Datuk Tan Chin Nam, a Malaysian business tycoon won the 2008 Melbourne Cup which was held on 4 November 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. To-date, he is the only Asian to have won the Melbourne Cup, one of the oldest and most prestigious races in the world.
Indeed, he is the only racehorse owner to have won it four times - with Viewed (2008), Saintly (1996) and Think Big (1975 and 1974). Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tuanku Abdul Rahman was a part-owner of Think Big when it won the 1975 Melbourne Cup. The Melbourne Cup is in the same league as the English Derby, America's Kentucky Derby and the Dubai Cup.
A Malaysian retired business tycoon, Datuk Tan Chin Nam and the owner of Viewed, a race horse won the recent 2008 Melbourne Cup. This was the largest stake money he ever won A$3.3 million (RM8.25 million) in the Melbourne Cup. The 2008 Melbourne Cup was his fourth winning cup after he won twice in 1974 and 1975 with Think Big, a race horse he co-shared with Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1975 for his second win and the third was in 1996 with Saintly.
The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's most challenging horse races and one of the richest and is the highlight of the Spring Racing Carnival. Melbourne Cup Day is held annually at 3 pm on the first Tuesday in November. It is a public holiday in Victoria and some other states including Canberra. With its prize money of A$5 million (2008 Melbourne Cup), the country’s best stayers, as well as racehorses from overseas, are primed for this annual event. This Cup is in the same league as the English Derby, America's Kentucky Derby and the Dubai Cup.
The race is run over 3,200 metres and is a handicapped race. The distance and the handicap ensure that the Melbourne Cup is a horse race in which the occasional punter has as good a chance of picking the winner as those who follow the form. It is important to highlight that Melbourne Cup is a day when all Australians are considered to have an equal chance on the turf as well as on the lawn.