Racing season is something a lot of people look forward to each year. Combining fashion-forward style, the thunderous sounds of hooves and the joy of sharing a glass of bubbly to toast the wins and losses, racing carnivals truly gives us visual treats and excites all the human senses! If a bit of trackside action sounds like an ideal way to spent your weekend, we’d recommend heading to the 2019 Blue Pyrenees Estate Avoca Cup.
Held on Saturday 19 October, this race meeting offers an exciting country alternative to Caulfield Cup Day. Located less than two hours from Melbourne, Avoca is a vibrant rural town located in the heart of Pyrenees, and will see racegoers take on a regional approach to the beloved Spring raceday. With something for everyone, on-course patrons can expect live music by Pink Moon and Trunk, a tonne of hospitality packages, a punters’ club and big screen viewing, while the younger racegoers will be catered for with a giant sand pit, jumping castle, costume brumbies, and more.
With previous years posing as a tremendous success, this year’s set to be bigger and better than ever, with the Fashions on the Field returning once again, and competition stakes are high with over $14,000 in prizes up for grabs. With awards in everything from the most Sustainable Creative Outfit, Couple of the Day, Gent of the Day (featuring Baz’s Best Pork Pork Pie Hat) to Best Millinery, Local Lady of the Day, Lady of the Day Runner-Up and Lady of the Day, it’s certainly worth donning your finest race day outfit. And there’s no stress on bringing your makeup bag with RETOUCH by Elysium Day Spa returning for all your make-up retouch needs throughout the day.
With involvement with the club for a number of years, Remi Gray will be the face of this year’s Blue Pyrenees Avoca Cup. Growing up trackside alongside her father Peter, a former trainer and also a Clerk of the Course in the Wimmera, horses and racing have always been a part of Remi’s life. She is a former polocrosse player, having represented Victoria in the sport, and last year she made history becoming the first female in 160 years to work as a Clerk of the Course at a metropolitan race track, when she worked on Kennedy Oaks Day at Flemington. As someone born for this, we can trust the iconic event is being represented by one of the best!
For those keen to kick on after the main event, the team are allowing guests to continue their weekend getaway in the Pyrenees this year, with Post Cup recovery on Sunday with Grapes of Mirth. Hosted by the hilarious Merrick Watts, lovers of comedy and wine will be treated to an incredible six hours of non-stop entertainment with five of Australia’s funniest comedians, including Dave Hughes, Geraldine Hickey and Nazeem Hussain. Only the best Pyrenees wines will be on offer along with beer, cider and plenty of gourmet grub. You won’t want the weekend to end!
If you’re still not convinced, the fact that Ballarat’s Avoca Shire Turf Club has been operating for more than 160 years means they know just how to run a successful race day – and we’re saying this from first-hand experience. Booking out my bestie for the weekend, we trawled through our wardrobes for the perfect outfit, washed our hair and packed up with car for our first trip to Avoca and a day of quality racing, dining, drinking and dancing last year… and it did not disappoint. Avoca’s charm will win you over, and you’ll definitely experience a little small-town kindness. I urge you; grab your bestie, pack up the car, book a camping spot at the racecourse and experience the allure of the Avoca Races this October. You can thank us later.
Set in the stunning Pyrenees wine region, Avoca Cup Day offers the perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway. For out-of-towners wanting to stay close to the track, there is on-site camping available for just $15 per site per night, and there’s even buses from surrounding regional towns, including Ballarat and Maryborough, if you’re in the mood for a day trip.
Check out all the details at country.racing.com/avoca