Spring Racing Carnival
Hats on, fillies - they're racing!
By Sarah Norris
The birds and bees are getting busy and the mornings are a little warmer, but it's not officially spring fever in Sydney until the season's racing carnival gallops into town.
After a year on hiatus due to that pesky equine influenza outbreak, Rosehill Gardens is saddling up three big Saturdays of top-notch racing, with some of Australia's best thoroughbreds competing for in excess of $3.6 million in prize money... oh, and Sydney's best-dressed ladies and gents sartorially striving for the title of most glamorous in the field.
The racing kicks off this Saturday 30 August with the Tooheys New Golden Rose Day for two-year-olds - Sydney's only million-dollar race during spring. The first 1,000 guests will receive gifts: a golden rose lapel pin for the men and a long-stem rose for the ladies.
The fashion side of racing steals the spotlight on Saturday 13 September with the Myer ‘Mad About the Hat' Day, where the first 5,000 ladies wearing a hat or fascinator will pick up a goodies bag. Prizes will also be awarded to people with the ‘maddest' hats. For more see our look at hats for the Spring Racing Carnival
The horse action sees the $200,000 Myer Theo Marks Stakes and Group 3 events, the De Bortoli Wines Kingston Town Stakes and APN Outdoor Research Stakes.
The following Saturday 20 September, patrons get the royal treatment at the WSFM Tea Rose Day, with shoe shiners, trumpeters, court jesters and a red carpet, as well as the Madura High Tea function all happening at the Grand Pavilion.
The Spring Carnival is at Rosehill Gardens on Sat 30 Aug, Sat 13 and Sat 20 Sep from 11am.
Lunch packages on the first two Saturdays are $95 include entry, reserved seating, a three-course lunch, race book and a bottle of wine. The Madura High Tea is $80 and includes entry, reserved seating, glass of sparkling, high tea, lunch, race book and entertainment