It’s Melbourne Cup Day and the race that stops a nation is also likely to stop a few activities in Fiji as well.

Grants Waterhouse is expecting this day to be hectic as well with extra betting stations opened all around Fiji.

Manager Vijendra Kumar says with the race at five this afternoon, people will come in scores for the biggest horse race in the Southern Hemisphere.

Well as people know, everybody keenly and eagerly waiting for the Cup, see the live racing. the finals heads have been declared and now the punters, the people who want to bet. It will be big task for our staff to accomodate all the people. They have been calling and asking for tips on betting.

Meanwhile, many places around Fiji including hotels, bars, clubs and even offices have organised their own Melbourne Cup events.

This include in-house sweepstakes and fancy hat competitions synonymous with the Melbourne Cup.

A massive Cup betting splurge on Australia’s locally trained gallopers has shaken the international grip on Australia’s greatest race.

Punters fired off a string of huge bets on the Sydney-trained Kelinni and Melbourne stayer Lights Of Heaven at Monday’s Call of the Card, pinning their faith on Australia’s two most successful trainers to repel the strongest international Cup attack ever mounted.

However international horses will still lead the betting markets on Cup day, with Americain at $7 from Dunaden and Mount Athos on $8.

Bookies could not cope with the barrage of money thrown at the Chris Waller-trained Kelinni, refusing a $60,000 bet on the horse from heavy-hitting punter Sean Bartholomew that would have won him $1.5 million.

He eventually backed the winner of last Saturday’s Lexus Stakes to win around $500,000.

Lights Of Heaven, the Caulfield Cup third placegetter, also drew two bets of $10,000 and another of $15,000.

The biggest single result from the Call of the Card was a potential collect of $700,000 if local stayer Niwot landed the prize in the $6 million race.

The first Australian-bred home when eighth in last year’s Cup, Niwot won the support of a female punter who had $10,000 on the horse at $71.

Another punter made the trip from the nearby casino floor to bet $10,000 in
gambling chips on Gai Waterhouse’s Caulfield Cup failure Glencadam Gold at $41.

Despite the avalanche of money for the Aussie-trained runners, the internationals still have the odds on their side to make it three wins on end.

You can catch the coverage of the Melbourne Cup from 3pm on FBC TV with the main race at 5pm also live on Gold FM.