Gunbower Racing Club president Vicky McGillivray and vice-president Gary Spitall (holding the cup with the mandatory white glove) and 2024 cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan at Flemington.
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Gunbower will be racing every one of the 3200m with River Of Stars in the Melbourne Cup.
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If the seven-year-old mare wins, it will land a $50,000 payday for the local community.
Every town visited in this year’s Cup tour received a barrier in the race that stops the nation – and Gunbower’s gate 14 means the Chris Waller-trained and Irish-bred horse will carry the town’s dreams around the famous Flemington track.
And she has to be in with a chance – just last month she ran a close second in the Caulfield Cup, with her last win coming at Pontefract in the UK in June last year.
With $2 million in prizemoney, River Of Stars certainly knows how to shine on the big stage.
Gunbower Racing Club president Vicky McGillivray said if River Of Stars wins, the $50,000 would be split between Echuca Regional Health’s Cancer and Wellness Centre and the Gunbower Lions Club.
McGillivray said the centre’s wellness program includes a range of complementary therapies and programs to assist in symptom relief and to improve the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of patients and carers.
Gunbower Lions have told McGillivray that they will put the money towards bettering facilities and attractions in their local community, helping local families in need and upgrading their catering facilities to better service community events.
River Of Stars on the way to the barriers prior to the running of the 2025 Caulfield Cup. Photo: George Sal
“We are already incredibly grateful to the Victorian Racing Club and Lexus for bringing the Melbourne Cup to our community, most of which have never had the opportunity to see the nation’s greatest race or cup in person,” she said.
“Everyone had an absolute ball at our (Gunbower Racing Club’s) family fun day in August, showcasing the cup, and without wanting to count those chickens too early, to have our horse win today would simply be the crowning glory.
“It really has been an amazing ride for our all-volunteer club and wider community as a whole.”
Compared to some of the places the Lexus Melbourne Cup tour went this year, McGillivray said, “Gunny did seem to be one of the very small fish in a very big pond”.
She said this year’s tour kicked off in New York (population 8.5 million compared to Gunbower’s 500-plus) and also took in Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.
“But it was only the 24 little country towns which get to be part of the $50,000 bonanza and that’s what we – and ERH and the Lions – are banking on,” McGillivray said.
“We were able to cash in as a community when the cup came here because so many people made the trip to see it and get involved – but $50,000 would be something else.
“This year’s cup is a $10 million race – but the cup itself, the one we had here, is valued at $850,000, so that was pretty special too.”
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