An Aussie Tradition

Some Australian traditions have a way of returning each year as faithfully as the seasons. Melbourne Cup Day is one of them. Inspired by a half-moon drifting across a spring sky and a chance encounter between Frankie and a horse on our evening walk, this poem reflects on a race that briefly captures the nation’s attention.

An Aussie Tradition

The first Tuesday in November,
even the chary moon remembers
it’s Melbourne Cup Day,
a 165-year-old Australian tradition.

The day when the nation
stops for a horse race,
and even non-gamblers come out of hibernation,
up the ante without feeling out of place.

For a few fleeting minutes,
the nation’s heartbeat follows the pounding hooves.
And somewhere above the track,
the old chary moon remembers once again.

As the old chary moon remembers once again, here’s Slim Dusty’s tribute to Australia’s most famous horse race.

Ivor Steven © November 2026