Caulfield Cup and The Everest LIVE: Big day of racing lined up for Melbourne and Sydney

Caulfield Cup
First race: 12.15pm
Caulfield Cup: 5.15pm
Last race: 5.50pm

The Everest
First race: 12.30pm
The Everest: 4.15pm
Last race: 6.10pm
(all times AEDT)

The first race at Caulfield isn’t for the horses.

When the gates swung open at 10.30 am it triggered the annual trackside race as punters sprint to stake out prime real estate.

So far, there haven’t been any spills, just a quick dash for the early birds.

Some lovely early pictures from Chris Hopkins.

Well, they do when it comes to what they wear on race day, according to presenter and ATC Fashion Stakes Judge Kate Waterhouse.

“Everest has really carved out its own identity when it comes to racing fashion. It has a younger, more contemporary energy, and I think that encourages people to be a little more adventurous with their style,” Waterhouse says of what makes the Sydney-based race singular in the style stakes.

The long-running Sydney versus Melbourne feud can be a bit overdone if you ask me, but it always inevitably ends up rearing its head at some point regardless.

Through my conversations with various people, when it comes to racewear fashion, the difference between the two cities translates as experimental versus traditional.

“There’s a great mix of traditional racing elegance and modern fashion, and I love seeing how everyone interprets that. It’s definitely one of the most exciting days on the Sydney racing calendar for fashion.”

Tahli Train, Ruby Farac and Sienna Mann from Craigieburn share a laugh outside the Caulfield racetrack, wearing coordinated looks in various shades of purple.

Gen Z is known for really pushing the limits of accepted norms: drinking an iced coffee in a job interview is chill, and when you’re interpreting a dress code the emphasis is on the “dress” rather than any kind of adherence to a “code”.

Case in point: the no mid-riff rule of racewear was experimented with by these young women who are wearing cute two-piece sets.

Train has a dainty singlet with cross-back detailing and an orange embellished trim, while Farac has gone for a corset-style top with her floor-length skirt.

I think bending the rules is appropriate when you look like you’re having as much fun as these friends.

Caulfield Cup
First race: 12.15pm
Caulfield Cup: 5.15pm
Last race: 5.50pm

The Everest
First race: 12.30pm
The Everest: 4.15pm
Last race: 6.10pm
(all times AEDT)

Ciao ciao everyone! Courtney Thompson, deputy lifestyle editor and fashion lead for the mastheads here on deck.

I have a good feeling about today.

The sun is shining in Melbourne, I managed to overcome a severe fashion emergency, and I’m only slightly running late.

Clayton Douglas didn’t expect to have 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick back for another assault two years later, when it was runner-up – let alone for a third attempt on Saturday at seven years old.

And he is not expecting the winner of $15.5 million to upset “generational” talent Ka Ying Rising or brilliant mare Tempted in the $20 million Everest (1200m) at Randwick.

But on a potential heavy surface, the Victorian trainer is daring to dream that his wet-track marvel can add another successful chapter to his Everest story.

Kate Waterhouse grew up around the racecourse, so by now, countless race days later, she can spot a fashion faux pas a mile away.

The presenter is attending Everest in Sydney today and serving as ATC Fashion Stakes Judge, dishing out her well-earned wisdom on what sets someone apart in the racewear competition.

For her, the biggest style “ick” is when it’s clear someone looks out of place.

Former Melbourne Racing Club chairman Peter Le Grand has a Caulfield Cup record that will stand the test of time.

Today marks the 65th year in a row Le Grand has been at the track for the first leg of Victorian racing’s holy trinity – a streak which stayed intact through the COVID-19 pandemic because he was chairman.

He has watched the race from nearly every vantage point – from the public section to the members enclosure and the committee room. He’s even snuck into a steward’s tower.