An event, a day out and something special is what you get when you travel to Melbourne for a race day.
Whether it be a Melbourne Cup week or a winter meeting, there is something special about Melbourne racing, especially Flemington.
When you walk through the gates at Flemington you are walking into not only an iconic venue but one of Australia’s oldest institutions.
Phar Lap, Makybe Diva, Carbine and more recently Black Caviar are some of many great champions that have blessed the Flemington Turf.
Every race the horses are led out to ‘chase the sun’, which creates a buzz and is a reminder that spring riches are always just around the corner. It is simply unique.
I recently went to Royal Randwick during the Autumn Carnival it was like going to the the local tab in comparison to a Melbourne outing.
The Theatre of the horse is a poor man’s Royal Ascot and a failed, expensive attempt of recreating something special and unique. It is not unique if someone else is doing it.
If you are going to spend way over the budget why not try something different and new to provide a draw card? Not only did I have to catch a taxi between the theatre of the horse and the grandstand, the winners didn’t even know where to go after the race.
Yes the upgraded facilities are nice but are still below par and a good three wedge away from Melbourne racing.
The structure of the Sydney carnivals also need to improve. The main race days have had more moves than a game of twister and they are yet to find a winning formula.
I do not agree with some of the recent Group 1 updates to spring races in Melbourne but I do at least know the race is going to be on the same weekend next year! I’ve been to a Doncaster on a Saturday and a Monday and the Derby has been shifted more than a formula one driver’s gears.
The structure of Sydney racing is never going to be perfect but build the foundation and the crowds will consistently follow.
The Sydney carnivals will always be a long way behind the Melbourne Spring despite increasing prize money and upgrading facilities if no structure, tradition or consistency is established and kept.
No point having a baseball field with out baseball players. It is like an attractive cousin or two nuns kissing.
Glenn Innis
Guest
When Easter Saturday used to feature the Doncaster and the Derby at Randwick it would usually pull forty thousand or so.Since they started fiddling with the programming they haven't got near that sort of roll up.
Drew H
Guest
2yo racing and especially the Golden Slipper is amongst the 5 hottest topics of all time. It is not going to vanish either. I complain over 2yo racing because the prizemoney up for grabs, versus, the amount of proving into the big races, is disproportionate. It is a very coarse set of numbers to then formulate nom/accept lists. Some of the lead-up races to the big 2yo races could actually be worse, based on previous race form of the runners.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Another hilarious Melbourne is the centre of the universe article? No,not at all. Sydney remains the centre of the Australian universe. The simple fact remains that it plays second fiddle to Melbourne when it comes to most major sporting events. Horse racing included. It's been that way for ages. Are you just waking up to this realisation Strummer?
Todd O'Brien
Guest
The Sydney Autumn Carnival would benefit from more structured race programming and a commonsense approach to prize money allotment. The prize money for the Sydney Cup needs to be drastically increased to try and entice the European horses that come out for the Melbourne Cup in the Spring to stay on and target the Ranvet Stakes,The BMW and the Sydney Cup. It should be worth at least $3 million with a bonus if a horse can all three races. This would make it worthwhile for horses like Duneden to stay for the Autumn. At present we have a rubbish race for 2yo babies over 1200m worth $3.5million. Some winners never win another race. On the same race card the best horses in the country are racing in the George Ryder Stakes and Ranvet Stakes for $400,000, and a month later the Sydney Cup is run for a purse of $500,000. This doesn't make sense. it's like a League Club spending all there salary cap on the SG Ball team. The Sydney Cup field is always crap and prize money and decent lead up races has a lot to do with it. The money needs to be taken out of the slipper and other 2yo races and injected into other races where older, proven, crowd drawing horses race. The Slipper should still be woth a $1million to keep it on par with the Blue Diamond, but no more. The Epsom Hcp in the Spring Carnival also needs a prize money boost with a follow up group1 2000m WFA race worth at least $1million.
Anthony Hird
Roar Guru
Well done Melbourne. It is only going to grow from strength to strength with David Hayes set to wipe the floor in a year or two. Big things coming from him soon!
Tony Edser
Guest
This for your response strummer. I actually live in Nsw and attend rosehill and randwick often. I was in the members the day caviar ran and won the tj smith. I think you missed my point if you are going to spend millions over the budget do something original or different. Theatre of the horse is finished correct? yes it is and its a crap version of royal ascot. Members area was ok but nothing like any of the major Melbourne setups. Long way behind. The structure of the carnivals for Sydney is also a joke. No wonder prize money is so poor for group.1 events. how can trainers set their horses for the sydney majors when the sydney program changes every year
Strummer Jones
Guest
Another hilarious "Melbourne is the centre of the universe" article. Randwick is (or was) an absolute wreck of a place just recently. In case you didnt notice, there is a massive development going on meaning they have had to squeeze punters inside the track. It sounds like this is where you were perhaps. Did you go to the members area? I actually think its pretty good in there. Plenty of character and the terrace grandstand is excellent. If the article was about Rosehill, then I'd probably agree with you, but to slag off Randwick whilst the main stadium is still going up is a bit rich. Do you work at the Flemington racecourse perhaps?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Two nuns kissing?! Anyway, the Melbourne Spring Carnival will always be more popular than Sydney's racing events because it culminates in the only race that even non racing people identify with. The Cup. And the Cox Plate. And even the Caulfield Cup. They all have resonance. PR companies can't take credit for this, it just turned out that way. It's not just prize money, and its definitely not the richest 2 year old race on earth that puts Melbourne racing at the forefront.
Jane
Guest
I could not agree more, Melbourne is far better than Sydney. I went to Mooney Valley to watch Black Caviar's last race in Victoria and it was the best race meeting I have ever been too. I than went to Randwick to watch her and I can quite honestly say I would rather go to a Muswellbrook meeting and I certainly won't be in any sort of a hurry to get back there
Drew H
Guest
Criticism should be on 'who really runs the show' and on 'what basis'. To strengthen 'traditional values' could also be to take the game backwards. Transparency is another superficial word. Every time the money comes into racing, it also runs away in the pockets of the market makers. This is not uncommon to market dynamics, but racing is not a pure money market. Horses need to be true collateral value - par. Perhaps the industry has already spent tomorrow's money. Let's see what happens in 5years time when interest rates rise. Good capital into the industry is from owners, yet they are the most milked.