Two riddles surround this trophy, but both can be solved. The inscription clearly reads: “FLEMINGTON CUP. Presented by Mr. James Dunbar and run for on the Melbourne Race Course on the 15th Jan[uary] 1849. Won by Belzoni beating 5 Others. The Property of James E. Crook. Ridden by Mr R Lovelock.” The first riddle is that the race for ‘The Flemington Cup’ of 1849 was not actually run at Flemington Racecourse. The second, related riddle is that the race was not run at ‘the Melbourne Race Course’ – despite the inscription and even though one newspaper at the time says it was. ‘The Melbourne Racecourse’ (usually one word) in the 1840s was the original name of what we now know as Flemington Racecourse. But the ‘Flemington Cup’ of 1849 was actually run on a course 2 kilometres away, on open land adjacent to the newly-built Flemington Inn on Mount Alexander Road, opposite Debney’s Park near the Moonee Ponds Creek bridge. These races were a hotel or publican’s meeting, commonly held in Australia’s pioneering days. A local pub could generate good trade by holding races nearby on a public holiday. Such meetings were held in this era at places such as Brighton on Boxing Day and St Kilda on New Year’s Day. 15 January 1849 was a traditional
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