The Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field continues for 2023 in The Park with the Best Dressed and Best Suited categories open to all racegoers from 9.30am, with registrations to close at 10.25am.
In the competition’s 61st year, every entrant will have the opportunity to showcase their outfit along an elevated catwalk in the Fashion Garden before the Daily Finals take place.
The design and creative led categories of the time-honoured competition continue on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day with the judging of the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award Final from 12:25pm, with the winner announced at 1.10pm.
Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field judges will include VRC Ambassadors, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, Melbourne Cup Carnival Ambassadors Gemma Owen and Georgina Burke, daughter of the late Lillian Frank, Jackie Frank, actor Tim Kano and National Gallery of Victoria Senior Curator, Katie Somerville.
Continuing the Celtic theme on and off the track, The Park Live Stage will host one of Ireland’s most popular bands of all time, The Corrs, at the conclusion of racing, while legendary Noiseworks frontman Jon Stevens will also take to the stage.
The delicious food offerings in The Park include a new and exclusive Flemington pop-up, The Ranch. The reimagined Pony Bar will serve the new Flemington Cocktail, the 1861. Created by Crown mixologist Joe Jones, the cocktail is named to celebrate the first running of the Melbourne Cup.
VRC partner activations in The Park include a Penfolds Rose and Croquet playing field, Furphy Container and Beer Truck, Smirnoff pop-up bar, a Coffee Caravan serving St Remio coffee and the TAB Lobby.
Among the other features on the track is one of the week’s most popular contests, the MSS Security Subzero Handicap (1400m) purely for grey horses. Other key races include the Group 3 Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) for two-year-olds and the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) for mares as well as a trio of Listed events.
The VRC’s Pin & Win campaign has raised more than $7.4 million for charities over almost 30 years and this year will see pins sold across the course for charity partner, Australian Childhood Foundation. Pin & Win Ambassadors Stefan Dennis and Anthony Cincotta will be on-course to promote the campaign. The commemorative pins cost $7 for the Cup pin and $12 for the diamante horseshoe, with all purchasers eligible to enter the draw to win over $188,000 worth of prizes including a brand new 2023 Lexus RX350h 2WD.