Melbourne Cup Visit Marks Official Silo Art Opening

The 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup made a stop in Birchip on Sunday as the town officially unveiled its new silo art honouring 1948 Melbourne Cup winner Ray Neville. On Monday, travelling with quite a fanfare, the Cup stopped at EWHS campuses in Wycheproof and Charlton, as well as calling in to the Cricket Club Hotel.

A large crowd gathered in the morning sunshine to see the mural officially unveiled, with the Cup also visiting the artwork before heading to the Birchip Hotel.

The project was a major community effort led by the late Joan and Rod Glen, celebrating Neville’s remarkable win as a 15-year-old.

Buloke Shire Council Mayor Graeme Milne said Neville’s achievement was one worth remembering.

“Ray’s achievement at the age of 15 is something worth celebrating and recording for all time. It is a remarkable story, and the fact that it is still bringing people together all these years later shows how special it is,” he said.

Cr Milne said the silo art would also help attract visitors to Birchip.

“The silo art is very important to the community because it adds another attraction to Birchip and the Buloke Shire,” he said.

“We don’t have a lot of silo art throughout the shire, so this is a great addition to Birchip and hopefully it will bring more visitors to the town and provide a boost to the local economy.”

Herald Sun journalist and author Andrew Rule, who wrote the authorised biography of Winx, was the guest speaker at the opening and reflected on his time interviewing and meeting Ray.

Andrew described Neville as “the boy from Birchip”, who won the Melbourne Cup on Rimfire at 80-to-1 odds, the day before his 16th birthday.

“The fact is that Ray Neville wasn’t just a one-win wonder. He had a 21-year career in the saddle with some interruptions,” Andrew said.

Andrew said Ray resented the way he had been portrayed for years as a jockey who never rode again after his Melbourne Cup victory.

Neville continued riding until 1969 and recorded a number of wins, including the Commonwealth Steeplechase.

There have been three Melbourne Cup stories turned into feature films, and Andrew shared what he thought would be the closing scene if Ray’s story was made into a film.

“The last scene of our film, ‘The Boy From Birchip’, would be right here, recreating this scene today,” Andrew said.

“The opening of this magnificent portrait of little Ray Neville and his Cup winner. Homegrown heroes, never forgotten by the good people of the Mallee and the Wimmera.”

Cr Milne said the project was a testament to the many people who had helped bring the mural to life.

“Well done to the Birchip community. I know this has been a project in the making for many years and I really appreciate the work, time and effort put in by everybody, especially Rod and Joan Glen,” he said.

“There were a whole lot of people involved in this project over the years and it’s great that it has finally reached this stage.”

Melbourne Cup
The $1.04 million Melbourne Cup, made of 1.81 kilograms of solid 18-carat gold and weighing just under 4kg, also toured Birchip on Sunday.

Community members were able to get up close with the trophy at the silo art and Birchip Hotel, with live music from the Drowning Sorrows adding to the Father’s Day afternoon.

Melbourne Cup ambassador Robert Hickmott spoke at the trophy’s unveiling at the Birchip Hotel, sharing stories about his career training horses as well as his time in the AFL.

The trophy is handcrafted in Australia and struck new each year, with the winning owner getting to keep it.

On Monday, the Melbourne Cup visited Wycheproof and Charlton as part of its tour, bringing locals together for a series of events supporting local causes.

Wycheproof was the morning destination, with the Cup visiting the EWHS Wycheproof campus before residents of Grandview Lodge had the chance to pose for photos with the iconic trophy.

The Cup then travelled down the Calder Highway to Charlton, arriving at the EWHS campus on the back of a Chevrolet Maple Leaf truck owned by Fitzpatrick’s Transport.

There, the Cup visited the aged care facility as part of Mary Walklate’s 100th birthday celebrations.

It was accompanied by Greg Townsend and two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer and ambassador Robert Hickmott, while St Joseph’s Primary School students and Charlton P-12 juniors lined the streets to welcome the Cup’s arrival.

Each student received a hobby horse made and decorated by the Charlton Men’s Shed, with money donated by the Charlton and District Community Bendigo Bank.

After photo opportunities and an excitable race on their hobby horses, the Cup headed indoors for further pictures with residents and staff before making its way to the Charlton Cricket Club Hotel, where locals could drop in to see the trophy.

The Cup made several further stops for photos, including among the region’s golden canola crops, giving locals the opportunity to get up close with the trophy synonymous with the “race that stops a nation”.

The visits also provided opportunities for local fundraising.

The Charlton Cricket Club Hotel held a raffle with proceeds going towards BrAshA-T Fighting A-T with Grace, while in Birchip, locals could make donations to WomenCan to help fund vital cancer research.

This year’s Cup has visited Japan and the USA, as well as other states and territories across Australia, with each community it visits getting a barrier in the national sweep.

Birchip, Wycheproof and Charlton will each be allocated a barrier in the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep, with the town whose allocated horse wins the Melbourne Cup to receive $50,000 for a nominated local charity