What you need for Race day: dress, friends, cash and something to wear on head.
13th of March 2010 was my first time attending the yearly festival that is the Auckland Cup, for me it was an exciting event with so a whole lot of excitement and preparation during the up lead-up to the actual day.
Arriving at the Race Course we entered through horse stalls turned pay counters which was half cramped but also very novel, once inside the race course there was a huge amount of colour, one of the big parts of going to the races as we expected was the fashion and I can honestly say that it is a big highlight of the day seeing just what people had on, a favourite of the day was a woman who appeared to be wearing a whole peacock on her head. There is such an air of dressing up to go to an event that we don't tend to get as much nowadays with our over casual New Zealand culture.
The biggest charm of the races turns out to be the atmosphere that is in the air, its about going out and enjoying the contrast of the things that are free and the things that are luxurious. Having a bet, screaming your lungs out and sharing a bottle of wine out of plastic glasses in the stands with a group of friends all made the day for me.
The atmosphere is the big seller at the races, there is a huge social aspect to the whole event, it is interesting that the racing for most actually takes a back seat. As we went on Diamond Day the biggest race of the day was the diamond stakes in which a number of the best dressed women on course where assigned a horse each, the winner would receive a diamond. This fashion element was evident even outside of the course elite. In the public stands there was a high standard of dress and people obviously having fun with a number of kookie outfits.
If you asked my team what their favourite part was I have a feeling that one too many would answer the "Stella Artois Tent," a carefully placed promotional tent had visitors having lessons on the steps of pouring the "perfect Stella," then drinking the perfect Stella.
For me this was an absolutely awesome day, I really had a great time and would recommend anyone who hasn't been before to give it a go. Being at an event with that level of enthusiasm and atmosphere it is almost impossible not to have a good time, unless of course you get carried away and leave without your money. I will be going back next year regardless.
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