The Lexus Melbourne Cup will visit Mansfield and Mt Buller on August 14 and 15 as part of its 2026 national tour, bringing the iconic 18-carat gold trophy - now valued at a record $1 million - to Victoria's High Country. The Mansfield-Mt Buller region is one of only a handful of Victorian regional destinations selected for the 37-stop tour, which received a record number of applications from communities across Australia and the world. The Mansfield-Mt Buller region was represented at the official 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour announcement, held on May 28 at the Victoria Racing Club's Committee Rooms at Flemington Racecourse. Mansfield District Racing Club president Leanne Backwell, Nick Reeves and Lynda Meredith from Mt Buller's Visitor Experience team, and Mansfield Shire mayor Cr Steve Rabie were on hand to mark the occasion as the Cup made its ceremonial arrival into the Mounting Yard. The two-day program will showcase the Cup across Mansfield, Mt Buller and the Mansfield District Racing Club. The Cup's arrival in Mansfield will include a formal civic welcome by Mansfield Shire Council. Visits to Bindaree at Mansfield District Hospital and a local school will follow. On the mountain, planned activations include the Cup being skied down a signature run by a Winter Olympian, carried on a chairlift for sweeping views over the High Country, and presented in the snow-covered village square alongside local school children, athletes and community representatives. The August 14-15 visit coincides with a busy mid-winter period on the mountain. "Having the Lexus Melbourne Cup in Mansfield is a moment of pride for every resident across our shire," Cr Rabie said. "The Cup represents everything we love about this region - community, horses, heritage and the spirit of the Australian country town." At the racecourse, the Cup will be welcomed with a 200-metre cavalcade featuring local trainers and jockeys, Off The Track thoroughbreds, Mansfield Pony Club members, campdrafting competitors and three-day event riders. "Our club has been running races for 170 years and the Melbourne Cup has always been the day the whole town comes together," Ms Backwell said. "Hosting the actual Cup at our racecourse - right here on the track, surrounded by local horses, trainers and families - is something our members will talk about for years." A race-day-style program will include a seasonal winter-to-spring Fashions on the Field, hobby-horse Cup races for children and community fundraising in support of Mansfield District Hospital. All three host partners will run fundraising activities for Mansfield District Hospital, including a Charity Cup Luncheon, Fashions on the Field and a raffle for an Alpine Breakfast with the Cup. The Cup Tour last visited Mansfield in 2011. The 2026 stop marks the first-ever visit to both Mt Buller and Mansfield District Racing Club.
