THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* Four meetings during a week in spring, centred around the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November

* Derby Day (Saturday, November 4), Melbourne Cup (Tuesday, November 7), VRC Oaks Day (Thursday, November 9) and Stakes Day (Saturday, November 11)

* The four days are traditionally themed black and white, colour, a day for the ladies, and a day for the family

* Archer won the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 and the Tuesday has been a public holiday for the city since 1875

* More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the carnival, with a bumper record crowd of 418,069 in 2006

WHAT KIND OF RACES?

* Group One (8), Group Two (3), Group Three (9), Listed (6) and various Handicap or Benchmark Handicap races

* Distances range from 1000m sprints up to Australia's premier staying race the Melbourne Cup over 3200m

* There are a number of unique races including an annual one for grey-coloured horses

HOW MUCH IS UP FOR GRABS?

* The combined total prize money from the 37 carnival races is $19.1 million distributed across all connections

* Race purses start at $120,000, up to $2 million for the Emirates Stakes and $6 million for the Melbourne Cup

* The prize money for the Coolmore Stud Stakes, a three-year-old sprint on Derby Day, has doubled to $1 million

HISTORY SAYS

* Despite the tight turnaround, it's not uncommon for a horse to win more than once during Cup carnival week

* In 1930, Phar Lap raced four times across the carnival including in the Melbourne Cup and won all four races

* Thirty-five fillies have won the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) double

* The winner of the Lexus Stakes (2500m) on Derby Day is offered a guaranteed start in the Melbourne Cup