Melbourne Cup 2022: Not even Eddie McGuire could arrest TV ratings decline: The good, bad and ugly of the Cup

This year's Melbourne Cup was good and bad. There was one ugly moment. TV ratings declined.

Gold Trip won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. It was the third consecutive Melbourne cup without a fatality. Emissary and High Emocean were the Geelong and Bendigo Cup winners. Mark Zahra made up for his missed spring of 2020 by winning the Cup. He was suspended for attending an illegal Airbnb party during COVID-19 lockdowns. He partnered Verry Elleegant in last year's Cup, but made amends on this Tuesday to win his first Cup with Gold Trip.

The weather was bad at Flemington. It was the coldest Cup day since 1913. The free-to-air TV ratings continued their decline year-on-year. Ten's broadcast went head- to-head with Sydney's Big Dance on Seven. Eddie McGuire was added to Ten’s broadcast team this year. He was recruited in an attempt to grab more eyeballs. Gerard Whateley thinks the Ten deal has not been a success. People missed the Cup at home because they turned the TV onto Seven, where Bruce McAvaney and Jason Richardson were hosting the Sydney races.

The activist dumped 1000 litres of sludge at the 1500-metre mark of the Flemington racetrack on the morning of Melbourne Cup. The culprit is a problem gambler. It was targeted at Victoria Racing Club because of recent floods in the area.