Key posts
Our experts share their Randwick and Caulfield tips
At The Everest, Gen Z racegoers to ditch Melbourne Cup-style dress codes
By Damien Woolnough
Traditional racewear is a late scratching from the spring carnival, as the Gen Z fashion pack prioritise bubble skirts and slinky gowns over floral dresses and fascinators.
“It’s no longer about what’s happening on the track,” says Kellie Hush, creative director of the dress-sharing platform The Volte. “We’ve gone from more conservative dressing to party pieces that are a little bit frivolous.”
Models at Royal Randwick Racecourse display a more relaxed take on racewear for The Peacock Lounge in the Winx Stand at The Everest.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Data from The Volte shows a spike of more than 15,000 orders during the racing season, with black, pink and printed outfits outranking traditional florals. Floor-length dresses account for 40 per cent of rentals, 35 per cent are midi dresses and minis comprise 25 per cent. Sensible pantsuits barely rate a mention.
“It’s less about tradition and more about pushing fashion boundaries,” Hush says.
Read the full story here.
Soggy sandals? Not with these fashion hacks
By Melissa Singer
The weather gods haven’t decided the fate of Caulfield today, but if there’s rain we could see a few last-minute outfit changes among those lucky enough to have stylists in their employ.
For everyone else, taking a few simple fashion hacks, such as wearing flat shoes, can make the day a lot more comfortable.
Models Luke Daniels, in Arthur Galan, and Anna Lynn, in an Alex Perry dress from rental business Style Theory, and Lana Wilkinson flats.Credit: Simon Schluter
As for how to wear flats and still look elevated, stylist and shoe doyenne Lana Wilkinson says it’s all about the type of shoe, and the hemline of the outfit.
“Leave the loafers for the office. Consider metallic finishes and premium hardware accents for an elevated look.”
Whether you’re spending the day at Caulfield or Randwick, there are plenty of styling hacks, including a refresher of the members’ dress codes, in today’s story.
Read more here.
Our experts share their Randwick and Caulfield tips
Protesters beat punters to Caulfield
By Melissa Singer
Gates only opened at Caulfield a few minutes ago but already the anti-horseracing protesters are out in full force stationed across the road from the main gates outside the train station.
We’ll bring you more on the protests throughout the day.
Protesters gather outside of Caulfield race course. Credit: Melissa Singer
Crowds gather as gates open at Randwick
By Cindy Yin
Things are ramping up here at Royal Randwick ahead of the first race at 12:30pm this afternoon, where thousands of race goers have already flocked from far and wide to watch twelve outstanding sprinters duke it out in the richest race on turf in the world.
The atmosphere is buzzing, with light chatter dispersed throughout the excited crowds. There’s also a saxophone player skilfully performing a melodic rendition of ‘Havana’ in the background.
Racegoers wait at the turnstiles at Royal Randwick.Credit: Getty Images
All the racegoers are dressed to the nines, with a sizeable chunk sticking to the dress code for the races today – ‘a touch of blue’. I’ve certainly already seen more shades of blue than I knew even existed on the colour wheel.
As for how it feels on the ground – the weather is almost perfect, sunny, not too hot, but quite humid. However, there’s a slim chance of rain at around 3-4pm, so here’s to hoping it stays dry today.
Welcome
Good morning readers, and welcome to one of the biggest days on the Australian racing calendar.
Of course, we’re talking about The Everest – the world’s richest race on turf – which will race at 4:15pm at Royal Randwick in Sydney, and the Caulfield Cup which will race at 5:15pm in Melbourne.
Billie Eder and Roy Ward here to take you through today’s events, with racing set to start after midday. We’ve got plenty of action, fashion and fun for you before then, so enjoy the weekend and let’s get cracking.
The Everest will race at 4:15pm at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Credit: Getty Images
