A permanent gallery dedicated to thoroughbred racing has been developed at the National Sports Museum.
With impeccable timing, the Champions:Thoroughbred Racing Gallery opened on September 30, 2010 on the eve of the Spring Racing Carnival and the celebrations surrounding the 150th running of the world famous Melbourne Cup.
Watch an exclusive video of Carbine's installation .
The gallery marks the completion of the third phase of the National Sports Museum, which opened to great acclaim in March 2008.
As Australia’s only multi-sport museum, the outstanding National Sports Museum provides the perfect home for the amazing collections and displays of the Australian Racing Museum, whose previous home - at Melbourne’s Federation Square - closed its doors in November 2009.
The Champions gallery features some of the most beautiful and important horseracing treasures imaginable, as well some “gems” that have never been displayed before.
In addition, it features a suite of multimedia experiences, including some of the oldest racing footage from around the country and the opportunity for visitors to design their own racing colours.
One of many highlights in Champions is an articulated skeleton of Carbine, the champion racehorse of the 1880s and 1890s.
The greats of racing are featured heavily - hooped jockey sleeves worn when riding Phar Lap, all of Bart Cumming's dozen Melbourne Cup trophies, a Scobie Breasley jockey cap, Roy Higgins' saddle, riding boots and colours worn to guide Light Fingers to the 1965 Melbourne Cup, Damien Oliver's saddle used in Naturalism's 1993 Japan Cup triumph and much more.
There's even Tulloch's heart, scientifically preserved in fluid in a sealed perspex box!
And for a limited time only, visitors can marvel at a temporary display case on champion middle-distance horse and stayer, Black Caviar.
Champions - Thoroughbred Racing Gallery is included in museum general admission prices.
