Combined the last 19 Melbourne Cups have had more runners than Yeoval has people, but the little country town of around 430-odd will still join racing history this year as part of the fabled trophy's annual pre-race tour.
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On Tuesday Victoria Racing Club (VRC) announced Yeoval as one of 39 destinations worldwide the 18-carat gold Melbourne Cup will visit on the tour, the 17th of its kind, before landing at Flemington in November.
This year's tour also has an added element, with 24 rural and regional destinations across Australia to be allocated a barrier for this year's race, with Yeoval included in the national sweep.
We look forward to celebrating Yeoval's place in racing history when the coveted trophy visits in October.
- Banjo Paterson... More than a Poet Museum curator Alf Cantrell
Barriers will be drawn at random throughout the tour and whichever town lands the eventual cup-winner's gate will score a $500,000 cash prize, to be put toward a charity supporting a local community initiative.
Alf Cantrell, curator of Yeoval's Banjo Paterson... More than a Poet Museum, said being part of the 2019 tour will be an unforgettable experience and a huge chance for the town, situated just an hour north-west of Orange.
"We look forward to celebrating Yeoval's place in racing history when the coveted trophy visits in October," Mr Cantrell said, with the Melbourne Cup to land in Yeoval on October 14.
Banjo Paterson's love of the Melbourne Cup was well-known and he was considered one of Australia's most-celebrated turf writers, so Mr Cantrell labelled the trophy's visit to the poet's childhood home incredibly appropriate.
VRC chairperson Amanda Elliott was on hand Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys Michelle Payne and Damien Oliver at Tuesday's launch at Flemington.
Along with also announcing this year's prizemoney has increased to $8 million, a record in the 3200-metre race's 158-year history, she said this year's tour and the new sweep will be an unprecedented celebration of racing in regional communities.
"Since the tour began in 2003, we have delighted in bringing communities together in the shared history and magic of the Melbourne Cup," Mrs Elliott said.
"We are also delighted to introduce the [sweep]. This exciting initiative will add to the experience for communities across Australia."
The tour has covered more than 600,000 kilmotres since beginning and this year will go as far as England, before heading to Japan to coincide with the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup campaign.
Closer to home, it'll land at Alice Springs, Blackall in outback Queensland, Deniliquin, Hobart and Victoria's Bunyip.
The tour begins at Hobart on July 4-5.
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
