Springtime (that wacky southern hemisphere!) means outdoor sports season. I was invited by my new friend Nat to join her for a ladies day out to celebrate the Melbourne Cup, essentially Australia’s Kentucky Derby. We attended at Ascot Racecourse in Perth to partake in local races and observe the broadcasted national spectacle.

But everyone knows the races are really just an excuse to get all dressed up and day drink in the sunshine. The men looked dapper in formal wear and the feminine summer styles were on show: delicate lace, floral patterns, and sweetheart bodices with deep V plunges. And of course, fascinators: fluttery feathery hair pieces! I was delighted when Nat loaned me one to wear for the occasion. 🙂

All dolled up for a day at the races!

We arrived just in time for the Melbourne Cup race #7, the premier race of the day. With bated breath we bellied up to the rail and watched the race on the track bigscreen. There was a large sheltered area housing all the official and independent booking agents, each offering different odds. You pick your horses, then go shopping for a bookie to place your bet! I bet on the favorite and the hometown jockey going for a record. Nat and Mel placed last minute bets on horse number five, Protectionist, based on a random tip that a man in the train station shouted at us while we poured over the betting sheets in the newspaper. It turned out to be a winner!

Lucky ladies!

First round of drinks were on the winners. For a captive audience, drinks were reasonable: $25AUD per bottle of house SSB, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. (Pro tip: pack a picnic to go with your wine.) We weren’t the only ones drinking however. As the afternoon progressed, I saw an all-out fist fight break out one table away. When we took the crowded bus home at the end of the day, one man verbally reprimanded a second man for not giving up his seat to a woman. When man #2 continued to sit, man #1 smacked him in the face! I’m not used to arguments getting physical so quickly. My Australian lady friends rolled their eyes. Oh, the fighting, what an annoyance. A distasteful reality. To me, it was startlingly bizarre.

Overall, it was a lovely Tuesday in the sun with wonderful company, and an enjoyable cultural experience indeed!

On a somber note, there were some unfortunate fatalities: two horsed died. We found out the news after leaving. One–Admire Rakti–was the favorite in the main race but suffered heart failure immediately after. An uncommon, but not unheard of, accident. A second horse in another race got spooked by a flag-waving fan, shattered its leg, and was euthanized shortly thereafter.