The decline of the cup sweep

Tomorrow is Melbourne Cup Day, the race that stops the nation and, for those of us in Melbourne, a welcome public holiday. For years, though, the Cup’s excitement began well before race day, especially in workplaces with the traditional office sweep. A Cup sweep was simple. Each horse in the Melbourne Cup was written on a ticket and placed in a hat or container. Workmates paid a few dollars to draw a horse at random, with the money forming a prize pool. Usually, there were prizes for first, second and third, and sometimes a consolation prize for last place. You didn’t need to know anything about horse racing. It was really just a bit of fun and a chance for everyone to get involved.

These days, the office sweep seems to have gone by the wayside. With so many people working from home, hybrid workplaces becoming the norm, and many Melburnians turning Cup weekend into a four-day break, there simply aren’t as many people in the office on Monday. Perhaps that is what I miss about the Cup sweep. It was never really about gambling or winning. It was about workplace camaraderie, conversation and sharing a little tradition together.