Racing boss's stunning call to move the Melbourne Cup

Every year on the first Tuesday of November, much of Australia comes to a standstill as the race that stops a nation captures our imaginations.

For the best part of 150 years, Australians have been able to mark the calendar knowing that on that particular Tuesday, Melbourne Cup fever would grip the country in ways few other sporting events could possibly imagine.

However, that could be set to change if Racing NSW have their way.

Chief executive of Racing NSW, Peter V'landys argues that by moving the Melbourne Cup to a different date, it would make a hectic Spring Carnival period across Australia less congested.

“I’ve got no doubt the Melbourne Cup would work if it was run on the second, third or fourth Tuesday in November, it would make no difference,” he told The Australian.

“The Melbourne Cup will always be the race that stops the nation, it doesn’t matter when it is run.”

V'landys recent comments will no doubt fuel more frustration from his Victorian counterparts, who have accused NSW of trying to outdo them by introducing more lucrative race meets.

Australia's richest horse race, The Everest, was established in 2017 and runs on the same day as the Caulfield Cup, with prizemoney worth a staggering $14 million.

The prize pool for this year's Melbourne Cup is $8 million by comparison.

Thieves steal replica Melbourne Cup

A replica 2017 Melbourne Cup has been stolen from a Victorian cafe.

Thieves forced their way into a cafe at Diggers Rest, north west of Melbourne, between Saturday night and Sunday morning, taking off with the Cup as well as the cash register, police said.

The treasured Cup is one of eight or nine replicas made for various part-owners of the 2017 race winner, Rekindling.

"Whilst it might not have as much financial value as the original cup, it certainly has a lot of sentimental value," the stolen Cup's part-owner, Mark Ruff, told 3AW on Tuesday.

Ruff kept the replica at his mate's cafe, Houdini's, before it was ransacked.

"It's just a good thing for a lot of local people ... people get their photo taken with it. We'd just rather it be there than sitting in our lounge room," he said.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

With agencies