Today was possibly one of the best days that I have had in Australia so far. As you may or may not know already, horseracing is HUGE in Australia, with none other than Melbourne being host to one of the biggest horse racing festivals (The Melbourne Cup) in the world. The sport is so huge that they have even dedicated a national holiday to it (that’s right, Australians get a day off work to gamble!). Today Jenn (another Canadian) and I took forth to the Flemington Race Grounds for an afternoon of champagne, sun, and some gambling. Now, you cannot just attend the Melbourne Cup, you need to attend in style! Melbourne (city of fashion), does not only pride itself on the races, but on the prestige and glamour of the people attending as well. In simple terms, do not attend unless you have on a fancy dress, ridiculously uncomfortable shoes, and either a feather or Jane Austen style hat on your head! With all three requirements in check, Jenn and I were ready to make our way to the grounds.
When people said that Melbourne was a city of fashion, they really weren’t lying! Some of the outfits were simply astounding, and half the fun was just seeing what everyone else was wearing. With the first races about to take place, Jenn and I found ourselves a nice spot of grass to set up our picnic. Spending the first 15 minutes or so trying to figure out what direction the horses were even coming from was the least of our problems. We had no idea how to bet, where to bet, and what all the little numbers beside the horse names meant. After accosting a couple of locals, we made our way to the betting tents sure that we would win…I mean after all, we know knew what the odds were!
With my first large bet of $1.50 “each way”, I was certain I was in for a winner. With names like “Serena’s Revenge” and “For the Lads” I knew the payout was going to be
huge, at least that is what I thought. After losing multiple rounds in a row I placed some money on “Just Say Somthink” and “For Keeps”, feeling grim about my chances. With both horses placing in the top three I had won…and I had one big….a whole $2.50 back—there is something to be said about betting with a horse that has low odds!
By the end of the day I was firmly in the hole and Jenn was up by about $30. All losses aside, the races were so much fun and I think that I may have found a new hobby!!
When people said that Melbourne was a city of fashion, they really weren’t lying! Some of the outfits were simply astounding, and half the fun was just seeing what everyone else was wearing. With the first races about to take place, Jenn and I found ourselves a nice spot of grass to set up our picnic. Spending the first 15 minutes or so trying to figure out what direction the horses were even coming from was the least of our problems. We had no idea how to bet, where to bet, and what all the little numbers beside the horse names meant. After accosting a couple of locals, we made our way to the betting tents sure that we would win…I mean after all, we know knew what the odds were!
With my first large bet of $1.50 “each way”, I was certain I was in for a winner. With names like “Serena’s Revenge” and “For the Lads” I knew the payout was going to be
huge, at least that is what I thought. After losing multiple rounds in a row I placed some money on “Just Say Somthink” and “For Keeps”, feeling grim about my chances. With both horses placing in the top three I had won…and I had one big….a whole $2.50 back—there is something to be said about betting with a horse that has low odds!By the end of the day I was firmly in the hole and Jenn was up by about $30. All losses aside, the races were so much fun and I think that I may have found a new hobby!!
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