The Melbourne Cup

OK, let's start with the basics. The Melbourne Cup is a horse race. But not just any horse race. It is the race in Australia. This race is the pinnacle of a eight-week barrage of horse racing around the state known as Spring Carnival. But unlike most major races that occur on the weekend, this race takes place on a Tuesday. And furthermore, Tuesday is a public holiday in Victoria! You don't have to be a racing fan to appreciate the day off. No complaints here - a public holiday and a day-time drinking event mid-week... good-on ya! Although its not a public holiday in other states, the whole country pauses to watch the Cup race. In addition to the races, people tune in to catch the winner of the 'Best Dressed' competitions. Men in their best party suits and ladies in anything fashionable that goes along with their hat. That's right, a hat. [See Melissa's right] I had an idea what to expect, but I had no idea how over-the-top the day would be.

So if this is the race of the year that every Melbournian flocks to you're probably wondering how we got in. Well, not due to any of my efforts - that's for sure. A friend from work was hoping to pull us in through general passes he had. [we basically would have been in the parking lot tailgating] Unfortunately, he didn't have enough to spare, and we're not that good of friends. So Melissa to the rescue. Melissa works with all of the major companies in Australia. Her relationship paid off and she was offered two tickets.

Now any tickets are good - even general admission would have been fun. I was floored when I got the email from Melissa: two tickets... TabCorp Marquee... Birdcage. To decode that cypher, TabCorp is the major gambling company in Australia that operates casinos, slot machines, and off track betting. We would be spending the day in the TabCorp Marquee which is like a small restaurant - food, tables, open bar, wait staff, elevated view of the track, and best of all - in house access to the betting counter. Its TabCorp after all! The Birdcage is the name of the exclusive VIP section where all the best marquees are. Its the last frontier at the Cup. Every major retailer [Lexus, Myer, Saab, Emerites, Hilton, etc] and Australia company has a marquee set up. Each with their own guest list and bouncer. Each marquee that is trackside - like ours - is elevated so you have an unabstructed view of the track. Our tickets weren't just good - they were freakin' awesome! We enjoyed the full hospitality of the TabCorp marquee. I couldn't even get my full name out to the receptionist before a waitress was in my face with an option of beer, wine, or champagne. [the day is already starting off well]

We mingled with others at TabCorp, explored the other marquees in the Birdcage, and even spotted some local b-list celebrities. It wasn't until we left the Birdcage to meet friends (who were not lucky enough to have Birdcage access) that we ran into the real celebrity. As we approached the secuirty gate to re-enter, we were stopped by a group of large security guards. Uh, oh. Was our cover blown? Did they realise we didn't really belong there - Americans in the Birdcage, something must be wrong?! After some internal discussion, they decided to let us reenter. Good thing, I was sure out day was about to be cut short. As we entered and walked down the small laneway, we noticed it was packed with race-goers and everyone was looking at us. Most had cameras ready, but all were softly muttering and obviously excited about something. Now this is the kind of greeting I could get used to! As we walked through the crowd, putting forth the best smile possible and even strutting a bit, we realized they weren't looking at us. They were looking over our shoulders at the real attraction. Just then, we turned around to see three very large black men dressed in all white. Now they were struttin'! The cameras started popping. These three were protecting a much smaller man whose face is unforgettable... it was Snoop Dogg. That's rigth, Snoop was the Cup main attraction for the Birdcage. He didn't perform; he just showed up, giving added cred to the experience of Cup day.

Needless to say, my horse racing experiences at the Preakness Stakes were a little different. We did those outings on the shoe-string budget of a college student. General admission to the infield, cases of Natural Light, and a couple of shorties from Wawa to last the day. That said, there are some similarities. Preakness, like the Cup, is focused in social day-time drinking. Preakness, like the Cup, also has a focus on clothing, however its not what you wear that gets you the attention ;-)