The Victoria Racing Club has announced the North West has been successful in its bid to host the $175,000, 18-carat gold Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy as part of the 13th annual tour.

The ‘‘People’s Cup’’ will travel to 33 towns and cities across Australia, New Zealand, and for the first time, Malaysia, where it will join a special World War II memorial service.

The 33 destinations were announced at Kensington Primary School, where students took part in a mock barrier draw with Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Glen Boss (2003-05 Emirates Melbourne Cup-winning jockey), Terry Freeman (Keeper of the Flemington Roses), Brew (2000 Melbourne Cup winner), Arabella Forge (2002 Myer Fashions on the Field winner) and the Victorian Attorney-General and Racing Minister Martin Pakula.

Boss and Freeman are just two of the faces of the VRC’s current ‘‘Racing Royalty’’ campaign, which brings together some of the heroes of the sport, and many from behind the scenes, to share the stories connected with Flemington’s rich history. 

The 2015 Emirates Melbourne Cup will visit the Boulia, Cloncurry and Mount Isa as part of the Queensland leg of the tour, providing the community the chance to see the famous trophy close up. 

It will then continue its 118-day journey before returning to Melbourne for the ‘‘race that stops a nation’’ on the first Tuesday in November. 

Mount Isa City mayor Tony McGrady said the chance to host the Emirates Melbourne Cup was more than just an opportunity to witness the iconic gold trophy first hand.

‘‘Mount Isa is a small regional community with a big heart and we are tremendously grateful to be given the opportunity to host the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour,’’  Cr McGrady said.

‘‘Mount Isans, as they’re proudly called, enjoy everything about the Melbourne Cup, including the scenery, the camaraderie and the community spirit. The race that stops a nation is well and truly a part of Mount Isa.

‘‘The tour provides the community a chance to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime racing event and experience the atmosphere and excitement of the Emirates Melbourne Cup in their own backyard, as well as promoting greater cultural awareness and appreciation of Mount Isa’s racing history.’’

Mount Isa has recently been put on the international racing map through the Saunders’ family win at the Magic Millions.

The Cup will be joined by a stable of ambassadors who will make special appearances at key destinations throughout the three-and-a-half month tour. 

VRC chairman Michael Burn  said the tour brought communities together in celebration of the coveted trophy and the rich 154-year history of the Melbourne Cup. 

“The tour began in 2003 out of a desire to share the history and magic of the Melbourne Cup with communities around Australia, as well as share some of the personal stories behind our great race,” Mr Burn said.

 “We’re thrilled to take that experience to many new locations and introduce the Cup to people who may never have the chance to visit Flemington.”

Since it began, the tour has travelled more than 416,000 kilometres, visited more than 300 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations and given hundreds of thousands of people the chance to hold the treasured trophy. 

●This year the Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour will also be encouraging communities to upload photos with the Cup to the VRC’s social media platforms for the chance to win a trip for two to Flemington to join more than 100,000 racegoers and witness the excitement and thrill of the Emirates Melbourne Cup. 

Competition entries must be tagged with #PeoplesCup and #EmiratesMelbourneCup to be valid.