The People’s Cup is Coming to the High Country

MANSFIELD / MT BULLER, VIC — 14–15 August 2026

The race that stops a nation is coming to the place where snow meets saddles. Mansfield Shire Council, Mt Buller and Mansfield District Racing Club are proud to announce the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour will visit the Mansfield-Mt Buller region on 14-15 August 2026, bringing the iconic 18-carat gold trophy - now valued at a record $1 million - to the heart of Victoria's High Country.

The region's selection is part of the 2026 tour's historic 37-destination journey, which received a record number of applications from communities across Australia and the world - the highest in the tour's history. The Mansfield–Mt Buller stop is one of only a handful of Victorian regional destinations chosen for the 2026 program.

Region Represented at Official Tour Launch

The Mansfield–Mt Buller region was proudly represented at the official 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour announcement, held on Thursday 28 May at the Committee Rooms of the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington Racecourse. Mansfield Mayor Steve Rabie,  Mansfield District Racing Club President Leanne Backwell, and Nick Reeves & Lynda Meredith from Mt Buller's Visitor Experience team were on hand to mark the occasion as the Cup made its ceremonial arrival into the Mounting Yard - a moment that confirmed the region's place on one of the most sought-after sporting tours in the country. The delegation's attendance reflects the strength of the joint partnership between Mansfield Shire Council, Mansfield District Racing Club and Mt Buller, and the shared commitment of all three organisations to delivering a landmark community event for the High Country this August.

Snow, Saddles and a Storied Heritage

The Mansfield–Mt Buller region is unlike any other stop on the Cup Tour. This is a place where families move fluidly between stables and ski runs - the Melbourne Cup is watched in shearing sheds, at the local racecourse and in ski lodges - and where thoroughbred racing culture and alpine adventure share the same spectacular High Country backdrop.

The first recorded race meeting in Mansfield was held in 1855, and the Mansfield District Racing Club - one of Victoria's longest-running country race clubs - has maintained an unbroken 170-year connection to the turf. Visible from town, Mt Buller rises to 1,805 metres and is an important training ground for Winter Olympians.

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 - two fresh destinations for the 2026 tour.

What to Expect: 14–15 August 2026

The two-day program will showcase the Cup with three unique places for locals to experience the event >

Mansfield Township 
The Cup's arrival in Mansfield will be a true community occasion, welcomed into town by the Mayor and Councilors of Mansfield Shire in a formal civic greeting on the main street - a fitting tribute to a township with an unbroken 170-year connection to thoroughbred racing. From there, the Cup will make its way to Bindaree, Mansfield District Hospital's much-loved residential aged care facility, giving local residents a personal and intimate moment with the nation's most iconic trophy. A visit to a local school will follow, placing the Cup in front of the next generation of racing fans and High-Country community members.

Mt Buller  
On the mountain, the Cup will be showcased through a series of alpine hero moments that cannot be recreated anywhere else. Planned activations include the Cup being skied down a signature run by a Winter Olympian, carried on a chairlift for sweeping 360-degree views over the High Country, and presented in the snow-covered village square alongside local school children, athletes and community representatives. The 14–15 August window coincides with a busy mid-winter period on the mountain, ensuring a vibrant backdrop of snow, skiers and alpine atmosphere.

Mansfield District Racing Club 
At the racecourse, the Cup will be welcomed in true country racing style. A 200-metre cavalcade along the straight will bring together the full breadth of the district's horse community - local trainers and jockeys, Off The Track thoroughbreds, Mansfield Pony Club members, campdrafting competitors and three-day event riders - in a single, visually powerful procession. A race-day-style program will surround the Cup, including a seasonal winter-to-spring Fashions on the Field, hobby-horse Cup races for kids, and community fundraising in support of Mansfield District Hospital.

Community Fundraising

All three host partners will run signature fundraising activations in support of Mansfield District Hospital - the only public hospital serving the shire and a facility every local family relies on. Fundraising moments will include a Charity Cup Luncheon and Fashions on the Field at the Racing Club and a raffle for an Alpine Breakfast with the Cup at Mt Buller.

Quotes

[Mansfield Shire Council spokesperson Mansfield Shire Mayor Steve Rabie] 
"Having the Lexus Melbourne Cup in Mansfield is a moment of pride for every resident across our shire. The Cup represents everything we love about this region - community, horses, heritage and the spirit of the Australian country town. We can't wait to share that with the VRC and with visitors from across Victoria."

[Mt Buller Alpine Resort spokesperson Noel Landry General Manager Mt Buller] 
"Mt Buller has never hosted the Melbourne Cup before, and we are determined to make the most of this opportunity. Seeing the Cup against a backdrop of snow, mountain peaks and Winter Olympians will be a genuinely unique moment - not just for the Tour, but for alpine sport in Australia."

[Mansfield District Racing Club spokesperson Leanne Backwell] 
"Our Club has been running races for 170 years and the Melbourne Cup has always been the day the whole town comes together. 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."

Join Us

The community is invited to be part of this historic visit. Details on event timings, locations and how to get involved will be announced via:

Mt Buller: mtbuller.com.au | @mt_buller

Mansfield Shire Council: mansfield.vic.gov.au @mansfieldshire  

Mansfield District Racing Club: mansfieldracingclub.com.au @mansfieldcountryraces

For national Tour information, visit the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour website.

About the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour

Now in its 24th year, the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour connects communities across Australia and the world with the 18-carat gold Lexus Melbourne Cup - valued at a record $1 million and handcrafted from materials sourced entirely within Australia. The 2026 tour spans 37 destinations across six countries, commencing 1 June in Kyoto, Japan, and culminating on Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 3 November, at Flemington Racecourse. Since 2003 the Tour has travelled more than one million kilometres, hosted over 2,250 community events and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities.