner of the following races are exempt from any ballot:[1][2]

text:
Lexus Stakes (formerly Saab Quality and registered as The Hotham Handicap)
LKS Mackinnon Stakes (until 2015)
Cox Plate
Caulfield Cup
The Bart Cummings (from 2015)
Doncaster Cup (UK)
Irish St. Leger (IRE)
Tenno Sho (Spring) (JPN)
Sankei Sho All Comers (JPN)
Arlington Million (USA)
San Juan Capistrano Handicap (USA)
Australian Stayers Challenge[3]

text: The limitation of 24 starters is stated explicitly to be for safety reasons. However, in the past far larger numbers were allowed - the largest field ever raced was 39 runners in 1890.

text: Quarantine[edit]

text: International horses (New Zealand not included) that are entered for the Melbourne Cup must undergo quarantine in an approved premises in their own country for a minimum period of 14 days before travelling to Australia. The premises must meet the Australian Government Standards.[4] The Werribee International Horse Centre at Werribee racecourse is the Victorian quarantine station for international horses competing in the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. The facility has stabling for up to 24 horses in five separate stable complexes and is located 32 km from the Melbourne CBD.[5]

text: Prize money and trophies[edit]

text: Prize money[edit]

text: The total prize money for the 2017 race is A$6,200,000, plus trophies valued at $175,000.[6] The first 10 past the post receive prizemoney, with the winner being paid $3.6 million, second $900,000, third $450,000, fourth $250,000, fifth $175,000, with sixth through to tenth place earning $125,000.[6] Prizemoney is distributed to the connections of each horse in the ratio of 85 percent to the owner, 10 percent to the trainer and 5 percent to the jockey.

text: The 1985 Melbourne Cup, won by "What a Nuisance", was the first race run in Australia with prize money of $1 million.

text: The Cup currently has a $500,000 bonus for the owner of the winner if it has also won the group one Irish St. Leger run the previous September.

text:
Melbourne Cup Year
Prize Money

2017
$6,200,000

2016
$6,200,000

2015
$6,200,000

2014
$6,200,000

2013
$6,200,000

2012
$6,200,000

2011
$6,175,000

2010
$6,000,000

2009
$5,500,000

2008
$5,500,000

2007
$5,000,000

2006
$5,000,000

2005
$5,000,000

2004
$4,600,000

text: Trophies[edit]

text: The winner of the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 received a gold watch. The first Melbourne Cup trophy was awarded in 1865 and was an elaborate silver bowl on a stand that had been manufactured in England.[8] The first existing and un-altered Melbourne Cup is from 1866, presented to the owners of The Barb; as of 2013, it is in the National Museum of Australia.[9] The silver trophy presented in 1867, now also in the National Museum of Australia,[9] was also made in England but jewellers in Victoria complained to the Victorian Racing Club that the trophy should have been made locally. They believed the work of Melbournian, William Edwards, to be superior in both design and workmanship to the English made trophy. No trophy was awarded to the Melbourne Cup winner for the next eight years.[8]

text: In 1876 Edward Fischer, an immigrant from Austria, produced the first Australian-made trophy. It was an Etruscan shape with two handles. One side depicted a horse race with the grandstand and hill of Flemington in the background. The opposite side had the words "Melbourne Cup, 1876" and the name of the winning horse.[10] A silver-plated base sporting three silver horses was added in 1888, but in 1891 the prize changed to being a 15-inch-high (380 mm), 24-inch-long (610 mm) trophy showing a Victory figure offering an olive wreath to a jockey.[10] From 1899 the trophy was in the form of silver galloping horse embossed on a 3-foot-long (0.91 m) plaque, although it was said to look like a greyhound by some people.

text: The last Melbourne Cup trophy manufactured in England was made for the 1914 event. It was a chalice centred on a long base which had a horse at each end. The trophy awarded in 1916,[11] the first gold trophy, was a three-legged, three-armed rose bowl. The three-handled loving cup design was first awarded in 1919. In that year the Victorian Racing Club had commissioned James Steeth to design a trophy that would be in keeping with the prestige of the race, little realising that it would become the iconic Melbourne Cup still presented today.[12] In the Second World War years (1942, 1943 and 1944) the winning owner received war bonds valued at 200 pounds.

text: A new trophy is struck each year and becomes the property of the winning owner. In the event of a dead heat a second cup is on hand. The present trophy is hand spun from 1.65 kg of 18-carat gold.[13] The winning trainer and jockey also receive a miniature replica of the cup (since 1973) and the strapper is awarded the Tommy Woodcock Trophy, named after the strapper of Phar Lap.

text: Melbourne Cup Tour[edit]

text: In 2003 an annual tour of the Melbourne Cup trophy was initiated to provide communities across Australia and New Zealand with an opportunity to view the Cup trophy and highlight the contribution the Melbourne Cup has made to the Australia's social, sporting and racing culture. Each year, communities in Australia and New Zealand apply for the cup to tour to their community and the tour also takes in cities around the world as part of the Victoria Racing Club’s strategy to promote the Melbourne Cup and the Melbourne Cup Carnival internationally.[14]

text: The Tour has visited schools and aged-care and hospital facilities, and participated in community events and celebrations including race days across Australia and New Zealand.[15]

text: History[edit]

text: Early years[edit]

text: Frederick Standish, member of the Victorian Turf Club and steward on the day of the first Cup,[16] was credited with forming the idea to hold a horse race and calling it the "Melbourne Cup".[16][17]

text: Seventeen horses contested the first Melbourne Cup on Thursday 7 November 1861, racing for the modest prize of 710 gold sovereigns (£710) cash and a hand-beaten gold watch, winner takes all.[18][19] The prize was not, as some have suggested, the largest purse up to that time. A large crowd of 4,000 men and women watched the race, although it has been suggested this was less than expected because of news reaching Melbourne of the death of explorers Burke and Wills[16] five days earlier on 2 November. Nevertheless, the attendance was the largest at Flemington on any day for the past two years, with the exception of the recently run Two Thousand Guinea Stakes.[18]

text: The winner of this first Melbourne Cup race was a 16.3 hand bay stallion by the name of Archer in a time of 3.52.00, ridden by John Cutts, trained by Etienne de Mestre, and leased (and consequently raced in his own name) by de Mestre. As a lessee de Mestre "owned" and was fully responsible for Archer during the lease. Archer was leased from the "Exeter Farm" of Jembaicumbene near Braidwood, New South Wales. His owners were Thomas John "Tom" Roberts (a good school-friend of de Mestre's), Rowland H. Hassall (Roberts' brother-in-law), and Edmund Molyneux Royds and William Edward Royds (Roberts' nephews).[20][21][22]

text: The inaugural Melbourne Cup of 1861 was an eventful affair when one horse bolted before the start, and three of the seventeen starters fell during the race, two of which died. Archer, a Sydney "outsider" who drew scant favour in the betting, spread-eagled the field and defeated the favourite, and Victorian champion, Mormon by six lengths. Dismissed by the bookies, Archer took a lot of money away from Melbourne, 'refuelling interstate rivalry' and adding to the excitement of the Cup.[23] The next day, Archer was raced in and won another 2 mile long distance race, the Melbourne Town Plate.

text: It has become legend that Archer walked over 800 km (over 500 miles) to Flemington from de Mestre's stable at "Terara" near Nowra, New South Wales. However, newspaper archives of the day reveal that he had travelled south from Sydney to Melbourne on the steamboat City Of Melbourne, together with de Mestre, and two of de Mestre's other horses Exeter and Inheritor.[24] Before being winched aboard the steamboat for the trip to Melbourne, the horses had arrived in Sydney in September 1861.[18][25]

text: Archer travelled to Melbourne by steamboat again the following year (1862) to run in the second Melbourne Cup. This time he won 810 gold sovereigns (£810) cash and a gold watch before a crowd of 7,000, nearly twice the size of the previous years large crowd[26] in a time of 3.47.00, taking to two the number of Melbourne Cup wins by this horse. Archer had already won the 1862 AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Randwick, Sydney, and returned to win his second Melbourne Cup carrying 10 stone 2 pounds. He defeated a field of twenty starters by eight lengths, a record that has never been beaten, and that was not matched for over 100 years. Mormon again running second. Winning the Melbourne Cup twice was a feat not repeated until more than seventy years later when Peter Pan won the race in 1932 and 1934, and winning the Melbourne Cup two years in a row was a feat not repeated until more than 30 years later when Rain Lover won in 1968 and 1969.

text: Archer travelled to Melbourne by steamboat yet again the next year (1863). Despite his weight of 11 stone 4 pounds, Archer would have contested the third cup in 1863, but due to a Victorian public holiday trainer Etienne de Mestre's telegraphed acceptance form arrived late, and Archer was scratched on a technicality. In protest of this decision and in a show of solidarity, many of de Mestre's owners boycotted the third race and scratched their horses in sympathy.[27] As a result, the Melbourne Cup of that year ran with only 7 starters, the smallest number in the history of the Cup.

text: In 1865, Adam Lindsay Gordon wrote a verse in which the Melbourne Cup winner was called Tim Whiffler. Two years later in 1867 two horses with the name Tim Whiffler ran in the Melbourne Cup. (The year before in 1866 two horses with the same name, Falcon, also ran in the Melbourne Cup.) To distinguish between the two Tim Whifflers they were called "Sydney" Tim Whiffler and "Melbourne" Tim Whiffler. "Sydney" Tim Whiffler actually won the Cup.[28][29] He was trained by Etienne de Mestre, and like Archer before him raced in de Mestre's name but was leased from the "Exeter Farm".[21][22]

text: As early as 1865, Cup day was a half-holiday in Melbourne for public servants and bank officials. Various businesses also closed at lunchtime.

text: It took some years before the purpose of the declared holiday was acknowledged in the Victoria Government Gazette. The Gazette of 31 October 1873 announced that the following Thursday (Cup Day) be observed as a bank and civil (public) service holiday.[30]

text: The Melbourne Cup was first run on a Tuesday in 1875, the first Tuesday in that month.[31]

text: On 7 November 1876, the three-year-old filly, Briseis, owned and trained by James Wilson Snr., won in a time of 3.36.25. Briseis then went on to create a record that is never likely to be equalled, winning the VRC Derby, the Melbourne Cup and the VRC Oaks in the space of six days. She was ridden in the Melbourne Cup by the tiny featherweight figure of jockey Peter St. Albans. In 1876 at the recorded age thirteen (he was actually twelve, being 8 days short of his thirteenth birthday),[32] Peter St. Albans is also the youngest person ever to win a Melbourne Cup. Before 75,000 at Flemington Briseis, with St Albans in the saddle, comfortably won by 1 length in the biggest field of all time. "At 4 o'clock the starter released the 33 runners and they swept down the long Flemington straight in a thundering rush. Briseis, ridden by what one writer termed a mere child, (in the Cup) captured a rare double, the Victoria Race Club Derby and the Melbourne Cup. Shouts and hurrahs were heard, hats were thrown in the air and one excited individual fell on his back in the attempt to do a somersault. The boy who rode the winner was carried around the pack and is the hero of the day," reported the "Australasian Sketcher" in 1876. Both Peter St. Albans and Briseis have now become racing legends, and Briseis is regarded as one of the greatest mares foaled in Australia.

text: Briseis wasn't the only sensation surrounding the 1876 Melbourne Cup. Two months before the event, on Saturday 9 September, the City of Melbourne sailed for Melbourne from Sydney with a cargo including 13 racehorses, many of whom were considered serious contenders for the Melbourne Cup. The following day the ship ran into a savage storm and was hit by several rogue waves, with Nemesis (the winner of the 1876 AJC Metropolitan Handicap in Randwick, Sydney and favourite for the Cup, owned by John Moffat) and Robin Hood (another favourite, owned by Etienne de Mestre) being among the 11 horses that were killed.[33] Betting on the big race was paralysed. To the dismay and anger of the public, bookmakers, showing no feeling, presented a purse (loaded with coins) to the captain as token of their appreciation for his part in saving them many thousands of pounds in bets already laid on the favourites who had perished. Perhaps they should have kept their money, however. The outsider Briseis comfortably won by 1 length in the biggest field of all time, and in an extremely good time, so it is unlikely that the horses who perished could have beaten her.

text: 1877 is also the year that the trainer Etienne de Mestre won his fourth Melbourne Cup with Chester owned by Hon. James White. In 1878, as in previous years De Mestre fielded more than one horse. He entered the favourite Firebell (owned by W.S. Cox) who finished last, Chester (owned by Hon. James White) the previous year's winner who fell, and Calamia (owned by de Mestre) who, though less fancied, won easily[34] by two lengths. First prize was £1,790, the crowd was 80,000 and there were 30 starters. De Mestre's 1878 win with Calamia brought to 5 the number of Melbourne Cups he had won.[26] This record was not to be matched for nearly 100 years when the trainer Bart Cummings won his fifth Melbourne Cup in 1975. Bart Cummings, regarded as the best Australian horse trainer of all time, went on to win 12 Melbourne Cups to 2008.

text: In 1883, the hardy New Zealand bred, Martini-Henry won the VRC Derby, the Melbourne Cup and on the following Monday retained his undefeated record by winning Mares' Produce Stakes.[35]

text: Phar Lap, the most famous horse in the world of his day,[36] won the 1930 Melbourne Cup at 11/8 odds on, the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race. 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.[37] Phar Lap also competed in 1929 and 1931, but came 3rd and 8th respectively, despite heavy favouritism in both years.

text: There are a few legends of the first Aboriginal jockey to ride a Melbourne Cup. It was believed to be John Cutts who won the first and second cups in 1861 and 1862 riding Archer. He was reputedly an Aboriginal stockman born in the area where Archer was trained, but was actually John 'Cutts' Dillon, the son of a Sydney clerk, a jockey who rode for many trainers in his long career, and who was one of the best known, best liked and most respected jockeys in New South Wales.[38] It is thought that Peter St. Albans was the first Aboriginal jockey to win the cup, on Briseis in 1876. Because St. Albans was not quite 13 years old, the jockey was too young to ride in the cup. Thus, to allow him to race Briseis in the Cup, it was argued his birthdate and parents were unknown, and from this the legend of him being Aboriginal grew.[39][40] Both these legends, however, can definitely be disproved, and history had to wait nearly another 100 years. The first jockey of Indigenous heritage to ride a Melbourne Cup winner was Frank Reys in 1973 on Gala Supreme, who had a Filipino father and a half-Aboriginal mother.[41]

text: Recent years[edit]

text:
Wikinews has related news:

Delta Blues wins 2006 Melbourne Cup
Makybe Diva wins the Melbourne Cup
Efficient wins Melbourne Cup
Viewed wins the 2008 Melbourne Cup

text: The race has undergone several alterations in recent years, the most visible being the entry of many foreign-trained horses. Most have failed to cope with the conditions; the three successful "foreign raids" include two by Irish trainer Dermot K. Weld successful in 1993 and 2002,[42] and one in 2006[43] by Katsumi Yoshida of Japan's renowned Yoshida racing and breeding family. The attraction for foreigners to compete was, primarily, the low-profile change to the new "quality handicap" weighting system.

text: The 1910 Melbourne Cup was won by Comedy King, the first foreign bred horse to do so. Subsequent foreign bred horses to win Cup were Backwood 1924; Phar Lap 1930; Wotan 1936 Belldale Ball 1980; At Talaq 1986; Kingston Rule 1990; Vintage Crop 1993; Jeune 1994; Media Puzzle 2002; Makybe Diva 2003, 2004, 2005; Americain 2010 and Dunaden 2011.

text: The 1938 Melbourne Cup was won by trainer Mrs. Allan McDonald, who conditioned Catalogue. Mrs McDonald was a successful trainer in New Zealand,[44] however, at the time women were not allowed to compete as trainers in Australia so her husband's name was officially recorded as the winning trainer.[45] The 2001 edition was won by New Zealand mare Ethereal,[46] trained by Sheila Laxon, the first woman to formally train a Melbourne Cup winner. She also won the Caulfield Cup, a 2,400 metre race also held in Melbourne, and therefore has won the "Cups Double".

text: Maree Lyndon became the first female to ride in the Melbourne Cup, when she partnered Argonaut Style in 1987, in which she ran second last in the 21 horse field.[47]

text: In 2004, Makybe Diva[48][49] became the first mare to win two cups, and also the first horse to win with different trainers, after David Hall moved to Hong Kong and transferred her to the Lee Freedman stables.

text: The 2005 Melbourne Cup was held before a crowd of 106,479. Makybe Diva made history by becoming the only horse to win the race three times. Trainer Lee Freedman said after the race, "Go and find the youngest child on the course, because that's the only person here who will have a chance of seeing this happen again in their lifetime."

text: Due to the 2007 Australian Equine influenza outbreak, believed to have been started by a horse brought into Australia from Japan, neither Delta Blues nor Pop Rock participated in the 2007 Melbourne Cup. Both horses had been stabled in Japan. Corowa, NSW trained "Leica Falcon" also was not be permitted to race in Victoria, despite Corowa being close to the Victorian border. Leica Falcon was ordained as the new staying star of Australian racing in 2005 when he ran fourth in both the Caulfield Cup and in Makybe Diva's famous third Melbourne Cup victory. But serious leg injuries saw the horse not race for another 20 months.[50] Efficient, the previous year's VRC Derby winner, won the race.

text: In 2013, Damien Oliver returned from an eight-month ban, after betting against his own mount at a previous race meet, to win his 3rd Melbourne cup.

text: Timeline of notable events[edit]

text:
1861 - The very first Melbourne Cup was held with 17 runners. The eventful race (a horse bolted prior to the start and 3 horses fell during the race of which 2 had to be put down) was won by Archer.
1862 - Archer became the first horse to win the race twice.
1863 - The smallest ever Melbourne Cup field of only 7 runners contested the race after several horses were scratched in sympathy with Etienne de Mestre's champion Archer being ruled out of the race on a technicality.
1869 - The Victorian Racing Club introduced the four-day Spring Racing Carnival format.[37]
1870 - The race was postponed a week.[51]
1875 – The first time the race was held on the first Tuesday in November.[31]
1876 - The youngest jockey in the history of the race Peter St. Albans won on Briseis aged 13 (officially), but actually 12 years 11 months 23 days.[52]
1882 – The first bookmakers were licensed at Flemington.[37]
1888 – The first Gold whip was presented to the winning Cup jockey (Mick O'Brien).[37]
1890 - The largest ever Melbourne Cup field of 39 runners contested the race with the champion Carbine (horse) winning and setting a weight carrying record of 10 st 5 lb (66 kg), which is unlikely to ever be beaten. He carried 53 lb (24 kg) more than second placed horse Highborn.
1894 – Strand starts were introduced to Flemington.[37]
1896 – The Melbourne Cup was first filmed. This race was won by Newhaven.[51][53][54][55]
1915 – First woman owner to win was Mrs E.A. Widdis with Patrobas.
1916 – The race was postponed until the following Saturday.[51]
1925 – The first radio broadcast of the Melbourne Cup was made by the Australian Broadcasting Company.[51]
1930 - The legendary Phar Lap won his Melbourne Cup (after a 3rd placing the previous year), as the shortest priced favourite in history and the only favourite to win at 'odds on' (8/11).
1931 – The first year the totalisator operated at the Melbourne Cup. The Totalisator Agency Board was introduced in 1961.[37] It was also the last of 3 Melbourne Cups that Phar Lap contested, where the handicappers allotted him 10 st 10 lb (68 kg), the heaviest weight ever carried in the race. He only managed to finish 8th behind White Nose.
1941 - Skipton would be the last 3yo to win the race until 2017. At the time 3yo's had won more Melbourne Cups than any other age group, but changes to qualifying conditions resulted in less 3 yo's contesting the race.
1942–44 – The Melbourne Cup was run on Saturdays during the war years.[51]
1948 – The photo finish camera was first used in Melbourne Cup. Rimfire beat Dark Marne. However, many on-course punters believe the result should have been reversed, and it was later found that the camera was incorrectly aligned.[51]
1958 – The first Cup start from starting stalls.[37]
1960 – For the first time the race was televised live to Sydney.
1962 – "Fashions on the Field" was first held at the Carnival.[37]
1972 - The Melbourne Cup distance was updated to the metric 3,200 metres from the previous imperial distance of 2 miles which meant the race effectively became 18.6 metres shorter. The race was won by the George Hanlon trained 40-1 outsider Piping Lane ridden by John Letts and carrying only 48 kg.
1985 – The first sponsored Melbourne Cup, and the first million dollar Cup, with $650,000 for the winner.[37]
1987 – First female jockey to ride in the cup was Maree Lyndon on Argonaut Style.

text:
1993 – The Dermot Weld trained Irish gelding Vintage Crop became the first Northern hemisphere trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup and the first Irish horse.
2001 – Sheila Laxon, was the first woman trainer to officially win the Melbourne Cup. However, Mrs. A. McDonald (1938) with Catalogue was really the first woman trainer to win.[45] Women then could not be registered as trainers in Australia, and it was her husband who was the registered trainer.[56] Mrs. McDonald's win was as a female trainer of a female owned horse.
2003 – First Australian female jockey to ride in the cup was Clare Lindop on Debben.
2003 – The first Melbourne Cup Tour was conducted around Australia, and the biggest crowd, of 122,736, is recorded at Flemington.[37]
2005 – Makybe Diva became the only horse so far to win the Melbourne Cup three times.
2008 – The "Cup King", Bart Cummings, took his 12th win in the Melbourne Cup with Viewed
2010 - 150th anniversary. Americain becomes the first French-trained horse to win the race, and Gerald Mosse the first French jockey.[57]
2011 - French based horse Dunaden wins from Red Cadeaux in the closest finish ever.[58]
2012 - The first seven finishers in the race were bred in Ireland.
2013 - Trainer Gai Waterhouse became the first Australian female trainer to train the winner of the race when Fiorente won. Her father, legendary trainer Tommy J. Smith was also a Melbourne Cup Winning trainer (Toparoa in 1955 and Just A Dash in 1981).
2014 - Two horses die due to racing in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Cup favourite Admire Rakti, who was carrying the heaviest weight since Think Big (1975), died of heart failure in his stall after the race, and Araldo broke his leg and had to be euthanised after being spooked by a flag in the crowd after the race.[59]
2015 - First woman jockey to win the cup was Michelle Payne on Prince of Penzance who became only the 4th horse to win at odds of 100-1. Red Cadeaux, the only horse to finish 2nd in the race on 3 occasions, and a public favourite, did not finish due to a fetlock injury and unfortunately had to be euthanised 2 weeks later.[60]
2016 - Lloyd Williams (businessman) becomes the first owner to have 5 Melbourne Cup winners and Jockey Kerrin McEvoy the Jockey with the greatest timespan between his first and second Melbourne Cup winners (16 years between 2000 and 2016) as Almandin wins the cup narrowly over Heartbreak City.
2017 - Rekindling becomes the first 3yo to win the Melbourne Cup since Skipton in 1941.

text: Public holiday[edit]

text: Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday for all working within metropolitan Melbourne and some parts of regional Victoria, but not for some country Victorian cities and towns which hold their own spring carnivals. For Federal Public Servants it is also observed as a holiday in the entire state of Victoria, and from 2007 to 2009 also in the Australian Capital Territory known as Family and Community Day replacing Picnic Day.[61] The Melbourne cup captures the public's imagination to the extent that people whether at work, home, school, or out and about usually stop to watch or listen to the great race. Many people from outside of Melbourne take a half or full day off work to celebrate the occasion. Many people feel that the day should be a national public holiday as Sick leave is said to increase on the day and productivity wanes.

text: It took some years before the purpose of the declared holiday was acknowledged in the Victoria Government Gazette. The Gazette of 31 October 1873[62] announced that the following Thursday (Cup Day) be observed as a bank and civil (public) service holiday.[63]

text: Results and records[edit]

text: Most wins by a horse[edit]

text:
3 – Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005)
2 – Think Big (1974, 1975)
2 – Rain Lover (1968, 1969)
2 – Peter Pan (1932, 1934)
2 – Archer (1861, 1862)

text: Most wins by a jockey[edit]

text:
4 – Bobby Lewis (1902, 1915, 1919, 1927)
4 – Harry White (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

text: Most wins by a trainer[edit]

text:
12 – Bart Cummings (1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2008)
5 – Etienne de Mestre (1861, 1862, 1867, 1877, 1878)
5 – Lee Freedman (1989, 1992, 1995, 2004, 2005)

text: Most wins by an owner[edit]

text:
6 – Lloyd Williams (1981, 1985, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2017)
4 – John Tait (1866, 1868, 1871, 1872)
4 – Etienne de Mestre (1861*, 1862*, 1867*, 1878) *The winners of these years were leased.[21][22]
4 – Dato Tan Chin Nam (1974, 1975, 1996, 2008)

text: Other records[edit]

text:
Record winning time – 3.16.30 Kingston Rule (1990)
Widest winning margin – 8 lengths by Archer in 1862 and Rain Lover in 1968.[64]
Heaviest weight carried by winner – Carbine in 1890 with 10 stone 5 pounds (66 kg) Makybe Diva holds the record for a mare with 58 kg in 2005.[65] The horse to carry the heaviest weight of all time was Phar Lap (10 stone 10 pounds, or 68 kg) in 1931 when he ran 8th.[66]
Longest odds winners – Four horses have won at 100–1 : The Pearl (1871), Wotan (1936), Old Rowley (1940), and Prince of Penzance (2015).[51]
Shortest odds winner – Phar Lap at 8/11 in 1930.
Favourites record – 34 of 150 favourites (23%) have won the Melbourne Cup.[56]
Most runners – 39 (1890)
Fewest runners – 7 (1863)
Most attempts – Shadow King made six attempts to win the cup in seven years between 1929 and 1935. He ran 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 4th.[51]

text: Attendance[edit]

text: The event is one of the most popular spectator events in Australia, with sometimes over 110,000 people, some dressed in traditional formal raceday wear and others in all manner of exotic and amusing costumes, attending the race. The record crowd was 122,736 in 2003. The 1926 running of the Cup was the first time the 100,000 mark had been passed. Today the record at Flemington is held by the 2006 Victoria Derby when almost 130,000 attended.[67]

text: In 2007, a limit was placed on the Spring Carnival attendance at Flemington Racecourse and race-goers are now required to pre-purchase tickets.[68] Every year more and more people travel to Flemington Racecourse, in 2016 there was A 7.8 per cent increase in the number of out-of-state individuals (80,472) attending the Melbourne Cup Carnival;[69]

text:
2017 - 90,536[70]
2016 - 97,479[71]
2015 - 101,015[71]
2014 - 100,794[71]
2013 - 104,169[71]
2012 - 106,162[71]
2011 - 105,979[31]
2010 – 110,223
2009 – 102,161
2008 – 107,280[72]
2007 – 102,411[73]
2006 – 106,691
2005 – 106,479
2004 – 98,161
2003 – 122,736 (record)

text: Off the track[edit]

text: 'Fashions On The Field' is a major focus of the day, with substantial prizes awarded for the best-dressed man and woman. The requirement for elegant hats, and more recently the alternative of a fascinator, almost single-handedly keeps Melbourne's milliners in business.[citation needed] Raceday fashion has occasionally drawn almost as much attention as the race itself, The miniskirt received worldwide publicity when model Jean Shrimpton wore a white shift version of one on Derby Day during Melbourne Cup week in 1965.[74][75]

text: Flowers, especially roses are an important component of the week's racing at Flemington. The racecourse has around 12,000 roses within its large expanse. Over 200 varieties of the fragrant flower are nurtured by a team of up to 12 gardeners. Each of the major racedays at Flemington has an official flower. Victoria Derby Day has the Corn Flower, Melbourne Cup Day is for the Yellow Rose, Oaks Day highlights the Pink Rose and Stakes Day goes to the Red Rose.

text: In the Melbourne metropolitan area, the race day has been a gazetted public holiday since 1877, but around both Australia and New Zealand a majority of people watch the race on television and gamble, either through direct betting or participating in workplace cup "sweeps". In 2000, a betting agency claimed that 80 percent of the adult Australian population placed a bet on the race that year.[76] In 2010 it was predicted that $183 million would be spent by 83,000 tourists during the Spring Racing Carnival.[77] In New Zealand, the Melbourne Cup is the country's single biggest betting event, with carnival race-days held at several of the country's top tracks showing the cup live on big screens.[78]

text: It is commonly billed as The race that stops a nation, but it is more accurately The race that stops two nations,[79] as many people in New Zealand, as well as Australia, pause to watch the race.

text: The Race That Stops The Nation is a poem about Australia’s fascination with the Melbourne Cup. Sydney born writer Vivienne McCredie wrote it in 1986. It was read out on an evening poetry radio program run by Kel Richards at the time and later published (2005 ISBN 978-0-9758311-0-6). Copies are in the State Library of NSW and the National Library of Australia.