Scott 5Spring Racing Carnival: where it went wrong!
November 26th 2006 23:50
I love the Spring Racing Carnival, and most of things that make it Melbourne’s greatest sporting event, but amongst the glorious roses that line the Flemington mounting yard lies a number of prickly thorns.
From the Caulfield Cup carnival, Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley, four frantic days at fabulous Flemington and the relaxed Sandown Classic to put the cherry on top, the spring racing carnival has it all.
Great racing, good betting, food, drinks and anything else you can imagine – it’s all there.
I was lucky enough to be on-course every day over the Spring Racing Carnival and, though my memories are mostly good – there are certain issues that need immediate addressing.
The long and short of it is: cultural shifts have occurred in the past few years and when it comes to spectator demographics, things have changed.
Derby Day has become Cup Day, Oaks’ Day and to some extent, Emirate Stakes’ Day – all rolled into one.
The AJC Derby, a group one race to kick of the Flemington carnival (this year won by Efficient), but it is no longer ‘classic’ – in nature, style or perception.
More than 130,000 people crammed into Flemington for Derby Day. Wait, don’t think crammed, think crushed. Unfortunately, for the Victorian Racing Club – crushed was the reality.
The day started with Metlink - Melbourne’s metropolitan train/rail operator – having the forward planning of a mentally disabled chipmunk.
Metlink is notorious for stupid decisions (and being fined by the state government for failing to meet performance criterium) so it came as no surprise to learn than thousands, even tens of thousands of spectators were stranded in the city on Derby Day.
I was thrilled to be part of the squeeze. Instructed to get off the train at Spencer Street (or whatever they call it now, Southern Comfort Station I think), the crowd of us soon learnt we had been sold-out by Metlink...
Return tomorrow for part two of my Spring Racing Carnival adventures...
From the Caulfield Cup carnival, Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley, four frantic days at fabulous Flemington and the relaxed Sandown Classic to put the cherry on top, the spring racing carnival has it all.
Great racing, good betting, food, drinks and anything else you can imagine – it’s all there.
I was lucky enough to be on-course every day over the Spring Racing Carnival and, though my memories are mostly good – there are certain issues that need immediate addressing.
The long and short of it is: cultural shifts have occurred in the past few years and when it comes to spectator demographics, things have changed.
Derby Day has become Cup Day, Oaks’ Day and to some extent, Emirate Stakes’ Day – all rolled into one.
The AJC Derby, a group one race to kick of the Flemington carnival (this year won by Efficient), but it is no longer ‘classic’ – in nature, style or perception.
More than 130,000 people crammed into Flemington for Derby Day. Wait, don’t think crammed, think crushed. Unfortunately, for the Victorian Racing Club – crushed was the reality.
The day started with Metlink - Melbourne’s metropolitan train/rail operator – having the forward planning of a mentally disabled chipmunk.
Metlink is notorious for stupid decisions (and being fined by the state government for failing to meet performance criterium) so it came as no surprise to learn than thousands, even tens of thousands of spectators were stranded in the city on Derby Day.
I was thrilled to be part of the squeeze. Instructed to get off the train at Spencer Street (or whatever they call it now, Southern Comfort Station I think), the crowd of us soon learnt we had been sold-out by Metlink...
Return tomorrow for part two of my Spring Racing Carnival adventures...
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