Few sports can boast about the glamour that horse racing can. Major racing events attract some of the biggest stars around, and showcase a dazzling display of high fashion from the crowds that gather to watch. Queensland is home to one of the premiere racing events in Australia, taking place on the Gold Coast in late April, and Brisbane for the remainder of its duration.
From May 9 until June 6, make sure you are watching this major Brisbane event: The Channel Seven Brisbane Racing Carnival.
Since 2009, the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) has been hosting this high-class event, though its history prior to the BRC's ownership dates back 126 years.
Overall the entire event takes place over four days, though there is a preliminary race day hosted by the Gold Coast in late April, plus numerous smaller entertainment events happening throughout. Here is a quick breakdown of what to get excited for each day:
Opening the entire event is a day like no other in the carnival's history. The organisers have combined two of the biggest races into a single day, and matched that with the event's luminous social day, which the BRC describes as, "the day to see and be seen."
The two races happening on May 9 are the Group 1 BTC Cup - a 1,200-metre weight-for-age sprint that dates back to 1963, and the Group 2 Doomben Cup - a weight-for-age race of 2,000 metres that can be traced back to 1933, when Doomben racecourse first opened.
May 23 has an exciting mixture of both racing and entertainment that lasts well into the evening. It starts with the Doomben 10,000, one of the country's top 1,250-metre weight-for-age sprints. This race began in 1933 as a 1,200-metre sprint, and it got its name from the prize money increase that happened in the 1950s, taking it to £10,000, which made it the richest sprint in the country at the time.
Following this event, Australia's beloved rock band The Choirboys will take to the stage to keep the party going well after the race.
"From May 9 until June 6, make sure you are watching this major Brisbane event: The Channel Seven Brisbane Racing Carnival."
There are two major events to look out for on May 30, blending fashion with racing.
The Queensland Oaks is the big race for this day, which first took place in 1951. This event brings out the three-year-old staying fillies, and is being run over 2,200 metres in Doomben racecourse for the first time in history.
However, if you love the fashion of the event, you also need to check out the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Fashions on the Field event, where eager fashionistas can take to the catwalk to win their share of $25,000 worth of prizes.
The grand finale is as important to the Brisbane Racing Carnival as it is to any great play, film or story. June 6 hosts the biggest, most prestigious event in the entire carnival: the Stradbroke Handicap.
Not only is this race one of the toughest horse races in the country over 1,350 metres, but it has been a shining star in the racing calendar of Queensland since 1890. There are three Group 1 races and three Group 2 races to this event, with a prize pool totaling a whopping $2 million.
If you're planning on attending the event, make sure you book your holiday accommodation in Brisbane now. Doomben racecourse is where the action will take place this year, which is located an easy 15 minutes or so northeast of the city's CBD, almost adjacent to the international airport.
That means Mantra's range of Brisbane hotels are perfectly suited to your needs. For example, Mantra Terrace Hotel has a range of comfortable hotel suites available, and less than 10 minutes on foot to Central railway station - where you can take the Doomben line straight to the event venue. Did you bring a large group? Mantra on Edward has multi-room apartment options, and is also within easy walking distance to Central station.
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