Spring Racing, The Australian Dream

By Georgie Jeffreys on August 26, 2011 in News

It’s that time of year again; the time when the heat of anticipation blossoms in the air and the winter layers begin to shed; when the scent of September alone is enough to remind Sydneysiders that the season of the bikini-clad dress code is now within close grasp. It’s springtime, and this year it promises more than just hay fever and the awkward limbo between skivvies and short sleeves. This year, our favourite season brings with it a punters paradise and a fashionista’s fantasy; an exhibition of what’s hot and what’s not and a stark reminder that headdress bird’s nests are not just a passing fad. It’s the beginning of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick.

Kicking off the trackside action on September 17 is Yellowglen Ladies Day featuring the George Main Stakes, and with style-spotters roaming the fields for the most splendid of sorts, a Ladies Day it guarantees to be. Fashion forward females will be rewarded for their inspired ensembles with a host of savvy prizes and, no doubt, some envied sideway glances. The day will also witness some hot competition between Sydney’s best horses contending for the elite championship title in the third leg of the Princess Series.

Next in line, and sure to galvanise the hotly anticipated October long weekend to the heights of calendar-pinnacle, is Epsom Super Saturday, held on October 1. With over 2.4 million dollars in prize money up for grabs, and featuring the coveted Fashions on the Field (for both the ladies and the fellas), this year’s Epsom promises more than just an exhilarating display of on-track action. The highlight of the day will be the return of the stylish Carousel precinct, offering race-goers a deluxe enclosure with all the creature comforts you could hope for including a series of themed bars and lounge areas, gourmet bites, a pamper palace, private betting pavilion and a live DJ set by the Bag Raiders. This is the social extravaganza of the year.

Following on from the Epsom, the Spring Racing Carnival’s ‘Family Day’ embarks on Saturday, October 15, at the City Tattersall’s Club Cup Day. Featuring both the City Tattersall’s Club Cup and the Lightening Stakes, spring’s final day of feature racing will no doubt prove to be a great time out for both families and the footloose and fancy free alike. Fashion and entertainment will suit all styles and ages, with Kids Fashions on the Field ensuring that all the budding, next-generation style dictators get the recognition they deserve.

The final, and arguably most important, day of the trackside season is, of course, the Melbourne Cup. The ‘race that stops the nation’ has every lady on style overdrive and ensures that even never-before punters are ready to bet their bucks away. Rather than travel south, however, you can enjoy the festivities and atmosphere with the crème de’ le’ crème of the Sydney scene at Royal Randwick. With eight live horse races and big screen coverage of all the action in Melbourne, it is tipped to be the ultimate location for full-scale racing excitement and action.

So leave your provincial provocations at the wayside and amalgamate your favourite springtime interests – champagne, beer, horses, hot frocks and the sun – with a hint of divine purpose at this year’s Spring Racing Carnival. Considering that all these great events are being held just down the road at Royal Randwick, you’d be kind of silly not to!