Victorias Spring Racing Carnival is Australias major horse racing event occurs in October and November. It combines World class thoroughbred racing with a wide mix of fashion, entertainment and social events including cocktail parties winery lunches and stud tours. The 50 days of the carnival have a party atmosphere that is
unrivalled by any other sporting events in Australia, and one dont need to belong to the racing fraternity to enjoy it. Melbourne Cup Carnival is the part of much larger Spring Racing Carnival.
Dates of Spring Racing Carnival:
The 2009 Spring Racing Carnival runs from Wednesday 30 September to Wednesday 18 November, 2009 and includes 85 race meetings that are a combination of racing held by the metropolitan clubs in Melbourne and the country clubs scattered through the state of Victoria. The group one races that carry large prize money take place at the metropolitan clubs while the country clubs hold their own cup meetings.
Spring Racing in Melbourne: In Melbourne there are carnivals at each of the big racecourse of the Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Flemington. There is also the Sandown Classic held at Betfair Park which was known as Sandown Racecourse until November 2008. The major racing dates are as follows:
Caulfield Racecourse:
The Age Caulfield Guineas Day is on Saturday 10 October 2009.
2. Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day is on Wednesday 14 October 2009.
3. BMW Caulfield Cup Day is on Saturday 17 October 2009.
Moonee Valley Racecourse:
1. Tatts Cox Plate is on Saturday 24 October 2009.
2. Derby Eve is on Friday 30 October 2009.
Flemington Racecourse:
1. AAMI Victoria Derby Day is on Saturday 31 October 2009
2. Emirates Melbourne cup Day is on Tuesday 3 November 2009.
3. Crown Oaks Day is on Thursday 5 November 2009.
Betfair Park:
1. Sandown Classic is on Saturday 14 November 2009.
Over 60 country race meetings are held throughout Victoria during the spring carnival, including over 20 country cups meetings at town. Each country race meetings offers a unique experience with great support from local communities. Spring Racing Carnival is a great way to sample the Sport of kings. For those with a sense of fashion it is also a wonderful opportunity to wear something age-catching and there are absolutely fantastic prizes to be won on course for fashions in the field. The races are one of the few places in Australia that people wear hats or fascinators. Not everyone comes for the racing; many people attend just for the carnival atmosphere, which begins in the car park. Due to the great success of the event, it has also become a national fashion competition between the states of Australia. Large cash prizes are awarded in many categories including, best dressed man and best dressed woman.
