Horses, equine welfare, and so much more an introduction to Victoria’s Spring Racing carnival,

Melbourne celebrated the return of the Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington recently, with the Sofitel Girls Day Out event.

Hosted by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), the Carnival brings three months of racing along with entertainment, fashion and fun – a uniquely Australian celebration the highlight of which is the Melbourne Cup, or “the race that stops the nation™”.

Founded in 1864, VRC is the largest member-based racing club in the world.

The Carnival begins each year with the Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, this year on Saturday 29 October 2022. One of the most prestigious days of racing in Australasia, it features four elite-level Group 1 races in the day’s nine-race program.

Penfolds Victoria Derby Day also sees the commencement of famous Myer Fashions on the Field. This year marks 60 years of the department store’s annual spring racing style competition, which is made extra special with the VRC’s recent announcement that it was ditching gendered categories. A Best Dressed and Best Suited racewear replaces the previous categories, with all genders encouraged to enter either category based on their own personal style. A winner will be selected on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day and Kennedy Oaks Day, who will go straight into the national final alongside a number of Australian states and territories and New Zealand finalists. The overall winner will be announced at the Kennedy Oaks Day on November 3 2022.

The Lexus Melbourne Cup falls this year on Tuesday, 1 November 2022. The spectacular event and the focal point of the carnival attracts upwards of at least 100,000 spectators with the richest prize in Australian sport to be won. Melbourne Cup is also the day to make the strongest fashion statement, where hats and a yellow rose in the lapel are essential. This is followed by the Kennedy Oaks Day, the ‘Ladies Day’ of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. It is the day where women of all ages come together dressed in their most feminine ensembles, with visitors often adding a pink rose to their signature style, the official flower of Kennedy Oaks Day. The Melbourne Cup Carnival concludes with the VRC

by R aMa R avInTHIR an

Champions Stakes Day on Saturday, 5 November 2022. The final day of the races features two Group 1 races and a relaxed fashion style, marked with a red rose on display, with a fun day out with family and friends.

This year I got to attend the Sofitel Girls Day Out, which featured an exciting nine-race program. As part of the VRC’s continued partnership with Living Legends, two champion equine athletes from the farm visited Flemington, which happens every race day. They can be found in the horse stalls but also parading around the Mounting Yard on a non-race day. Living Legends is an equine-welfare initiative that was designed and created to provide a safe and happy home for retired Australian champion racehorses. I got a chance to meet and feed the beautiful Fawkner and Fields of Omagh, who share a whopping 24 wins between them. The gentle giants were friendly and eager to meet visitors, with kids enjoying the interactions immensely.

We were then taken on a tour through the largest public rose garden in the Southern

Hemisphere, with over 16,000 rose bushes. Plenty of beautiful benches along the walk proved to be a great photo spot. While on the walk we were shown the different facilities present at the racecourse, with a great member-only section for viewing and dining, matched with an equally amazing non-member section. With the ability to reserve tables for the day, it was a hasslefree experience to enjoy delicious vegetarian and meat-basedmeals available for purchase on site. Many families present brought along sumptuous picnic spreads from home to enjoy alongside meals bought. The young ones present were wonderfully entertained with pony rides and face painting.

Sofitel Girls Day Out was an amazing start to the Spring Race Season. First-time racegoers are highly recommended to attend Group 1 races that occur in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, allowing the racegoer to participate in the festivities of Spring Racing without the hassle of the more popular race days.

Spring Racing is a truly Melbourne sporting event that everyone in the family can enjoy equally. Why not give it a try!