Monday, November 13, 2006
7th November A day at the races
7th November (Tuesday)
Yeah, race day. Today is the biggest day in Melburnians calendar, The Melbourne Cup day at Flemington race course. Today is an unofficial holiday where Melbourne shuts down and almost every one trots off the races. Jon and I get togged up in our finest and set off to lose money on the gee gees. As we arrive at Flemington it is bitterly cold (did I mention the weather has not been good so far?) and very windy. We meet one of Jon’s friends Kat who is selling Cancer Charity lapel pind and we buy one each. Purchase a race day programme and head off to make our bets. It is absolute bedlam here, and as crowded as the London Underground. Everyone (almost everyone) in their best bib and tucker and the ladies wear some most interesting headgear. We get in line for the betting counter and scratch our heads as to which bets to make. I have never been to a race meeting but Jon has and takes me through the routine. The lady ahead of us has a list of races and horses and turns to us and says she can’t read her own writing and wishes she re read it all that morning. We get chatting and discover she has bet the 4 previous races and has had 3 winners and a second. We copy her bets, for the next race (she insisted) but for the main race decide to follow only one of her recommendations, Pop Rock. I mark in the book, after we paid our bets “return for second bet before race starts” on another horse, Delta Blues. My bet for the next race came in 4th but after a protest for bad riding or something my horse is elevated to 3rd and I’m a winner!
The main race was at 3pm so we had plenty of time to walk about, see stuff and eat and drink. We stood at the top of the public steps leading on to the grass which leads down to the railings and race track proper. We couldn’t get down there so found a route under the grandstand and out to grassed areas. It was so crowded with families and friends and their picnics it was difficult to move about. We ended up deciding to stay by the Winners Enclosure as we had a good view of it and the huge TV screen opposite showing the racing. What a good choice. We saw all the horses being paraded before their races and all the winners and places after.
Before the main race, The Emirates Cup they had a presentation of all the jockeys to the crowds and dignitaries and the King of Dubai, who, with Emirates (the airline) where sponsoring the race to the tune of AU$5million. There then followed a short display by acrobats on poles dressed in racing gear and as race goers. Not sure what it was all about but an interesting spectacle none the less. Then all the horses for the main race were paraded around the arena, then again with their jockeys mounted and then they were off to the starting gate. From our vantage point we could see the huge race screen and watched the race from there. The atmosphere was fantastic with everyone shouting and screaming for their horse to win. The winner was decided by a photo finish and my selection came 2nd. Oh and the horse I was supposed to go back and put a bet on but forgot?. Yes…… it won. We did one more bet on the next race as it had an Irish horse and jockey running and I backed it to win, which it did! Jon and I then wandered around the Grandstands for a while admiring the finery and funny hats which Jon informed me they call “fascinators”. More like “terminators” if you ask me, as most of them would have your eye out if you weren’t careful. We squeezed onto the train back to Melbourne Flinders St and headed home and had a pleasant buffet dinner in a local hostelry.
What a great day out though. The sights, the sounds, the noise, the winning, the losing, and once again the great Aussie friendliness.
Yeah, race day. Today is the biggest day in Melburnians calendar, The Melbourne Cup day at Flemington race course. Today is an unofficial holiday where Melbourne shuts down and almost every one trots off the races. Jon and I get togged up in our finest and set off to lose money on the gee gees. As we arrive at Flemington it is bitterly cold (did I mention the weather has not been good so far?) and very windy. We meet one of Jon’s friends Kat who is selling Cancer Charity lapel pind and we buy one each. Purchase a race day programme and head off to make our bets. It is absolute bedlam here, and as crowded as the London Underground. Everyone (almost everyone) in their best bib and tucker and the ladies wear some most interesting headgear. We get in line for the betting counter and scratch our heads as to which bets to make. I have never been to a race meeting but Jon has and takes me through the routine. The lady ahead of us has a list of races and horses and turns to us and says she can’t read her own writing and wishes she re read it all that morning. We get chatting and discover she has bet the 4 previous races and has had 3 winners and a second. We copy her bets, for the next race (she insisted) but for the main race decide to follow only one of her recommendations, Pop Rock. I mark in the book, after we paid our bets “return for second bet before race starts” on another horse, Delta Blues. My bet for the next race came in 4th but after a protest for bad riding or something my horse is elevated to 3rd and I’m a winner!
The main race was at 3pm so we had plenty of time to walk about, see stuff and eat and drink. We stood at the top of the public steps leading on to the grass which leads down to the railings and race track proper. We couldn’t get down there so found a route under the grandstand and out to grassed areas. It was so crowded with families and friends and their picnics it was difficult to move about. We ended up deciding to stay by the Winners Enclosure as we had a good view of it and the huge TV screen opposite showing the racing. What a good choice. We saw all the horses being paraded before their races and all the winners and places after.
Before the main race, The Emirates Cup they had a presentation of all the jockeys to the crowds and dignitaries and the King of Dubai, who, with Emirates (the airline) where sponsoring the race to the tune of AU$5million. There then followed a short display by acrobats on poles dressed in racing gear and as race goers. Not sure what it was all about but an interesting spectacle none the less. Then all the horses for the main race were paraded around the arena, then again with their jockeys mounted and then they were off to the starting gate. From our vantage point we could see the huge race screen and watched the race from there. The atmosphere was fantastic with everyone shouting and screaming for their horse to win. The winner was decided by a photo finish and my selection came 2nd. Oh and the horse I was supposed to go back and put a bet on but forgot?. Yes…… it won. We did one more bet on the next race as it had an Irish horse and jockey running and I backed it to win, which it did! Jon and I then wandered around the Grandstands for a while admiring the finery and funny hats which Jon informed me they call “fascinators”. More like “terminators” if you ask me, as most of them would have your eye out if you weren’t careful. We squeezed onto the train back to Melbourne Flinders St and headed home and had a pleasant buffet dinner in a local hostelry.
What a great day out though. The sights, the sounds, the noise, the winning, the losing, and once again the great Aussie friendliness.
# posted by desmond22 @ 1:39 am 
