Premier of Victoria and Minister for Racing Denis Napthine joined a special celebration of the Melbourne Cup at Nagambie in the heart of Victoria’s thoroughbred breeding industry on Sunday.

The 2013 Melbourne Cup called by Swettenham Stud on its Australia and New Zealand wide tour and greeted Americain, the 2010 Cup winner who is now standing at the at Nagambie nursery.

“It was great to bring together the 2013 Melbourne Cup, Americain and his own Cup as well as that of the 1980 winner Belldale Ball who was owned by the late Robert Sangster and whose son Adam now operates Swettenham,” Napthine said.

“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of Australia’s biggest sporting and cultural events bringing massive economic benefits to Victoria.

“The 2013 Melbourne Cup tour commenced in July and has already travelled to Queensland, Western Australia and most recently New Zealand.  The tour will have reached every Australian state before returning to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.

“The Melbourne Cup brings excitement to communities and helps generate additional excitement for this very special race which stops a nation,” Dr Napthine said.  “Most importantly the Melbourne Cup and the broader Spring Racing Carnival bring economic benefits of in excess of $620 million annually to Victoria.”

Dr Napthine said the breeding industry is a major contributor to the economy, particularly regional areas such as Nagambie.   “Hundreds of millions of dollars of expenditure  are generated by the breeding industry along with many hundreds of jobs.

“The Victorian Coalition Government is a strong supporter of the breeding industry providing funding of $6.8 million over four years for the recently established and highly successful VOBIS Gold program.

“VOBIS Gold provides significant incentives to breed, buy, own and race a horse in Victoria thus helping to grow the industry and grow the economic benefits and jobs arising from it.”

“The addition of high quality Group 1 winning stallions such as Americain to Victoria’s breeding sector is a sign of the success of VOBIS Gold and a massive vote of confidence in Victorian racing.”