Gold Trip, a 20-1 shot, romped home to win the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday. That’s despite the efforts of environmental protestors to sabotage Australia’s to the highest degree famous race.

Video footage released by Extinction Rebellion showed ii saboteurs running onto the running in the ahead of time hours of Tuesday morning. They continue to garbage dump what is described inwards an accompanying financial statement as “1,000 liters (220 gallons) of oily sludge” onto the track.

Victoria Racing Club, the track’s owner, confirmed that officials cleaned the expanse to a sufficient level so that it was safe for racing to depart ahead.

‘Toxic Industry’

In a statement, i of the protesters called himself a “problem gambler,” adding that Tuesday’s action mechanism was about more than his personal issues. “This is virtually Victoria Falls Racing Club and the toxic industry of which they are leaders choosing to protect their racecourse against the impacts of mood vary at the write down of people’s homes and livelihoods,” the protesters wrote.

Gambling is a huge problem in Australia … The racing manufacture callously disregards the welfare of animals and the community, both local and inward the floods, and those who have got fallen victim to gambling,” the financial statement continued.

The protestor added that if the rush got postponed it would live a “well-deserved setback” for an industry that requisite to follow “held accountable.

Extinction Rebellion said the human action had been carried out past “friends,” adding that it “fully endorsed” the message.

Homes Flooded

It appears Flemington was the chosen direct because of the existence of a wall, built by the Victoria Falls Racing Club in 2007 to protect the rail from flooding of the nearby Maribyrnong River.

October 14 saw the river’s rack up floods inwards 50 years. Many local residents trust their homes wouldn’t have got been destroyed past the water if it weren’t for the controversial photoflood palisade protecting the track.

That surround should ne'er hold been built, what is a racecourse to them is a crucial raw(a) flood plain that would feature lowered glut levels in homes if non for the involvement of the racing and play industry,” the protestors wrote.

“Even if they canful strip the guck from the track today, I trust they pay off right dues to the local glut victims who testament be cleansing their homes for months to add up …” they added.

One individual turned themselves over to police after the incident, according to The Telegraph.