TAB Betiquette – Spring Racing 2014

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I attend the races for the fashions, not the horses. In all my years of visiting Flemington, I am usually glued to the Myer Fashion on the Field stage, perusing the frocks and shocks that pass me by and writing a wish list in my head of all the stores I really need to visit to stock up my wardrobe.

sarah and jaimeeWith the TABs Jaimee Rodgers

I’m hoping this year will be different. You see, on Monday I met Jaimee Rodgers (famous TAB ad girl) and she shared a few tips and tricks about how to place a bet for this racing season. It was a truly delightful experience – all cupcakes and champagne in the Chairmans Lounge at Flemington – and I got to hold the golden cup to boot!

So, how does one place a bet on the Cup, or any other race over the Spring Racing Carnival? I’d suggest you start with a budget. Choose your spend for the day and stick to it.

KARON PHOTOGRAPHY -3699Thats the Melbourne Cup!! Wearing top by Barkins, skirt by Chicwish and shoes by Kmart. The glove goes with the cup… 

I like an each way bet generally (a win or a place, although $1 each way is not usually particularly profitable) but it means if your horse comes in 1st, 2nd or 3rd, you might make a pretty penny.

An Exacta, Trifecta and First 4 ask you to choose the first two, three or four horses in the right order, while a Quinella asks that you only pick two, that can finish in any order.

I personally liked the sound of a Box Trifecta – pick 3 horses that can finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in any order – but of course the odds change according to the risk.

cupcakes

My thanks to the TAB and VRC for the invitation to the inaugural Betiquette luncheon. I do hope this is a Spring Racing carnival tradition in the making!

PS Gamble responsibly! x

  • 11 years ago
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Daily News – Spring Racing Millinery

Yesterday I attended the Myer Spring Fashion Lunch at Flemington and host Samantha Armytage was wearing an awesome fascinator. Or, headpiece, if you will.

Sam ArmytageSamantha Amytage wears Ann Shoebridge headpiece and Alex Perry dress. Image thanks to Donna Demaio

It took me several Instagram searches and a bit of googling to track down who had created said headpiece, before discovering it was made by milliner Ann Shoebridge.

dailypaper le monde

dailypaper

I ask you to admire this piece of millinery and its cleverness, playfulness and style, ahead of the Spring Racing Carnival, where no doubt many will not bother with headwear, or find something at a department store.

This bespoke piece is genius – and any who would like to donate to my Spring Racing Fund are welcome to help me pay for it.

  • 11 years ago
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Get your Colour Run on!

Remember being a kid? Getting dirty was a way of life, and while Mum frowned at you when you managed to get texta, or crayon, or food on your tee shirt (or the walls), at the end of the day, you were a kid – so it was okay.

And now you are a grown up. A little tomato sauce on your shirt says ‘I’m a bit of a slob’. A coffee spill spurns you to go out and buy a new tee shirt to wear for the rest of the day (don’t laugh – totally happened to me), while if you get something on your walls, you are more worried you won’t get your bond back than how it looks.

The Swisse Colour Run lets you be a bit of kid again. You can get dirty, and no one will mind. In fact, it’s kind of the point. And, it’s much prettier than doing the Tough Mudder event. Who wants mud when you can have rainbows?

The next Colour Run event is sponsored by Highpoint and will take place at Flemington Racecourse on November 24. It’s a 5km dash through coloured powder, where you will come out the other end feeling energised and all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, aka: the happiest 5kms on earth.

22,000 people will participate in this festival of fun, with Highpoint owning the colour orange. I think it’d be quite novel to own a colour: which would you pick?

Want to participate in this return to your childhood? Just comment with the colour that you want to own and you can win a double pass. Comp closes Sunday 17 November 2013 at 5pm, winner drawn at random and contacted via email. Good Luck!

  • 12 years ago
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Stakes Day

Finally! The last day of the carnival. My knees hurt. My back hurts. I’m tired. But the show must go on and the last hurrah of the Spring Racing Carnival for 2013 would bring rain, wind and a whole lot of fun.

Sarah Kempson

The weather was proving difficult to dress for and so I committed the fashion crime of the century – I wore pants to Emirates Stakes Day. At seventeen degrees with predicted showers and with two rather bruised and battered knees from my fainting spell on Oaks Day, I felt there was no better time than now to break the fashion rules. Thursday afternoon saw me scouring the wardrobe for alternate options and after a quick trip to the tailors, my pants were ready to go.

Sarah Kempson, Emma Heaslip, Olivia Nunn

Keeping my colours light for Spring, the pink ASOS pants, white ZARA top and nude Sachi heels made for a fresh outfit on a blustery day. Amusingly, my oversized Morgan & Taylor summer hat went very well with my Wayne Cooper coat, H&M gloves and Kmart clutch – all in black!! I love the contradiction of Melbourne weather. The poor kids entering Fashions on the Field stood in line with bare arms and legs shivering through the cold, with smiles on their faces the whole time.

Olivia Nunn and Sarah Kempson

After the merriment of the competition was completed, our team headed to the Birdcage for a well earned champers at Bar Schweppes by Broadsheet, downing bubbles and boutique cocktails like water and munching on the gourmet delights like we hadn’t eaten in a week. Much dancing was done, until the music stopped and the carnival was over.

Sarah Kempson Bar Schweppes

A final hurrah in the carpark rounded out another amazing week at Flemington and the Spring Racing Carnival for 2013. My many thanks to Emma and Olivia for being such great teammates, and MiNC Events for being such wonderful facilitators of the Fashions on the Field competition. To Sachi Shoes for my super comfy heels for the week, Morgan and Taylor for my headpieces and Sol Hermana for dresses – I am a very spoilt girl and it was my pleasure to wear your beautiful things!

Bar Schweppes by Broadsheet

And to all my concerned friends – I will go to the doctor this week!!!

xxx

  • 12 years ago
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Melbourne Cup Day

The first Tuesday in November dawned bright and beautiful, and I was looking forward to another fab day at the track with Myer Fashions on the Field. Heading in alone whilst Olivia had to dart back to Adelaide for important racing duties, it was easy to look around at the gorgeously frocked up punters and remember just how lucky we are to get a public holiday for a horse race, and that its so accessible to the masses – 100,000 people turned up to Flemington to celebrate the race that stops the nation.

Sarah Kempson and Emma Heaslip Cup Day

Emma and I were left to manage the VIPs on our own and on a day with Women’s Racewear, and the Designer Award, there were lots of people to sort out. A huge thanks to Sol Hermana, for my delightfully fun Sangria dress, and to Sachi Shoes and Morgan and Taylor for my accessories. My clutch is a Kmart purse! Emma also looks divine in Ginger and Smart.

Sarah Kempson Cup Day

After the official proceedings concluded, our team headed over to the Birdcage, where we sipped mojitos in the Herald Sun marquee. In residence was Wendy Tuohy, who I had the please of meeting at Melbourne Writer’s Club a few months back, and who I was thrilled to assist in organising headwear for her first Melbourne Cup Day Marquee. Wendy wears a Morgan and Taylor fascinator, and wrote about her Cup Day tips on her blog, The Perch.

Herald SunThe Herald Sun sign, adorned with newspaper flowers!

Wendy Tuohy and Sarah Kempson

A few cocktails later and we were really starting to have a good time, so it was back to the carpark for us, for macarons and champers; pringles and peppermint tea. We really know how to party!

Sarah Kempson and Emma Heaslip

  • 12 years ago
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Derby Day at the Spring Carnival

It felt like I blinked and it was November. All of a sudden, it was the start of the Cup Carnival; Derby Day was upon us and with it, the most divine weather for a race day we’ve had in quite some time.

Sarah Kempson Derby DayOn the Myer Fashions on the Field Catwalk

Having been TERRIBLY disorganised this year, I was still deciding on an outfit the night before the event. Testing frocks twelve hours before you are due at the track is never a good idea, but the wonder that is my wardrobe spilt forth several options, with the final decision being the tried and tested Dion Lee for Cue number. With millinery provided by Morgan and Taylor and shoes by Sachi, I procured a clutch from Kmart and earrings for a pop of colour from Design Studio at Myer. I was ready to roll.

Sarah Kempson and Olivia NunnWith Olivia in the Myer Fashions on the Field VIP enclosure
(Olivia wears HarryWho with millinery by Adorn and shoes by Mollini)

It was great to be back on track with my Fashions on the Field VIP team – clearly something Olivia said here was hilarious (and I don’t think we’d had any champagne at this point either!) The weather didn’t disappoint, and neither did the calibre of the Fashions on the Field for 2013.

Myer Fashions on the Field winner Derby Day

The gorgeous winner, Ashley Albanese, made her dress from leather and only finished it at 5am! She will be on Oaks Day to vie for the title of Victorian champion and be in the running for a stack of amazing prizes, including a Luxus!

Sarah Kempson Olivia Nunn Emma Heaslip Derby DayWith Olivia and Emma – we make a great looking team!

Another fantastic race day is done – one down, three to go!

  • 12 years ago
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Spring Racing Delivered

The last few weeks have truly shown me just how busy I am. And not that I can’t ‘make time’ if I really needed to, it’s more that sometimes, there are easier ways to do things. There are services that can assist in certain areas of your life. Like cleaners, and food delivery, and asking your friendly bar tender to post your mail.

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 2.47.31 PM

In this especially crazy Spring Racing period, the clever kids at Morgan & Taylor have introduced a super quick delivery service for Melbourne locals, ensuring that even when you forget an essential piece of your outfit, you can be assured they can take care of it – in a hurry.

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 2.49.48 PM

Order before 3pm on a business day (and be in the 3000-3006 or 3205 postcode areas) and you’ll have something fabulous for your head before bed. This offer is available right up until Derby Day, so no matter how busy you get, you don’t need to worry about your hat (and they have purses too!).

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 2.47.14 PM

As an avid fan of Morgan & Taylor for the past four years at Flemington, you know that these pieces are on trend, comfortable and fashion forward, sure to complete any race day outfit.

Shop online at www.morganandtaylor.com.au

  • 12 years ago
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