Worksite Knocks Off Early To Enjoy Melbourne Cup The Old Fashioned Way With A Crackly AM Broadcast

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The Race That Stops The Nation is upon us, and workplaces are pausing right around Australia to pay attention to the goings at a Flemington Race Track.

In fact, most Victorians have today off work, and those who don't are getting paid sweet sweet penalty rates.

Elsewhere, in New South Wales, Queensland, South, West and North, the vast majority of corporates and white collars are attending boozy raceday events, as racetracks around the country are putting on their own show to run alongside the Melbourne Cup.

Our schools and nursing homes are even tuning in, with generations of Australian children remember the day their favourite colours won.

But as for Cup Day festivities, it's hard to beat the bush races, where millions of Australians take in the best that rural horseracing as to offer while they sip cold lager and bubbly under the corrugated iron roof of a Titan shed.

In fact, the only thing that could top this is an early mark from a day of gruelling labour, with the worksite foreman putting on some stubbies and setting up a trestle table on the raw earth.

There's no canapes or fascinators, just a bunch of high-vis, ice cold beers in the esky and a crackly AM radio.

As is commonly accepted in Australian culture, the best way to experience to the Cup is through the medium of a low quality audio broadcast.

There is no greater attention paid to this race than during an AM, as the crowd sits in silence waiting to hear the name of the horse they were assigned in the worksite sweepstake.

This format also strikes a deep vein of nostalgia that takes listeners back to their childhoods, watching their PE teacher throw the form guide at the TV while his Melbourne Cup tip runs motherless last.

With work over for the day, the lollipop man is now offering to do trips to the local tav down the road, but passengers must surrender their car keys.