If you’re a fan of grand festivities, you’ll be in for a wonderful treat with the Melbourne Cup Carnival. This four-day event is widely popular and celebrated in Australia, culminated by the main horseracing event in Flemington Racecourse. The Melbourne Cup is held every first Tuesday of November, originally to commemorate the birthdate of Edward VII, then Prince of Wales. A couple of years later, it was declared a public holiday and evolved into the grand festival it is today.
This celebration is full of fun activities for friends, families, and travelers. In fact, the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival Economic Impact Study reported AUD$447.6 million of economic returns for the state of Victoria brought by these festivities.
If you’re planning to join the Melbourne Cup Carnival, here are some tips to help you have an awesome day before, during, and after the horseracing events:
1. Plan Your Day
The Melbourne Cup takes place at the Flemington Racecourse, a place many Australians consider a national heritage site with over 170 years of history behind it. The main racing event is officially slated as Race 7 scheduled at three o’clock in the afternoon on the first Tuesday in November. However, the whole day is packed with activities guests can enjoy.
Given this, you must plan your day accordingly to allocate time, money, and energy for activities you’ll surely enjoy. Moreover, you’ll need to save some of your strength for cheering for your favorite horse as you watch the races.
The schedules for most of the races are tentative. The races are still subject to change due to scratchings or last-minute withdrawals of horses joining the cup, any health or behavior issues among the horses, and other unanticipated incidents that might cause delays to the rest of the events. There are also 40-minute intervals between races, though the break tends to be longer before and after the main racing event.
With these schedules in mind, planning your activities to maximize your time and have a fantastic day in the races might be an excellent idea so you can fit in as many activities as possible in the day.
2. Place Your Bets
One of the most anticipated announcements in this spectacular event is the participants taking to the field. This year, the organizers will announce the Melbourne Cup field info on 29 October at 4:30 PM. This information is essential when placing bets because you’ll see which of the crowd favorites will be on the lineup and which entries have substantial winning potential. Watch out for these announcements soon.
Meanwhile, you’ll also have to prepare yourself when you place your bet finally. If you’ve yet to decide where to put your money, you can explore your betting options via sites that offer betting advice and insights, such as the Melbourne Cup sweep generator at Racenet. Then, you can place your bets online through certified bookmakers.
Aside from their main website, Racenet also has a YouTube channel where you can explore various racing tips. If you’d like to gather some insights from the experts, you can visit their channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSqgmNBQDpoUIZPNB6CkUHg
3. Show Off Your Fashionable Outfits
Aside from the excitement of the horseracing events, one highlight of attending the Melbourne Cup is dressing for the grand occasion. The Victoria Racing Club, which currently has 30,000 members, adheres to a specific dress code. The club requires members to wear formal attire, including tailored dresses and suits. Some also channel their inner fashionistas by adding stylish headbands, fascinators, gloves and other accessories for a glamourous day at the races.
Meanwhile, the general public is advised to stay as comfortable and stylish as they like, which means you’ll have many wardrobe options to choose from if you’re planning on casually dropping by on the day of the event.
4. Enjoy Luxurious Dining and Lounging at a Marquee
Are you in for an indulgent day at the races? Then you’ll need to book a seat at a carnival marquee. Reserving a place allows you access to comfortable seating with a clear view of the race tracks, winning posts, and spectacular city views.
Apart from premium viewing seats, you’ll also have access to luxurious multi-course meals and afternoon tea, depending on your selected package. Finally, marquees also make it more convenient for customers to place bets with a racebook and access private betting facilities and bookmakers.
5. Explore the City
Aside from the main events in Flemington, you can also explore Melbourne by joining guided walking tours, trying out restaurants and bars, or visiting nearby attractions. If you’re going with your partner, you can enjoy a romantic dining experience by going on a dinner cruise around the Yarra River. You can also find many family-friendly attractions that kids will love, including zoos, amusement parks, and museums.
Melbourne is a complete package for those looking for exciting activities to fill their holidays, and you’re sure never to run out of fun things to try.
Conclusion
The Melbourne Cup Carnival is a spectacular event that people of all ages can truly enjoy. To ensure that you and your loved ones have an incredible experience, you must plan your activities, book reservations for seating and dining locations, and save some of your energy for exploring the city. This way, you’ll have the most memorable carnival experience you can ever have.
