30,340 race goers hit the track for the world’s richest 2400m handicap, the 2016 BMW Caulfield Cup. My plus one and I were glad we dressed to impress, as it become quite obvious to us that Caulfield Cup attracted some very stylish crowds.
We began our Cup day by wandering past the exclusive VIP marquees, hoping for a glance at some celebrities (they must have all been hiding as we didn’t see anyone of note). After a quick walk under the racetrack itself, we ended up in what would become to be one of the highlights of our time at Caulfield: The Crown Young Members’ precinct.
Located in the middle of the tracks, this precinct might not have had the best views of the races but it did make up for it with some great live bands, DJs ,and a young well-dressed crowd. The atmosphere here was great.
After a few nice Pimm’s Cups it was time to check out the Members’ Box. This area was for the serious players who seemed more than happy to gossip with anyone about who they were betting on today. As it turned out, locally-trained mare Jameka took out the $3 million BMW Caulfield Cup with a huge lead that had the grandstand on the edge of their seats.
A nice touch to the day was The Westfield Style Fashion Stakes where anyone could get a professional fashion photo taken to enter into the competition. This was a fun way to capture the feel of the day (far better than a quick selfie). With over 1,000 snaps across the three days of competition, it was clear that Caulfield Cup patrons took their fashion just as seriously as their racing.
Unfortunately we did not come out with a winner today but were happy to have a few tasty cocktails and see the action on the race-track (and off it!). Caulfield Cup has far more than racing and was a very special experience.
– Tomas
Tomas Zagoda is a filmmaker, writer, coffee addict and tall person who does not play basketball. You can follow him @TomasZagoda.
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