Cox Plate and the Spring Carnival

And they're rounding the bend...
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Melbourne is host to the world's richest horse race, the Melbourne Cup, at the beginning of each November.  While we could have tried to attend the Cup, it is apparently just crazy, and didn't sound quite as fun as Australia's second richest horse race, the Cox Plate.  So we went to the Cox Plate instead.

Both races are part of the Spring Racing Carnival, which every year hosts an event known as "Fashions on the Field".  Fancy dresses and hats abound! Women can spend tens of thousands of dollars designing and constructing their outfit for the competition, and while you can actually apply to enter, the judging officials also scour the field for anyone who stands out a cut above the rest (we stood out alright, but only because we were wearing our grubby travel clothes).

Racing at the Cox Plate.
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We ended up buying tickets from a scalper at the front gate.  We got some decent spots on the grass in the public sitting area, and enjoyed a great day at the races.  Katherine actually picked the winner for the Cox Plate race...about a minute before the betting closed.  Man, we could have paid for the trip!

There was also an amusing race sponsored by Carleton Draught, whereby humans raced through an obstacle course holding a full pint of beer -- the more beer in your glass by the end, the better your chances of winning.  While some young punk raced through the course and spilled all his beer on one hurdle, the race was won by an middle-aged guy who hardly spilled a drop.  Just goes to show how far a little experience will get you (it'll win you $10,000, apparently).