Crown Oaks Day to celebrate community ties

Crown Oaks Day is the third day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which has so far seen more than 172,000 people flock through the famous Flemington gates.

A purple haze will descend on the course tomorrow, with all racegoers encouraged to add a splash of purple to their racewear to raise awareness for Flemington neighbours, The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Michelle Payne OAM and 2024 Caulfield Cup winning jockey Harry Coffey will lead a Guard of Honour in Flemington’s Mounting Yard after Race 5 at 3:22pm with the Crown Resorts Foundation pledging to donate $500 for every jockey who participates.

The traditional pink rose has also been replaced with the purple rose as the day’s official flower.

The Crown Oaks will see the Matt Laurie-trained Treasurethe Moment attempt to become the 39th filly to win the Group 2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day and the Oaks. Taking her on Wakeful runner-up Powers of Opal and Group 2 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) winner Too Darn Discreet.

Crown Oaks Day celebrates the fillies and mares who are the stars of the show on the track. The $300,000 Group 3 3AW Red Roses Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies and the $350,000 Inglis Bracelet (1600m) for fillies and mares sold through an Inglis sale are two of the feature races on the card.

Another highlight is the ever popular $500,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m), restricted to country-trained horses who have qualified through a series of heats at regional racecourses.

The world-famous Birdcage Enclosure will play host to Melbourne Cup Carnival ambassador and Lexus Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne OAM, for Crown  international model Gemma Ward, businesswoman Rebecca Harding and Crown ambassador Francesca Hung,  Lexus will host TV presenter Kate Waterhouse and style influencer Rozalia Russian, Mumm guests will include famed chef Shane Delia and well known personality Gemma Dimond, interior designer and TV personality Shaynna Blaze for Nine and Victoria Racing Club ambassador and former fashions on the field winner Crystal Kimber-Peters.

The special guest of the VRC, Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian Hurley will also be in attendance at the race day.

The hotly contested Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition hosted in The Park will reach its crescendo in the Best Dressed and Best Suited categories, with the Cup Week daily finalists set to come up against the international and Australian digital winners in the Grand Final at 2:50pm and 3:20pm respectively.

Grand Final judges will include VRC special guests Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian Hurley and ARIA award-winning singer Samantha Jade.

 Winners and finalists of Fashions on the Field will share in a record-breaking prize pool of over $370,000. The Best Dressed and Best Suited categories each boast over $111,000 in prizes, with overall winners receiving $20,000 in cash alongside an incredible suite of prizes from VRC partners including Penfolds, Schweppes, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, TAB and TCL Electronics.   

Flemington’s home for global headline acts, The Park Live Stage will feature Irish superstar Ronan Keating and multi-platinum ARIA nominee Ricki-Lee.

The VRC’s Pin & Win campaign continues tomorrow with Lexus Melbourne Cup pins sold across the course for charity partner Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania. Pin & Win Ambassadors Brodie Young will be on-course selling pins and promoting the important campaign.

The commemorative pins cost $10 for the Cup pin and $15 for the diamante horseshoe, with all purchasers eligible to enter the draw to win over $188,000 worth of prizes including a brand new 2023 Lexus RZ 450e Sports Luxury car.