Postcard from the Saddle... Trackside at Derby Day!

By: Meryn Cooper 

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Spectators at Flemington Racetrack need to view Derby Day like an endurance event. It requires careful preparation and planning to ensure you make the finish line. In my case, it's a dance floor somewhere in Melbourne, which you stumble upon after a good meal of Korean BBQ and a dose of dodgy Karaoke. 

Like any endurance race, preparation is key. And while any punter will think to pack a form guide and a picnic rug, a seasoned professional will throw in a bottle of water, flat shoes, sunnies, a hat and sun cream. Returning to work on Monday with an imprint of your outfit burnt onto your skin isn’t a classy look. Neither is deciding the night before that you are a little bit too white, and you’ll do a D.I.Y-FIX-IT job. There were more tandoori legs cooking than at your average Indian restaurant.

While it’s essential that jockeys eat like a pigeon to remain at optimum weight, racegoers require ongoing sustenance throughout the day. Like any endurance event, food is a necessity to keep you on your feet, and instead of getting a free escort out of the grounds on a St Johns' stretcher, you can walk out at your leisure... which brings me to shoes. If your heels make you walk like a stick insect they’re probably a little too high. And if you’re walking like a geisha girl your dress is probably a little too tight. You can make your grand entrance in heels, then a pair of flats are the way to go.

We were spoilt at Derby Day this year. Melbourne turned on beautiful weather for a crowd of over 95,000 people. The roses that lined the track were in full bloom and the gayety and colour spilled from the stands onto the grass.

When the gates opened on Derby Day morning, our loyal friends were there, picnic hamper in hand, ready to secure our group prime position trackside and adjacent to the finish post. As a horse enthusiast I couldn’t have asked for a better spot. It was a thrill to watch the horses and jockeys head down to the track. We were so close you could see the horses rolling their eyes, hear the jangling of bits and smell the sweat as they trotted past.

There are plenty of options for racegoers at Flemington racetrack. There are marquees in the car park, seats in stands and the air-conditioned members area. But I enjoyed the buzz of the crowd trackside.

The racing didn’t disappoint either. We watched Jim Cassidy ride his 100^th group one win, on Zoustar, a colt that has been dubbed the “$20 million dollar horse”.

The feature race played out like a Walt Disney script. It featured a horse called Polanski that was picked up for a bargain $4,000 (at an Inglis Autumn Yearling sale), up against three of Sheik Mohammed’s blue-bloods from one of the biggest racing establishments in the world. Polanski proved he’s a stayer and won the AAMI Victora Derby 2500m race by three lengths. It was jockey Hugh Bowman’s third Derby win.

For me the day was a blur of colour and excitement, and although I wasn’t a placegetter… I made it across the finish line with fascinator still in place.

Stay tuned for more postcards from Meryn who is attending the Australian International 3DE next week and will be sending us daily updates!

Quick Links

• Find out more about Inglis and their Thoroughbred sales
• Racehorses for sale on Bloodstock.com.au
• Thoroughbreds for sale on Horsezone