You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
You've used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.
When former jumps jockey Shane Jackson stepped out on his own as a trainer two years ago, he had just four horses in his stable, and 40 boxes to fill.
“We had a big empty barn,” Jackson recalled this week. “It was a bit daunting early days.”
Passionate racing identity Tony Ottobre was one of the many owners the Irishman messaged to ask for a horse. Years ago, he had ridden a jumps winner for Ottobre – whose mare Pride Of Jenni is one of Australia’s most popular racehorses – and he was using that as an in.
It worked – sort of. Ottobre preferred to send his horses to trainers closer to his home on the peninsula, Jackson was told, and Warrnambool was too far away. Anyhow, he did not have a horse.
Derby Day starts with a dump of rain and cracks of thunder at Flemington around 10.55am.
Already one of the most popular people in the Birdcage is Nine News weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs.
She assures us the weather will ease in the afternoon (we hope).
Early racegoers haven’t let the wet weather conditions dampen their spirits as hundreds flock to secure prime locations trackside this morning.
Spirits seem to be high despite the soggy forecast and early showers.
The BOM has warned of possible damaging winds Saturday morning, so hold onto your hats - there could be some runaway fascinators in the strong northerly winds.
The Melbourne Cup might have the race day glory and Oaks Day may technically have the style crown thanks to hosting the Fashions on the Field final.
But speak to most people and they’ll tell you the same thing: Derby Day is the “real” fashion day of the spring carnival.
Why? It could be because “fashion people” famously love an all-black look. Or maybe it’s because Derby Day is also when most of the Sydneysiders make the journey south to the races (ha! Just joking!)
It was an early start for guests of Hyde Melbourne Place’s beauty bar booked in for hair and makeup ahead of Derby Day.
The hotel set aside its penthouse suite with sweeping city views and a bar stocked with Perrier Jouet champagne for the first time this year for Derby Day preparations.
A team of four hair and makeup artists are hard at work creating some Derby Day glam for the races.
Tania McNaughton flew in from Brisbane for the races and was getting her hair and makeup done by makeup artist Yashika Sindhu at 6.30am before heading to the track.
When three-year-old gelding Doubt Time lines up behind the gates for Saturday’s Coolmore Stud Stakes, stablehand Montanna Gawith-Hutson is confident the horse will be relaxed and ready to race.
That’s because Doubt Time has a companion pony, called Sancho.
Sancho is one of the emotional support animals who accompany racehorses trained by Nick Ryan to the track, easing any anxiety caused by unfamiliar noises and smells, and keeping them calm before the race. Another is Cowboy, a smaller, chestnut-coloured pony who is part of the stable family.
“We just have that companion pony just to keep them settled...we want them to have a good experience at the races,” Gawith-Hutson said.
G’day everyone and welcome to our Victoria Derby live blog as the Melbourne Cup carnival continues today.
I’m Roy Ward and I’ll be tapping away on the keys as our team of reporters brings you all the fashion, fun and racing from what should be a super day at Flemington.
The first race is set for 12.25pm AEDT while the Derby is scheduled to jump at 4.20pm AEDT.
