A short guide to maximising your glam and fun party times at Melbourne Cup.
[Chris Phutully, on Flickr.]
Spring racing carnival is a beautiful time of the year for Melbournians. The harsh bite of winter has loosened its fangs and the first warm breezes begin to shimmy through the city, exciting and enticing the residents of Melbourne out to the streets once more. The warmth of the days heralds the arrival of the warmer months, and this is the perfect excuse for a party: The Melbourne Cup. As one of the only exciting events left on the Australian calendar for the year before the hullabaloo of Christmas and New Year’s begin to take hold, it’s definitely a time to let loose and to enjoy yourself. Men and women preen and primp for the weeks (and months) beforehand, working hard to ensure that they are at their very best. All the while, trainers and jockeys are training and working to put themselves and their majestic equine friends through their paces in the hopes of pulling the ultimate prize – the Melbourne Cup.
It’s a very magical time of the year in Australia and is a time that manages to captivate and enthral the entire nation for as long as the race manages to last for. Obviously, it’s in the interests of the competing parties that the race is over as quickly as possible, but for the excited punters and racegoers watching over televisions in bars and homes, and from the stands at Flemington Racecourse, there comes the feeling that the race might go on for a magically long time. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the glitz and glamour for yourself – and not just through the screen of your TV, then it might be your year this year to get yourself to Flemington and on to the green for the cup. Follow our quick and easy guide to ensuring that you are completely race-day ready for the Melbourne Cup and anything she might throw at you!
Get Race-Day Ready
Got a standard beauty routine? Get ready to ramp it up just a little – and then just a little bit more. You are certainly wanting to be going for the ‘less is more’ aesthetic but with a bit more longer and harder-wearing than you might usually be used to. After all, you’re going to be out and about in heels and a pretty dress for the vast majority of the day, so you need to make sure your tan, nails, hair and outfit are ready to stand the test of time. There are any number of salons and beauty therapists who will jump at the chance to help you with your race-day preparations, so get in touch early to ensure you don’t miss out.
Understand how to place a bet
One of the fun parts of going along to the Melbourne Cup is placing a bet or ‘having a flutter’. When you’re in the environment of the races it’s a lot of fun to put some money on a horse and see how it goes – and it can also add to the excitement of watching a race, if you know that there’s a chance you might win some money as a result of it. Either learn online or ask a friend who knows what they are doing and get them to show you the ropes.
Live it up in style
When the Melbourne Cup beckons you should answer it in style! Think about getting a lavish hotel room, think about getting a limo and think about getting only the best champagne – and then stop thinking about it and just do it! There’s not really a better excuse to get down and splurge with your best friends, so soak it up when you can.
The keys to your beautiful Melbourne Cup Day experience are to get race-day ready, to organise things in advance and to ensure that you have a special touch of glam. Oh, and that you’re clued in on how to place a bet.
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