As the official week of Spring Racing Carnival merriment comes to a close, I look back over the last few weeks of race days with both good and not so good memories. The glory of looking fabulous competes with blisters and heatstroke as prominent in my mind, alongside overpriced champagne and queues for bathrooms. Picnics on the lawn are lovely; losing all your hard earned dollars at the TAB is not.
Every year I really look forward to Spring Racing. As the depths of winter set in, the outlook for the rest of the season is dismal but the knowledge of sunshine, facinators and skyhigh heels keeps me going through those dark, grey days. When spring fashion is released and the advertisements start, my hunger for new frocks and matching accessories keeps me at the stores from dawn til dusk and sometimes even at 24 hour shopping mecca’s when I realise that the perfect hosiery will finish off ‘that’ outfit and I need to see it in it’s entirety there and then.
Come the last weeks of October, when the actual race days roll around, its an early start with eyelash curlers and hair straighteners, a bevvy of shoes and handbags strewn about the apartment and last minute panics as to whether your outfit will make the grade at the track. Outfits months in the planning can come unhinged at the last minute without careful planning and preparedness – never leave putting the whole outfit on for the first time til raceday!
The weather conditions always play a part at the Spring Racing Carnival, and being Melbourne one can never tell if rain, hail or shine will be the pick of the day. 2009 saw surprisingly warm conditions on all racedays, with a large number of racegoers coming home with more colour than they went with. The ladies (and even some of the boys) might be wearing hats but at the end of the day when you didn’t pack the sunscreen (or umbrella!!) the hat won’t do you much good. Similarly, a feather shaped burn pattern is never attractive and facinators don’t provide much protection.
As the temperature soars, the consumption of alcohol increases exponentially. I know from bitter experience that champagne in the sun without proper food intake is never a good idea, yet year after year young ladies are carted from the track with alcohol induced illnesses. A few glasses of bubbly in the sun is pleasant; a few more in a marquee is ideal, but on the lawn in your too short dresses is a big no no. Refer to A Current Affair footage from last Tuesday night if you need to see why.
I like high heels. Lots of girls do. But if you can’t walk in them, don’t wear them. If you can’t stay in them all day, don’t wear them. If you even think that you can’t make it to the finish line in them, don’t wear them. The number one Spring Racing sin is removing your shoes before returning to the safety of your own home! Flexi Flats and Tipsy Toes are a great alternative – bare feet are not. Remember you will be on grass, possibly walking from train stations or miles to find a cab. Practise in your shoes. Bring bandaids and heelaids and party feet. Do. Not. Take. Off. Your. Shoes.
Having a bet on the Cup is a time honoured tradition that we partake in year after year. Whether you place your bets based on the name of the horse, the colours the jockey wears or actual facts and figures from previous starts and wins, everyone has a technique for backing a winner. It’s easy to get carried away after you score a win and the general combination of exhilaration and alcohol makes seeing your early retirement easy. Set limits and don’t overspend or you might find yourself not being able to afford the cab fare home. And walking home in those shoes you aren’t going to take off could be a long trek.
Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Derby Day, Cup Day, Oaks Day, Stakes Day – the fashion winners have been chosen, the races finished and gallons of champagne consumed. Feet are booked in at podiatrists and chiropractors are about to experience a surge of spinal injuries. The taxi’s will stop haunting Crown and heavy head-ware induced headaches will cease. Dresses are sent to dry cleaners, shoes and hats carefully packed away for next seasons weddings and next years eBay. It’s a long few weeks, but the Spring Racing Carnival is over again. I hope you had a win – be it backing the trifecta, setting a fashion trend, or like me, simply managing to keep your shoes on all day.
